Jean-Claude Ellena (l.) and Olivier Roellinger (Photo: Benoit Teillet)
Food and perfume are natural companions. To fully appreciate haute cuisine, or haute parfum, you want to allow all of your senses to come into play. There are numerous examples of perfume inspired by food and many chefs add aromatic grace notes to their presentations to achieve a desired effect. The latest release from Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermes as part of the Hermessence line is called Epice Marine and it is a co-creation between M. Ellena and renowned chef Olivier Roellinger.
Olivier Roellinger and his Spice Blends
For those unfamiliar with M. Roellinger he was the Michelin three-star chef and owner of Maisons de Bricourt, in the Brittany town of Cancale, from 1982 until 2008. M. Roellinger’s signature was his spice blends. In many ways the way a perfumer blends notes into a pyramid was the same approach M. Roellinger would use as he blended spices into different blends of familiar and unfamiliar. Here is an example of M. Roellinger’s craft as he describes the spice mix “Poudre des Bulgares”, on his website, which is meant to be stirred into plain yogurt:
“Here are the notes of my soft birdsong: the slightly sweet sap of a Cambodian palm; a few grains of Mauritian sugar; two vanillas (one from Madagascar and the other from Polynesia); a murmur of cardamom; a hint of saffron and ginger; the freshness of an orange peel; a few golden sesame and linseeds that have picked up a light nutty tone in the process of their roasting; and finally, to wrap up this idyllically feminine atmosphere, a rosebud.”
Does this sound familiar? This is like any perfumer I have met explaining how they create their latest fragrance.
It is no surprise that M. Roellinger and M. Ellena became friends and wanted to create a perfume together. Under M. Roellinger’s creative direction M. Ellena created Epice Marine to be an homage not only to the spices but to Brittany and the spice trade which used to run through the port city. Epice Marine really has two phases a spicy mix followed by a walk upon the shore just after the tide has receded.
Epice Marine opens with a tightly focused bergamot full of contained energy. That energy is released into a mix of cardamom, cinnamon, and toasted cumin. Now I know many think of cumin as sweaty and a little off-putting. M. Roellinger introduced M. Ellena to the toasted version. This smells almost like a hazelnut which was dusted with just a hint of cumin. The cardamom is the early dance partner and the cinnamon takes over later on. Then we hit the beach as the marine accord comes about. For anyone who has walked the sand just as the tide has gone out you will recognize this as it has a fresh salinity along with a muted version of the seaweed left behind. This is paired with a bit of smoke and whiskey, almost like Messrs. Ellena and Roellinger lit up a cigar along with a fine whiskey to celebrate their accomplishment.
Epice Marine has all-day longevity and modest sillage.
There are some that are going to seize on notes and themes M. Ellena has used in the past but Epice Marine is very much a creation similar to M. Roellinger’s spice mixes. M. Ellena has taken some of his best accords and remixed them into something completely different and equally wonderful. If you spend too much time focusing on the nods to the past you run the risk of missing the glorious present. Epice Marine is a rousing success and a nod to those who understand their ingredients best can blend them into something truly special.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Hermes.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor