627, Inspired by Oud Maracujá

A night market in the tropics, sticky and warm. There's a stall cutting open passion fruit, a vendor selling roses, and smoke rising from somewhere behind you. Passion fruit opens it, tart and sweet, with saffron and Turkish rose. The heart is dark: oud, benzoin and Indonesian patchouli. Patchouli is a leafy plant in the mint family. The leaves are dried and left to ferment a little before they're distilled, which is what gives the oil its deep, earthy, slightly chocolatey smell. Indonesia produces most of the world's supply. The base adds leather, vanilla, cistus labdanum and akigalawood, a woody, peppery note. Rich and warm, for evenings.