Clove

What Does It Smell Like?

Clove smells like a warm spice cabinet on a winter's day—sharp, almost peppery, with a sweet undertone reminiscent of honey and wood smoke. Imagine biting into a clove bud: your mouth tingles with a slightly numbing sensation, and your nose fills with something both comforting and assertive. It's less fruity than cinnamon, less heat-forward than chilli, with an almost medicinal cleanliness beneath the spice. Picture the aroma drifting from mulled wine or a freshly opened jar of pickling spices.

Origin & History

Clove comes from the unopened flower buds of *Syzygium aromaticum*, a tree native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. For centuries, these islands were the world's only clove source, making them extraordinarily valuable—entire colonial wars were fought over them. The buds are hand-harvested, dried in the sun until dark brown, then either used whole or processed into essential oil through steam distillation. Today, Indonesia and Madagascar remain the primary producers, yielding an essential oil rich in eugenol, the compound responsible for clove's signature warmth and slight numbness.

In Perfumery

Perfumers employ clove as a spicy, animalic middle note that adds complexity and sensual warmth. It bridges floral and woody elements, lending vintage elegance to fragrances. Used sparingly, it creates sophisticated depth; overused, it dominates. Clove works brilliantly in Oriental, chypre, and aromatic compositions, grounding compositions with its earthy, slightly bitter character.

Pairs Beautifully With

Featured In 236 Fragrances