Vetiver Imperiale

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. These are harvested and dried, this process deepens and develops the intrinsic odour of the plant.

Like grape varieties, much is made of the terroir that produces the vetiver, the importance of soil, weather and other environmental factors. It is a hugely popular note in perfumery either as a vital supporting material or taking centre stage as it does in this very beautiful iteration by Boadicea the Victorious.

Vetiver Imperiale sparkles from the offset, bedded down instantly in a rising cool, damp vetiver note. The green of it is a faded chartreuse. The starting joy is a trio of white, black and pink pepper that smells fabulous, a piquant seasoning of bright dry spice. They go beautifully with the bergamot, neroli and juicy mandarin in the top, they add sweetness, and it is the pink pepper or baies roses as it is sometimes known that feels transmuted by their brightness.

Cardamom and patchouli introduce a bracing edge to the cocktail infused pepper and citrus. The vetiver expands and becomes increasingly dominant, smelling like green sugar. As expected the vetiver is a base note, exalted by smooth amber and Atlas cedar. Vetiver Imperiale is beautiful to wear, 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. A wondrous perfume.