Rhubarb is a sharp, tangy note that evokes the crisp pink stalks of the rhubarb plant, with green, sour and slightly fruity facets. It belongs to the green and fruity families and is recreated synthetically by the perfumer, most famously with Firmenich's Rhubofix, to add a crunchy, vibrant freshness.
What does Rhubarb smell like?
Rhubarb smells sour and juicy, like biting into a raw stalk, with a crunchy green bite, a watery freshness and a faint strawberry or apple-skin sweetness. Some interpretations add a woody, almost vetiver-like earthiness. Compared with blackcurrant it lacks the sulphurous note, and compared with grapefruit it is greener and more vegetal. Cooked rhubarb, with sugar, is jammier and softer.
How perfumers create Rhubarb
Rhubofix, a Firmenich molecule, is the classic rhubarb material, giving a sharp green, rhubarb-stalk character with woody and grapefruit-like nuances. It is often combined with cis-3-hexenol and other green notes, fruity esters, blackcurrant bases and citrus. A little strawberry furanone can suggest rhubarb-and-strawberry crumble.
- Also known as: Rhubarbe, Rheum rhabarbarum
- Fragrance family: Green, fruity
- Type: Accord (created by the perfumer)
- How it's obtained: Built from Rhubofix and green and fruity synthetics
- Key aroma molecules: Rhubofix, cis-3-hexenol
Rhubarb in perfume history
Rhubarb root was a costly medicine traded along the Silk Road from China for centuries, while the stalks became a popular food in Britain only in the nineteenth century. As a perfume note, rhubarb is relatively recent, becoming more widely used in the 2000s and 2010s as perfumers sought sharper, greener fruits.
Rhubarb in modern perfumery
Rhubarb is now used in fresh unisex fragrances, colognes and modern florals to give a crisp, sour lift. It appears in both niche and designer perfumery and pairs especially well with rose and grapefruit.
How Rhubarb wears and what it pairs with
Rhubarb is a top note with a sparkling opening, though Rhubofix gives it some staying power. It pairs well with rose, grapefruit, blackcurrant, strawberry, vetiver, cedar, pink pepper and musk.
