The Mocha Note in Perfumery
The mocha note in perfumery first calls to mind gourmand, roasted accords of coffee and cocoa, with a hint of whipped milk. Flavours of pastries or comforting drinks. But where does the term “mocha” come from? How is this note used in perfumes, and which facets are brought to the fore?
Mocha, a Coffee of Origin
Mocha coffee is the variety derived from the coffee tree that is at the origin of Arabica coffee in Ethiopia. It grows on the high plateaus, since coffee trees are cultivated at altitude, between 1,500 and 2,200 metres, in this region. This particular cultivation gives it a unique, rich and fruity taste.
Its name also refers to the port of Mocha in Yemen, a hub of the coffee trade since the 18th century.
In the collective unconscious, with Ethiopia referring to the notion of coffee excellence, mocha coffee is considered a superior, richly flavoured coffee.
The plantations are spread across 4 regions of the country: Sidamo, Kaffa, Wallaga, Harrar.
In these regions, hundreds of thousands of hectares are dedicated to coffee cultivation. Depending on the origin and terroir of the coffee beans, the characteristics of the coffee vary slightly.
Furthermore, “crème de moka” is a liqueur created from the distillation of coffee beans, a liqueur used both in drinks and in pastries of the same name.
Mocha in Perfumery
Coffee in Perfumes
Coffee is one of the most difficult notes to reproduce in perfumery, since many molecules are responsible for the smell, and since no one drinks their coffee the same way: espresso, filter, instant, Turkish… The taste also varies according to the coffee’s terroir: fruity, acidic, full-bodied… and the perception of its aromas is also highly variable: grilled, roasted, smoky, gourmand, slightly spicy, chocolatey.
Coffee absolute is obtained by volatile solvent extraction from the roasted beans of the coffee tree. It is found in leathery, tobacco, vanilla and chypre perfumes.
The Mocha Note
Unlike the coffee accord, which is generally a coffee note with frank, sometimes bitter facets, the mocha accord will denote a softer coffee note, likely with slightly cocoa or even hazelnut facets. There is no defined rule as such.
In perfumery, evoking the mocha note or accord implies a “coffee/cocoa/cream accord.”
If the brand wants to create a perfume based on Ethiopian mocha coffee, this is expressly specified during the briefing with the perfumer.
In all cases, a coffee/mocha accord will be reproduced in the laboratory by the perfumer.
According to the story, the mocha note refers to mocha cake, a pastry created in the 17th century in Paris, with a sponge base and a buttercream flavoured with coffee essence. This gives a creamy, cocoa-tinged coffee accord, sometimes with a hint of roasted almond.
Mocha is also the name of a hot drink based on coffee, milk, cocoa, whipped cream and sometimes chocolate shavings on top. This comforting drink is appreciated for its gourmand, milky wafts, with that little touch of bitterness from the coffee—also known as a mocaccino.
The Mocha Note, a Neo-Gourmand
In perfumery, the mocha accord more often evokes the comforting softness of a mocaccino.
For a long time, the notion of gourmandise in perfumery was synonymous with sweet, fruity, vanilla-tinged, honeyed and sticky accords. This trend has been changing gently over the past few years, and the gourmand tends to be less comforting-childlike, less sweet, in favour of being creamier, cosier and more cocooning.
The coffee note gathers all the facets ideal for this new way of wearing perfume, making the fragrance sensual and warm while being addictive. The roasted coffee note gives body, a singularity tending towards a slight, assumed bitterness. It is characterful, sometimes even offhand. This coffee note is often used with imposing raw materials, from rose to tonka bean, for example.
First used for masculine perfumes, the coffee note is now paired with gourmand notes such as vanilla, almond, caramel, as well as milky notes of whipped cream that give it that mocha facet, but also sandalwood or even tuberose to give another kind of roundness and a delectable, generous side.
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A Few Examples of Perfumes with Coffee and Mocha Notes…
The coffee note was first reserved for masculine fragrances, in ambery perfumes such as Valentino Uomo, blending coffee and leather; A*Men by Mugler (by Jacques Huclier), displaying an overdose of a mocaccino note; or Yohji Homme by Yamamoto (by Olivier Pescheux).
Then the coffee accord became unisex with softer notes—milky, chocolate, cinnamon, caramel or marron glacé—mocha in the dessert sense of the term. Bitterness gives way to velvety softness, as if to envelop you in a reassuring, addictive warmth.
One thinks of a Moka by Micallef (by Martine Micallef), with here a coffee float dusted with cocoa and caramel.
In Noir Exquis by L’Artisan Parfumeur (by Bertrand Duchaufour), coffee wraps itself in orange blossom, maple syrup and marron glacé.
For Café Cabanel (by Cécile Zarokian), Téo Cabanel invites us to a sensual, captivating cappuccino, where coffee soaks up vanilla, caramel, sandalwood and tonka.
With its Coffee Break collection, Xerjoff draws us into the twists and turns of the international coffee trade: Golden Dallah, the most gourmand, blending cocoa, hazelnut and tonka with rose and oud; Golden Moka, where coffee surrounds itself with citrus and incense; and Golden Green, celebrating the raw coffee bean not yet roasted.
Hugo Boss The Scent Private Accord (by Bruno Jovanovic), for its part, dresses its mocha accord in ginger and cocoa absolute.
Of course, we cannot forget the blockbuster, Black Opium by Saint Laurent (by Nathalie Lorson) and its hyper-addictive shot of fruity, floral coffee.
Vanille Café by Comptoir Sud Pacifique (by Vanina Muracciole) takes us to Costa Rica for a journey through the coffee-tree fields, with notes of green almond and a sensation of the smell of freshly ground coffee beans. Then quickly the soft, gourmand vanilla and the suave benzoin give an ambery, sensual and languorous accord.
For Mumbai Noise by Byredo (Jérôme Epinette), it is a relaxing smell of spicy, herbaceous davana accompanied by a smoky, gourmand coffee-tonka and a creamy, velvety sandalwood.
And for those who prefer to stay with the bitterness and power of a full-bodied coffee, we find, in two different registers: L’Eau Corsée from the Do Not Drink collection by Sephora (by Maïa Lernout), where freshly roasted coffee is powdered with iris; and Akro, the brand of perfumer Olivier Cresp, which revisits the touch of madness of coffee with Awake, a veritable concentrate of energy blending cardamom, lemon and vetiver.
Often associated with winter fragrances, perfumes with mocha accords envelop us sensually. It is warm, often powerful and still uncommon! So, ready to stand out by wearing a singular, addictive perfume?
You can find these references in our video quiz that covered this subject!
