Licorice in perfume is a sweet, dark gourmand note inspired by the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra and by the black liquorice sweets made from it. Usually built as an accord, it smells sweet, earthy and faintly anisic, with a chewy, almost salty depth that makes it richer and heavier than the fresh, cool note of aniseed.

What does Licorice smell like?

A licorice note is less about sharp anise and more about the whole sweet: a dense, molasses-like sweetness, a woody, rooty earthiness, a hint of caramel and sometimes a salty, ammonia-tinged edge reminiscent of Nordic salmiak. The anisic sparkle is present but secondary. By contrast, the Anise note is green, bright and seed-like, while Star Anise is warmer and spicier. In perfume, licorice often reads as nostalgic and slightly offbeat, sitting between confectionery and something more shadowy.

How perfumers create Licorice

The root's famous sweetness comes from glycyrrhizin, which is intensely sweet on the tongue but does not evaporate, so it adds nothing to a scent. Anethole makes up only a small share of the root's volatile compounds. Perfumers therefore build licorice from anethole or anise and fennel oils for the anisic note, then add dark sweetness with ethyl maltol, caramel notes and tonka, rootiness with vetiver or orris, and violet or heliotrope for a powdery sweet-shop feel.

• Also known as: Liquorice (UK spelling), réglisse, licorice root
• Fragrance family: Gourmand, with aromatic spicy facets
• Type: Accord (created by the perfumer)
• Key aroma molecules: Anethole, ethyl maltol, coumarin

Licorice in perfume history

Liquorice root has been used in food and traditional remedies for millennia, and in England the town of Pontefract became famous for turning it into sweets. The root extract has also long been used to flavour and sweeten tobacco. As a perfume theme, licorice rose with the gourmand wave of the 1990s, when perfumers began pairing anisic notes with violet and praline.

Licorice in modern perfumery

Licorice appears in playful gourmands, violet-led powdery scents and darker niche compositions where it meets smoke, leather or woods. Its sweet-bitter ambiguity makes it a useful way to add intrigue to otherwise simple sweet accords.

How Licorice wears and what it pairs with

Licorice usually shows in the heart and lingers in a sweet, rooty base. It pairs with violet, anise, vanilla, tonka bean, cocoa, patchouli, vetiver and leather.

Safety and regulation

Anethole, the main anisic component used to build licorice notes, is on the EU list of fragrance allergens under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 and must be labelled above set thresholds.