The olfactory
world

The most sought-after oud in the world. When the Aquilaria tree is infected, it produces a dark, fragrant resin over decades. Only infected trees — perhaps one in a hundred — produce oud of this quality.

A single kilogram of Assam oud oil can cost over €10,000. Maison Noire sources directly from a single family farm that has cultivated Aquilaria trees for three generations.

The Rose de Mai — also called the cabbage rose — blooms for only a few weeks each May in the fields around Grasse, France. It must be harvested at dawn, by hand, before the sun opens the petals fully and the fragrance escapes.

Approximately four tonnes of rose petals are required to produce just one kilogram of rose absolute. The scent cannot be replicated synthetically.

Vetiver is a tropical grass whose roots grow three metres deep into the earth — the deepest of any grass. The roots absorb and concentrate the minerals of the soil, giving Haitian vetiver its uniquely smoky, roasted quality.

Maison Noire uses only Haitian vetiver — considered the finest variety — slow-roasted over wood coals to intensify its dark, complex character before distillation.

A resin that oozes from the Cistus ladanifer shrub in the heat of Mediterranean summer. Historically, labdanum was combed from the beards of goats that grazed among the shrubs — the resin would cling to their hair.

Its scent is deeply animalic and warm — often described as the smell of "skin in sun". It is one of the oldest perfumery ingredients in the world, used in ancient Egypt over 4,000 years ago.

The rhizome (root) of the Iris pallida flower, grown in the hills around Florence. After harvesting, the roots must be dried and aged for three to five years before the orris butter — the fragrant extract — develops fully.

The resulting ingredient smells of violets, powder, and cold stone — ethereal and unmistakeable. One of the most expensive natural ingredients in perfumery, over €100,000 per kilogram.

The most expensive spice in the world by weight. Each Crocus sativus flower produces just three stigmas — which must be harvested by hand within hours of the flower opening, in October only, before sunrise.

Kashmiri saffron has a deeper, more honeyed character than Iranian saffron, with a distinct metallic warmth that amplifies oud and amber. Approximately 150,000 flowers yield just one kilogram.