There are not many scents more magical than those experienced while browsing through a collection of old, hardcover books. Books that have been well handled and have imparted a wealth of knowledge and adventure unto generations of readers. The weathered, brittle paper that has been lovingly turned dozens and dozens of times, the creaking leatherbound cover and the sweetly musky undertone that come from countless travels and adventures that come together to create an intoxicating olfactory backdrop for a literary journey.
This was the inspiration for the second edition of the Side Project Series: Biblio.
At the top of the fragrance is a dry paper accord, a papyrus-type note. It begins with Norlimbanol, a piercingly dry scent that Chandler Burr described in The Perfect Scent as “one of the most amazing scents around, a genius molecule that should be worth its weight in gold; Norlimbanol gives you, quite simply, the smell of extreme dryness, absolute desiccation, and if when you smell it, you'll understand that instantly—the molecule is, by itself, a multi-sensory Disney ride."
This works in conjunction with Tobacarol, a scent that communicates the dry, woody notes of tobacco rather than the rich, ambroxan and/or fruity flavors in much of the tobacco out there. More cigar box than the cigar itself. Both of these are complemented by Iso E Super, a note that encapsulates the driest aspects of cedar wood.
To get the musky smell of the degradation that is the result of generations of readers devouring every word on every page, I used the elements that are derived from the degradation of cellulose that occurs in paper used in the early 19th century, as described by the always insightful knowledge base, Compound Interest. In addition to those elements, I employed a good dose of furfurals to really enhance the way an old book, maybe 200 years old, would smell in the current day.
With this skeleton, combined with smaller doses of a variety of different raw materials meant to accentuate the important notes and fill out the rest of the scent, Biblio is a scent memory and a bridge through time, just like a trip to a second-hand bookseller with an outstanding selection of first editions and well-loved literary masterpieces.
Biblio will be another limited edition release in eau de parfum and will be available only at ChatillonLux.com on March 8, 2019.
