Indonesia special: The new/old fragrance powerhouse

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? Photographer-artist Thomas De Monaco’s niche perfume brand is offering a shareholding opportunity via a “Crowd Capital Campaign.”

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Story: Riyal Noor — the unsung knight of Indonesian perfumery
2. Quiz: Which family does the patchouli plant belong to?
3. Raw Materials: Patchouli

Story: Riyal Noor 🇮🇩

An interview with Riyal Noor — perfumer, musician and owner of the perfume school Akademi Wangi Nusantara. “Fragrance is both an art and an experience.” With a rich background in music, he imagines musk as the bass note and citrus as the melody. Indonesia’s diversity is reflected in its olfactory preferences — access to patchouli, nutmeg, vetiver and sandalwood, and a perfumery more about overall sensation than the Western pyramid.

Sunset was inspired by a conversation with his father: “Do you know why people love sunsets? Because it’s when lovers meet, fathers return from work, mothers start cooking, and workers finish their day.” The fragrance journeys from bright mandarin and sweet orange, through a subtle rose, to earthy vetiver and patchouli. At his academy, ~90% of students start wanting to launch a business, but half shift to enjoying perfumery as a personal, artistic endeavour.

Raw Materials: Patchouli

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is a tropical plant with a woody, earthy, sometimes chocolate-like aroma, notably containing no allergenic substances. Originally from the Philippines, Indonesia (Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java) is now the primary producer (~1,500 tonnes/year); ~€50/kg. The basis of modern chypres and orientals — key to Coty’s 1917 Chypre. Iconic: Nicolaï Patchouli Intense, Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Guerlain Mitsouko, Mugler Angel.