Rose absolute (Rosa damascena)

Deep, honeyed, jammy red rose with spicy clove and green-stem facets.

What it is: Natural absolute from solvent-extracted Damask rose petals.
Where it comes from: Turkey (Isparta), Bulgaria, Morocco
When you smell it: Heart: as it settles.
What perfumers do with it: Rich, rounded rose body for opulent florals, rose-oud and chypres; fuller and sweeter than the otto.
Worth knowing: It is mostly phenylethyl alcohol, the water-soluble rose molecule that steam distillation washes out of the otto.
Known in: Sa Majesté la Rose (Serge Lutens, 2000); Perles de Lalique (Lalique, 2007)
Rules: Limited. Counts toward citronellol, geraniol and methyl eugenol limits; EU-labeled
Also called: Turkish / Bulgarian rose absolute; Isparta rose absolute