Coffee in Perfumery: “Grounding For Mind, Body and Soul” + A Stimulating Giveaway

Whirling Dervish from Wikimedia by carlosLG2007

Many of us start our day with the dark caffeinated brew once called the drink of the devil. Even non-drinkers often love the familiar scent of brewing coffee. Long, long ago, our history with this addictive bean started with a goat, or so the story goes. A young Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed one day that his best goat was dancing like a maniac while bleating with excitement. It turns out that the goat was eating the berries of a certain plant and Kaldi, upon eating a few, began dancing himself. This drew the attention of a holy man passing by who was also fascinated by the berries and took some home. Upon experimenting with the beans, he found that when he fed them to his disciples, they were able to stay up all night to listen to his sermons where they had previously had trouble staying awake. Thanks to its stimulating effects, the prophet went from tedious to electrifying in reputation. Coffee has also been used to add zest to the mystical dances of Sufi whirling dervishes.

 Coffea arabica  Botanical art Wikimedia Public Domain

The mountains of Ethiopia are the origin of some of the finest coffee where people still pay homage to the delicious brew through a long tradition of the coffee ceremony. Integral to cultural and social life, the ceremony is a mark of Ethiopian hospitality. From the port of Mocha in Yemen in the early 16th century coffee spread through the Islamic world by way of Red Sea trade routes. As with so many precious commodities, coffee plants were closely guarded, and the seeds were often boiled or roasted quickly so they could not grow if smuggled out of the area. However, holy man Baba Budan, on a pilgrimage to Mecca, managed to find some seeds of this magic plant and kept seven, a sacred number in Islam, to smuggle out to India. Some say he hid the seeds in his lush beard, some say he taped them to his stomach, however he did it, coffee plantations around the world were seeded by his efforts.

Vincent van Gogh Café Terrace at Night Wikimedia Public Domain

Coffee became very popular in Constantinople by mid-1500s where several hundred coffee houses had been established. Next step for the craze was Europe, and by the 17th century coffee houses were numerous, especially in England, France, and Holland. As a place of socialization and exchange of ideas, such cafes were a threat to old ideas and institution spurring some government attempts to ban coffee and coffee houses for fear of revolutionary ideas. Energized aficionados protested, government backed down, and coffee houses remained throughout the Muslim world and in Europe. From Turkey to Vienna and finally London, coffee houses sprung up by the thousands and continued to be gathering places where people drank the bitter, addictive brew and shared ideas on politics and current events. In addition to being a social lubricant, some saw the potential for medical treatment. In a book titled The Natural History of Coffee, Thee, Chocolate, and Tobacco printed in London in 1682 the author Christopher Wilkinson tells the story of a certain Dr. Willis who recommended the drink for people with headaches, dizziness, lethargies, and congestion—symptoms of an overall cold constitution—and sent them to coffee houses to warm up their temperament. However, he also cautions men that it may “slacken their strings, as they become unfit for the sports, and exercises of the Bed, and their Wives recreations….”

Ethiopian Coffee Beans

 Ethiopian Coffee Beans Wikimedia Public Domain

The dark drink continued to be cast as evil but remained extremely popular. The story is told that Pope Clement VIII in about 1600 conducted a taste test and declared This Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it and subsequently baptized some beans to remove the influence of the devil. In 1675 King Charles II of England decreed that coffee houses should be suppressed, and banned the selling of coffee, chocolate, sherbet, or tea—a proclamation that did not last long, government again underestimating the energy of passionate coffee drinkers. London in the late 17th century was a center of commerce and many merchants gathered in coffee shops to do business and share information, including near the wharves, where Edward Lloyd opened one in 1663. The trade of shipping information at the shop was a foundation for the establishment of Lloyd’s of London. Other such cafes were once known as ‘penny universities’ in England because people of all classes could gather for the news and to read books for just a penny, the price of a cup of coffee.

The Café from Wikimedia by David Soriano

What about the bean and the brew? From citrus to chocolate and earthy to floral, everyone has a favorite. It’s all in the origin and the roasting. There is a definite terroir to the flavor of coffee with geography, season, and local processing affecting the taste and aroma profile. But roasting is what creates the hundreds of coffee flavor compounds from caramelization of sugars in the fruit to the cracking of the dry bean where aromatic compounds are released and beans readied for roasting. At which point, roasters may blend different beans and vary timing to produce products from light to dark with characteristic flavor and aroma characteristics.

As a product of the earth, coffee can be grounding and settle emotions, getting rid of negative energy and, as ancient Sufis found, stimulating the mind to concentrate. Perhaps so many people drink it in the morning and at work because, in addition to waking you up, it helps with motivation to get things done.   In the Middle East coffee has a special significance in expressing generosity and hospitality. It is considered a ceremonial act of generosity, where it is traditionally prepared in front of guests. Mostly, throughout history, it has been an important part of social gatherings, a center for thought and entertainment, and a part of our global history.

best coffee perfumes

Mid Journey Coffee and flacon by Emmanuelle

In perfumery, the extract mainly provides a familiar coffee note that with overtones that may be sweet and creamy, perhaps also nutty or wheaty, but always comforting and familiar. Recently, the flower has begun to be extracted for scent and is described as being ethereal and spicy floral with notes of chocolate and jasmine.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Eau Navigateur first perfume to use coffee

L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur courtesy of the brand

From Fragrances of the World, we learn that “The first fragrance in Michael Edwards’ database to use coffee is L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur (1978). Master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena used spices with an overdose of coffee and masculine woody notes. Coffee notes in perfumery weren’t common before the 1990s. Did the popularity of gourmand notes that followed Mugler’s Angel have some role to play in coffee’s rise? Coincidentally, the next prominent name in the timeline of coffee fragrances is Mugler’s A*Men (1996). Through this decade coffee was often cast as a masculine gourmand note. Columbian coffee beans were used in the cult men’s fragrance by Balenciaga, Cristobal Pour Homme (2000) and DKNY Be Delicious Men (2005) paired green apple with coffee and woody notes.  Western Niche brands also embraced coffee – Comme des Garçons Series 7 Sweet, Jo Malone London Black Vetyver Café, Bond No. 9, So New York are just a few.”

Best coffee fragrances

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American artisan perfumer Michael Schrammel believes coffee has gained such traction in perfumery because it’s a note so many people can relate to. “Coffee is something most of us smell every day that it’s become that it’s become almost grounding comforting and warming. It’s a note that can be blended and utilized in so many ways, just like we would find in a coffee house. Latte, shot of espresso, extra cream, a dash of cinnamon.”Michael Schrammel, For the Scent of It.

No surprise that maverick  perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz began making coffee perfumes in 1991, “I was surprised to realize that there hadn’t been a coffee based fragrance that I could find. I mean, isn’t it one of the best scents EVER??  I’m delighted to see their emergence alongside the emergence of true Indie and Niche fragrance. Now it’s mainstream and fragrance society is all the better for it.”-Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, DSH Perfumes

Editor’s Note For many years coffee beans have been used in department stores as an olfactory “palate cleanser” after smelling perfume. According to many studies, they are not effective, and our Editor-in-Chief  Michelyn Camen recommends that you smell a square of wool or your own unscented skin to reset your nose. Former Managing Editor Mark Behnke, of Colognoisseur has a very informative article about this here

Elise Vernon Pearlstine, Editor and Author of Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance

For our Coffee in Perfumery giveaway

For the Scent of It Oud Cafe

Thanks to Michael Schrammel we have a draw for a 30 ml of For The Scent Of It Oud Café for a registered user in the US only. To enter the draw, you must be a registered reader.

For the Scent of It Oud Café EDP Notes: Top: Espresso, White Pepper, Black Walnut, Bergamot. Heart: Oud, Coffee CO2, Iris, Bulgarian Rose, Oak. Base: Sandalwood, Labdanum Resinoid, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Musk (For The Scent of It Oud Café was featured in Video Editor Steven Gavrielatos and  Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen’s Best Winter Perfumes 2023)

DSH Perfumes Cafe Noir

Thanks to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes we have 10 ml pen of Café Noir which was launched in1997. Please read Ida’s review here It is a 96 percent Botanical perfume with notes of BergamotBlack PepperBulgarian Rose Otto, Cinnamon Bark, Coffee Absolute, Grandiflorum Jasmine, Labdanum

To be eligible, please leave a comment about what you learned about coffee in in general and about coffee in perfumery. You must register here. Please list the coffee perfumes you would like to win from the giveaway and that you are in the USA. Draw closes 2/1/2022. The winners will be announced within ten days after.

Follow us on Instagram at @cafleurebonofficial @elisepearlstine @forthescentofit @dshperfumes @fragrancesoftheworld

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our  blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

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27 comments

  • What an interesting read! I never knew anything about the origins of coffee so this entire article was a learning experience for me. I particularly loved the story about the goat and how we may owe our love of coffee to the holy man, Baba Budan. Though I do not drink much coffee myself anymore, I do enjoy its aroma. There are days I will get the pot started at work before any others have arrived just so the smell with fill our office. I love Michael’s work at For the Scent of It but Oud Cafe is one of only three of his creations I have yet to try. That said, I would choose Oud Cafe if I were to win. I live in the USA.

  • The whole coffee beans as a palate cleanser has always bugged me, im glad its finally been dubunked, ive never found it particularly helpful! So i just got a five sample pack from michael/for the scent of it a week ago. Thanks for sharing him with us. Oud cafe was one of the fragrances I ordered, unfortunately it was a bit too strong for me, im a light sprayer and it is definitely cost effective cause you do not need much to get good sillage and longevity. I have currently added michaels forbidden fig to my fb list, its damn near perfect. Ive been trying to find a fig that i love for a year now and theyre always a bit too waxy, dusty, bleck. His is juicy, ripe, fresh, green, all of the things ive been looking for. Will likely order soon but have a new rule this year that i need to finish a sample before buying a full bottle! ANYWAY, i love his frags and also have creme de bergamot and gardenia colada on my potential fb buy list. Since this draw is for oud cafe, which didnt work for me, i think id like to try the dsh 10mg. Please cafleurebon, go check out michaels etsy! Im in Bellingham, wa.

  • bigscoundrel says:

    I love coffee’s ability to meld and change with what it’s paired with. I would like to win Cafe Noir. New Jersey, USA

  • It was really interesting to read about the history of coffee, especially with penny universities and the Pope’s history with coffee. The idea of coffee beans being used to as a cleanser after smelling a fragrance being debugged was helpful to know next time I go to a store, especially since last time I went I spent most my time trying to clear out my nose from the last fragrance. If I were to win, I would love to have a bottle of The Scent of It Oud Cafe. From TX, USA.

  • Regarding coffee in general, I learned about the history of the goat being the one to lead to humans discovering coffee. Funny/interesting! (Also makes me think that Prin Lomros could do an amazing coffee fragrance with the goat hair tincture he uses in some fragrances.)

    Regarding coffee in perfume, I didn’t realize it was such a relatively recent trend. Thanks for the in-depth deep dive!

    I’m in the USA and would love to win Cafe Noir by DSH (one of my favorite fragrance houses and I still haven’t tried that one)!

  • Coffee fragrances are so underrated! Very interesting tidbit about the debunking of the note as a palate cleanser. Someone ought to tell Sephora that, as I still see they have little shaker jars full of the beans! Love the post and also some of these comments. Oud Cafe sounds like a beast and I would love to be entered to win – it would ship to Pittsburgh, PA!

  • Coffee is truly one of my favorite things; I love the taste, aroma, and experience of trying a new brew. I knew some about coffee’s history, but it was interesting to learn that Pope Clement VIII baptized some of the coffee beans to remove “the influence of the devil”. It’s a good thing that the ban on chocolate and coffee in England didn’t last!

    I greatly enjoy coffee (and coffee flower) in perfumery. Unfortunately, I was never able to try L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur and it’s a fragrance I would truly love to test. I do enjoy Mugler A*Men and many of its flankers. Now, there is a plethora of coffee fragrances. I agree with Michael Schrammel that coffee is a note that’s grounding and comforting. Since most people do smell it every day, even if they’re not drinking it, it’s a very familiar scent. I love Dawn Spencer Hurwitz; her fragrances are just amazing. I’m so glad she decided to create her coffee fragrances in 1991. Overall, this was a great article and I enjoyed reading more about coffee’s history. I would love the opportunity to win For the Scent of It Oud Café, which I haven’t tried but sounds amazing, or DSH Cafe Noir (which I’ve tried and love). Thank you to Michael Schrammel and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for the generous giveaways. I am located in the USA.

  • While I’m not a coffee drinker (tea all the way!), when I smell its roasty notes, it always mentally transports me back to my parents’ house on lazy weekend mornings. Even with the caffeine, it’s a calming scent to me.

    I was unfamiliar with the story of Kaldi and the goat until now. Interestingly, the use of coffee to keep religious disciples awake parallels stories of the introduction of tea to Japan – brought by monks and used to stay awake during zazen.

    I would love to someday try a perfume with coffee flower as a core note. “Ethereal and spicy floral” sounds right up my alley!

    If chosen for this giveaway, I’d love to try either Oud Cafe or Cafe Noir. Best wishes from the US!

  • RonaldProkes17 says:

    Excellent article again!
    I had no idea that coffee and coffee shops played such an important role in the meeting up of revolutionary minds. I’m originally from the CZ, where respected intellectuals met in local coffee shops to debate ideas and improve each others’ writing. It was also interesting to learn about the Sufi and how they viewed coffee as way to relax and focus the mind. fascinating stuff!
    I wonder if we will see a crossover with more and more 3rd wave coffee roasters being very specific about the note profile of their beans and if maybe a perfumer comes along who makes a whole coffee series that utilises the differing note profiles of coffee from different parts of the world.
    I would love to try ‘For The Scent of It’ – Oud Cafe. I think that combination of notes sounds fascinating to me and would be excited to smell how the coffee and oud notes play together.

    I’m located in California, US.

  • I am reading Elise’s book on fragrances and it is a wealth of historical knowledge on perfumery, essential oils etc. This review article is no different. All the notes in both these perfumes are wonderful, though I am keen on trying For The Scent Of It Oud Café to see how oud and coffee will go together – besides Michelyn ranked it as one of the best winter perfumes. From USA.

  • I enjoyed the historical overview of coffee. The relationship of cafe’s and to politics and philosophy (Scottish enlightenment) has always been of interest. DSH fragrances are always exceptionally conceived and capture the beauty of wonderful natural notes. I would love to be able to wear this scent.

  • What an interesting history of coffee! From the Ethiopian goat herder to the Middle East and through Europe. It’s fitting that the drink was seen as evil but was extremely popular nonetheless. I’ll admit I’m a coffee addict and need my few cups in the morning. As Elise mentioned there is an amazing taste variety in the roasted coffee bean. Detecting the different flavor notes is one of the joys of drinking coffee much like smelling the different notes in a perfume composition. I find coffee notes in fragrance to provide mostly nutty and sweet notes. I’m really interested in smelling the chocolate and jasmine like coffee flower. I would love to win Oud Cafe from For the Scent of It. MD, USA.

  • I think what surprises me the most is how long it took for perfumers to utilize the flexible but rich coffee note! I had no idea really. I think its like when you live near a famous destination you rarely go there, until you leave the area and realize what you missed!
    Also intriguing was the smuggling of beans, blessing of beans, prohibition of beans… my goodness the power of this glorious plant!
    I truly love For The Scent if It’s Oud Café! Such a masterfully blended fragrance. Just perfectly balanced and layered and wearable. Great work as always.
    I haven’t tried the DSH Cafe Noir one yet so I will choose that if I were to be the lucky winner.
    In USA thank you for the opportunity.

  • I knew coffee originated in Ethiopia and when I went to an Ethiopian restaurant they said they sometimes drink it with salt! It’s never drank alone it is a communal activity in Ethiopia. I am addicted to coffee and make my daily trek to Starbucks. One of the things that this article brought to my attention that I never thought of, is the smell of coffee bean is part of the reason I enjoy having a cup of coffee. The aroma that surrounds me as I enter a coffee bar or where ever drink it, is comforting and a little creamy. I never thought of it in a fragrance. I would love the opportunity to win For the Scent of It Oud Café, which I haven’t tried but sounds amazing, or DSH Cafe Noir which I also haven’t tried. Both scents have a great combination of spicy and herbal notes that I would love to try. Thanks for these great gifts.

  • I found it interesting to learn that Mocha is a port in Yemen. I wonder how the term mocha became known as a chocolate flavored drink. It’s also interesting that the coffee tree flower is now being used in perfumery. We all know the smell of roasted coffee, but the scent of the flower is not common knowledge.

    If I win, I would choose the For the Scent of It Oud Café. I’m from Pennsylvania, USA.

  • Wow. This was like a history lesson on coffee. From the story about the Ethiopian goat herder right through to the Middle East’s coffee traditions, it was fabulous! You don’t even have to like perfume to enjoy this article!

    I would love to win DSH’s Cafe Noir. Her fragrances are always so smooth. I just love Dawn’s style.

    Thank you for the beautifully written article and the giveaway. In the USA.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    Coffee is one of my favorite notes/ingredients used in perfumery. I’m fond of a lot fragrances which feature coffee (and/or a note related to coffee), e.g. Michael Jordan “Legend”, Robert Graham “Valour”, “Rochas Man”, Akro “Awake”, and more. I would love to try the L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrance which is mentioned in this article. I appreciate the historical aspect of this article, and I appreciate reading about the scent of coffee. I live in the U.S.A. so I’d like to be entered for both of the fragrances in the giveaway.

  • Very much amused by the pope blessing coffee beans. For some reason I find it surprising that JCE introduced the coffee note early on. I havent smelled the L’artisan to know but I always find coffee to be thick and his scents are so transluscent. Color me intrigued. I think if I had a choice the DSH parfum would be my pick. They both sound great though. Live in the US

  • liquidasset77 says:

    this is the type of scent i would love to have as a signature. so intriguing and unique. Birmingham,MI

  • Thank you for the very interesting essay about coffee in perfumery. I enjoyed the opening legend of Kaldi’s discovery, the history of coffee’s spread around the world, and your summary of it’s extensive role in ceremony, culture, medicine, religion, and commerce. I didn’t realize coffee flower is now being used to scent some fragrances; I’d like to try one to experience that scent described as “ethereal and spicy floral with notes of chocolate and jasmine.” Also, I’m glad you closed with thoughts from Michael Schrammel and Dawn Specer Hurwitz. I’ve tried both of their coffee-scented perfumes, each with a very different take on the note.

    I’m in the USA. I’d love to win either perfume, but if I had to choose, I’d love the 30 ml of For The Scent Of It Oud Café. Thanks!

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the interesting read. It’s always neat to see the movement of coffee through history and it’s use in mystical practices, social gatherings and education. It’s safe to say that our civilizations advanced industrially on the backbone of coffee.

    It’s great to see the use of coffee in perfumery, from designer to independant houses. Just the smell is sufficient to give me that dopamine hit.

    I would love to win either Coffee fragrance. I’m leaning towards Michaels’ Oud Cafe because he is a local perfumer and I would love to give him a try.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Oh boy, I am a huge fan of coffee in general and coffee in perfumery. I did not know that coffee was casted evil and that it was famous in Constantinople.
    I also learn that the first fragrance that used coffee was L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur by the one and only Jean-Claude Ellena.
    I would love to win For the Scent of It Oud Cafe or Cafe Noir, either of them would be amazing.
    USA here.

  • I love the story about Pope Clement VIII baptizing coffee beans to remove the influence of the devil! I had never heard that before. It was also cool to learn that L’Eau du Navigateur was the first coffee perfume. Coffee is one of my favorite smells and DSH Cafe Noir is one of my favorite coffee perfumes! I would love to win a bottle. I’m in MN, USA.

  • foreverscents says:

    I can’t drink coffee anymore because of stomach problems. It was the hardest thing I ever had to give up. But I can still enjoy coffee notes in fragrances. It was interesting to learn about the first perfume that listed coffee as a note. I also did;t know about “penny universities” in London, where patrons could pay a penny to read books and drink coffee. I will research more about that.
    I would choose Oud Café if I were to win the draw.
    I live in the USA.

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Very interesting article! What I learned about coffee in general is that coffee plants were closely guarded in the ancient world, but were smuggled out of Mocha by a holy man on a pilgrimage, perhaps hidden in his beard. How fascinating!

    What I learned about about coffee in perfumery is that recently the coffee FLOWER has begun to be extracted for a spicy floral scent redolescent of chocolate and jasmine. I am always interested in new and interesting florals and I had not heard of the coffee flower being used yet, so I really appreciated learning this! I will definitely have to seek out a scent featuring the coffee flower in the near future.

    I would be happy to win either coffee perfume but Cafe Noir is my first choice and Oud Cafe is my second choice.

  • Michael Prince says:

    I loved learning about the history of coffee as well as coffee in perfumery. I loved learning about it’s origin in the 1500s where a Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed how a particular goat kept dancing around after it ate berries from a certain bush, he tried them and noticed it had the same effect on him. Upon research and trying it on others he noticed the effects such as being able to stay focused and awake during sermons. It originated in perfumery in 1978 with L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur and has been gaining in popularity due to it’s relatable nature and the variety of different ways to utilize the note of coffee. I am an avid coffee drinker and love the note of coffee in perfumery. If I win I would choose.
    1. For the Scent of It Oud Cafe
    2. DSH Perfumes Cafe Noir
    I am from the USA.

  • I love the smell of coffee but not the effect on me drinking more than 3 cups
    I found the whirling dervish very interesting and that beane were baptized by Pope Clement
    USA here and it’s cold oud cafe sound great