SYMPHONY 6 A SPIRIT YOU WANT TO WEAR

Have you ever smelled one of our spirits and wished you could spray a few drops on you to wear throughout the day? Well, we certainly have. 

And it’s no coincidence. Being uncategorized in all we do, we draw inspiration from many industries, the culinary field, dance, fine arts and of course, the perfume world. With a child-like curiosity, we explore every possible route to perfectly extract and preserve the delicate flavors and bouquet of each botanical that crosses our path. 

SPIRIT MEETS FRAGRANCE

By now, you’ve probably made the obvious link between our approach and the field  of perfumes. 

Both the fragrances you wear and the Empirical spirits you sip are designed to strike an emotional chord, to unlock long-forgotten memories and bring you on a sensory trip that can be experienced anytime you want. It’s no surprise that both have been used as part of cultural rituals around the world for centuries

And truth be told, if we wanted to be more technical and less lyrical, the extraction techniques are very similar. 

Just as in our spirits, the volatile compounds of fragile botanicals are prone to denaturation in contact with heat. To optimize the extraction of the heat-sensitive aromatic compounds with precision,  we have designed and fabricated our own contraptions which preserve aromatics. This is similar to the low-temperature vacuum distillation associated with organic solvent extraction that is often the way to go in the scent industry. 

And when we talk about worlds colliding, Symphony 6 is at the front of our minds. What started as a study in the flavor potential of leaves soon turned into a deep-dive in what constitutes our favorite essences. 

THE POWER OF LEAVES

Leaves are surprisingly underutilized, often simply considered as by-products of other processes such as fruit harvesting, and discarded despite their incredible flavor and fragrant potential. As they are packed with essential oils, volatile compounds, and smelling-good molecules, they become ideal ingredients in perfumery and spirits making alike. Cherry on top of the cake they can provide an additional revenue stream for farmers during the off-season.

CITRUS LEAVES

Have you ever walked in a sun-drenched grove and got overwhelmed by its sense-tingling redolence? Then you would understand why citrus leaves were our first step in creating Symphony 6. 

As much as they contribute fresh green and zesty top notes to your favorite summery perfumes, lemon and mandarin leaves provide an initial burst of fresh and bright acidity in our spirit, starting our narrative on a vibrant and uplifting note. 

FIG LEAVES

We wouldn’t go as far as saying we have a slight addiction to fig leaves, but they sure have become a key ingredient in R&D. Its warm, slightly earthy and comforting flavors can be found in our CAN 03 and Symphony 6. A sniff of its coconut-like aromas brings you right back to your summer vacation. No wonder they are often used as a middle note in fragrances, bringing body to the blend.

BLACK CURRANT LEAVES

Once again, here comes an ingredient you might be familiar with if you’ve enjoyed a CAN 02 recently. As it turns out, very few botanicals in the perfumer’s palette provide a sense of sweetness, and the buds of Ribes Nigrum are the ingredient of choice. While being fruity and aromatic as a top note, they also offer green and herbal  nuances, perfectly complementing the bright acidity of citrus and warmth of the fig leaves.

COFFEE LEAVES

Now, this is not an obvious choice, we know. Our parallel might fall short with this one as they have not yet found their way in your most recognizable eau de parfums, due to their flavor and smell being  widely different to its beans. However, they are rumored to be full of health benefits, vitamins and antioxidants. For us, they contribute warm and leathery notes to our Symphony 6 in the form of two different kinds - one rolled to allow oxidation and one simply dried. Together they bring further darker leathery layers and body to balance the spirit.

THE ODD ONES

Although leaves are often overlooked compared to their fruits or peels, they have been used in spirits, fermented drinks and other delicious concoctions. 

There are other Symphony 6 ingredients on the other hand that you’ve probably never tasted as a tipple before - vetiver roots and ambrette seeds - pretty much exclusively used in the perfume world.

VETIVER ROOT

We can bet on the fact you’ve smelled it before but what does it taste like? The roots of this perennial grass native to India, are very potent with a combination of woody, smoky, earthy ahd slightly sweet flavors. Although they are often utilized as a base note in many perfumes, a little goes a long way in Symphony 6 adding complexity and a rugged character to our final spirit.

AMBRETTE SEEDS

We’ll throw another scientific name, just for the sake of it. Abelmoschus moschatus also known as ambrette seeds, is a great plant-based alternative to musk, traditionally obtained from animal sources. They often constitute the middle note in fragrances, providing body, warmth and evocative sensuality. We’ve even read that it is believed to have a calming or aphrodisiac effect. Anyway, we thought we’d share that with you. Getting back to Symphony 6 though, a touch of ambrette seeds is all we need to add that extra animalistic and yet slightly floral note to the final spirit. 

Here you have it, is Symphony 6 a spirit? Is it a perfume? I guess we posit that it can be both.