Fragrance Note
Allspice
Used in 29+ fragrances on FragranVerse
What it smells like
Allspice is the only spice that genuinely smells like three others at once. The dried berry of Pimenta dioica. A tropical tree native to Jamaica and Central America. Produces an essential oil dominated by eugenol (60-90%), the same phenylpropanoid that defines clove. But allspice oil also carries beta-caryophyllene (the peppery sesquiterpene found in cinnamon and black pepper), 1,8-cineole (the camphoraceous note of nutmeg and eucalyptus), and alpha-humulene (the woody-hoppy note of hops and coriander).
How it's used in perfumery
Allspice oil (Pimenta dioica, CAS 8006-77-7) functions as a heart-note spice modifier in amber, spicy, and fougère compositions. Its high eugenol content (60-90%) makes it a warmer, rounder alternative to clove bud oil, with additional cinnamon-nutmeg qualities from beta-caryophyllene and 1,8-cineole. It bridges sweet gourmand notes (vanilla, tonka) to woody bases without the sharpness of raw eugenol isolate.
Fun fact
Allspice was named by English explorers in the 17th century who thought it combined the flavors of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Chemically, this is not far wrong: eugenol dominates clove, beta-caryophyllene is present in cinnamon, and 1,8-cineole overlaps with nutmeg's terpene profile.
Perfumes with Allspice(29)
Indian
(6)Designer
(11)
Niche
(12)