Vetiver is an aromatic grass, the highest quality of which is cultivated in places like Haiti, India, Indonesia and Réunion. The word vetiver derives from a Tamil word that means ‘root that is dug up’, perfectly appropriate for a plant whose roots are the most valuable parts for the perfumery business. The process of harvested and dried deepens and develops the intrinsic odour of the plant.

Vetiver Imperiale sparkles from the offset, bedded down in a rising cool, vetiver note. The green of it is a faded chartreuse. The opening trio of white, black and pink pepper is fabulous, and beautifully compliments bergamot, neroli and juicy mandarin in the top. It is the pink pepper in particular feels transmuted by brightness.

Cardamom and patchouli introduce a bracing edge, and the vetiver expands, smelling like green sugar, exalted by amber and cedar. Vetiver Imperiale is housed in a turquoise version of the Boadicea flacon, the cap and shield have been dipped in 18 carat gold, giving the bottle a jewellike intensity. The powdered rooty haze of the latter stages is lovely, a mix of nostalgia and contemporary verdancy.