THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS - IFEAT

Perfumers not only consider the odour groupbut also classify materials as ‘Top’ ‘Middle’and ‘Base’ notes.Top NotesCitrusMintyGreenFruityMarineAgresticAldehydicConiferousHeadMiddle NotesFloralHerbaceousWoodySpicyMedicatedHeartBase NotesMossyBalsamicAnimalicSoulFigure 1 Odour Groups by type of note (relativevolatility)Can I smell it?Is it strong or weak?Is it pleasant or unpleasant?Is it fresh or stale?Is it sweet or dry?Is it warm or cool?Is it rough or smooth?What does it remind me of?How does it make me feel?In the smelling of the first set of samples participants were alsoinvited to consider a number of other odour characteristics byconsidering a number of questions?Figure 2 Questions to ask whensmelling a materialThe participants were then taken through an olfactoryjourney with some of the detail and complexity of eachof the major classifications being introduced. Here onlythe odour concept of ‘green’ is presented. There is theleafy green of fresh cut grass, the floral greenness ofhyacinth, the cool green of a fresh salad with cucumberand the vegetable green of earth / sliced green beans.Green odour groupTypical ingredientscis-3-Hexenol, Leaf alcoholGreen, leafy, fresh, sappy, grassyPhenylacetaldehydeGreen, floral, hyacinthNonadienal, Cucumber aldehydeGreen, cucumber, oily, butteryGalbanum oilGreen, agrestic, earthy, pyrazinicBlackcurrant bud absoluteAbsolute bourgeons de cassisFresh, green, fruity, blackcurrant, cattyFigure 3 Variations of green odours withexamples316