Goji Berry Absolute 20% (NEPALESE)

Adam Michael has this to say “Yes, you read correctly, what we have here is indeed Goji Berry Absolute hailing from Nepal. This is an experimental material on the producers behalf and I can type confidently it is very similar aromatically to the Chinese material I was fortunate enough to source in the past. A very challenging material to work with, and to minimise waste I have put together, and offer for sale here, a ready to use, 20% dilution in DPG. This way the material is of a pourable viscosity, with a slight sticky touch and subject to weight is red velvet in colour.

Ok, the aroma is reminiscent of a gourmand concoction, with an overload of dark berry type jams and reminding me of eating the almost black gooey fig flavouring within fig biscuits, through to spreading lashings of rosehip and or plum jam over a slice of warm toast. Actually, smelling this absolute is also a similar experience to the aroma that floods our kitchen when we stew mixed berries in a pan with sugar (served with cold plain yogurt – yum) and it even reminds me somewhat of eating wild strawberries here on the Tuscan fields across the middle of summer, a simple yet enjoyable pleasure. This absolute delivers some big hits of fruit flavoured teas through to strong black tea, and showcases qualities comparable to honeys through to dark maple syrups as well. The spiced qualities within this absolute have a sweetness and are reminiscent to me at least, of smelling both cinnamon and cassia essential oils. Aromatically, both by single note profile and overall combination of notes, what we have here is a truly unusual and most welcome addition to the perfumers palette.

I interpret this profile as an autumn through to winter material only. Regarding uses, well it is no secret I have started to delve back into offering ouds and this goji is a bizarre yet perfect marriage when coupled with plantation ouds I am finding, the two play seemingly harmoniously throughout, what one lacks the other provides so to speak and thus you end up with a truly fascinating, fuller spectrum of aroma. Lets not forget fruit absolutes produced from the leaves of the plants either, as all show potential of working well also with this goji, especially mango leaf abs, the goji absolute further intensifying the leather qualities displayed within the mango leaf absolute. Strawberry leaf absolute with its tea like qualities partners well with goji and although hard to find at retail now, peach leaf absolute is one to consider as well. Pairs especially well also with red rose orientated absolutes, as well as dog rose (Eubatus rubus), carnation, and coffee materials, even resinous and balsamic naturals including myrrh, opoponax, peru, benzoin and styrax show interesting results. 

For me, I’d class this material as a gourmand heart note, applied to skin neat and standalone, I get approximately two hours of wear and due to the messy nature of this material, what we offer here is again a 20% dilution in DPG.”

Botanical Name: Lycium barbarum 

Origin: Nepal

Alcohol Soluble: Yes

Oil Soluble: No