Fragrance Creation: Ugo Charron
Fragrance Concentration: 25% Parfum Extrait
When I first smelled the final version of our original Sidama fragrance I was struck by how perfectly it encapsulated what I wanted to express. The beauty and complexity of a natural process Ethiopian coffee tempered by the grassy and earthy elements of the growing region. I felt it was such a unique take on coffee, something that hadn’t really been done before. This likely contributed to its being an independent category finalist in the 2023 Art & Olfaction awards.
One additional thought stuck out to me at the time. I must create a semi-gourmand chocolate forward version of this fragrance. In researching this variation, I was intrigued by the history and cultural significance of the traditional Aztec drinking chocolate xocolātl. The process originally developed by the Maya involved fermenting cacao beans, letting them dry in the sun then grinding them before adding to hot water. The hot chocolate was often infused with spices like chili pepper or cinnamon and sweetened with vanilla or honey.
For Sidama X we elevated the boozy character of the original, while dialing back the coffee elements significantly. The rich, decadent and semi-sweet dark chocolate is the hallmark of this fragrance. I couldn’t help but add in a healthy dose of chili pepper spice to the chocolate. Rather than adding vanilla to this fragrance we utilized the more resinous, woody benzoin to correspond with the original. The final composition is decadent, spicy, woody and a bit boozy. It’s definitely sweeter than the original but tempered by the spicy, woody and resinous elements. Take a sip (not literally) or sniff and experience for yourself.