Vinegar

About

Vinegar in perfumery is an acetous, nose-prickling sour note—sharp, volatile, and faintly fruity—recalling cider or wine, pickling brine, and the tang of fermentation. Used in trace amounts, it cuts sweetness, adds bite and salivation, and can make citrus, apple, pear, or sparkling aldehydic accords feel more vivid and effervescent while lending a briny, lived-in patina to woods, leathers, and florals. Pushed too far, it veers into salad-dressing or cleaning-product territory, so it is typically dosed with extreme restraint or reserved for avant-garde compositions.

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