The cassie mainly used in perfumery has the scientific name Acacia farneisiana Wild and is also called Cassie ancienne (“old-fashioned cassie”) or sweet acacia. In her discussion of fragrance materials, Sylvaine Delacourte describes it as native to India. By contrast, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s plant database lists the same species as native to tropical and subtropical America and introduced in India. It was introduced to Europe in the seventeenth century and is now cultivated throughout the Mediterranean. It begins flowering after three years; a five- to six-year-old tree yields 500–600 g of flowers, harvested from September to November.
Its floral fragrance combines the powderiness of mimosa (in Japanese) with the richness of honey (in Japanese) and nuances reminiscent of anise (in Japanese). Beneath the sweet floral scent lies a sensual, animalic quality. The Japanese reference book 『調香師が語る香料植物の辞典』 describes Guerlain’s Après l’Ondée (1906), created by Jacques Guerlain, as the first perfume to use cassie. Meanwhile, G. W. Septimus Piesse’s 1857 book The Art of Perfumery contains perfume formulas using an extract made by transferring the scent of cassie flowers into fat and then extracting it with alcohol. However, the presence of a formula alone does not establish its use in a particular commercially sold perfume or the first use of cassie absolute.
This flower is a “schemer,” which makes it difficult to work with. It is related to mimosa, but its dense branches and foliage and the tree’s rounded overall shape add to its mystery. Cassie flowers are used as an ingredient in developing animalic notes similar to the scent of ylang-ylang. Cassie resembles mimosa, but to my mind it is a little more powerful and mysterious.
Dominique Ropion (in Japanese)
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Cassie absolute is a natural fragrance material obtained by solvent extraction of the leaves and flowers of Acacia farnesiana. Its powdery, mimosa-like floral scent is layered with fresh green notes, spice, and honeyed sweetness. In perfume, it adds dewy greenness and soft powderiness to florals, giving their sweetness a simple, calm character. Because “acacia” and “mimosa” can refer to other plants or fragrance materials, the scientific name Acacia farnesiana provides a clue to identifying cassie’s distinctive scent.
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