Valerian

About

Valerian, distilled from the dried root of Valeriana officinalis, smells dark, earthy, and medicinal with camphoraceous, leathery–animalic facets and a faintly cheesy isovaleric tang that evokes damp soil, roots, and an old apothecary. Used in trace amounts, it acts as a powerful fixative and adds shadowy depth and a nocturnal, narcotic undertone to compositions. It enriches chypres, fougères, leather, tobacco, oud, and indolic florals, pairing well with patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, and labdanum—but can skew sweaty if overused.

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