In The Fields : Berjé Inc

Global Sourcing

At Berjé, we maintain an inventory of thousands of ingredients sourced from all over the world. This practice requires diligence, experience, and intense knowledge of the supply chain, as well as the general practices in each area of production. We have spent decades investing in the regional producers of our materials, securing regular supply of these ingredients and ensuring they are always available for our customers. From Switzerland to Paraguay, the global footprint of Berjé is a testament to not only the modern beauty of our industry, but also the contributions of each region’s resources to the benefit of the world.

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Berjé is constantly seeking out closer connections to the growing regions and farming communities of our industry. From our partnership with farmers in Paraguay to our newly-refurbished distillation facility in Bulgaria, we always take the extra step to ensure the ingredients we provide come from the highest quality raw materials.

Core Ingredients

There are certain ingredients within perfumery and flavor that have endured centuries of consumer scrutiny and tumultuous international markets. Many of these have remained a mainstay of our industry over the past 150 years and occupy a special place in our catalog. There is something unique about these materials: their natural complexity and unfailing capacity to express themselves within new and innovative fragrance compounds has kept them relevant throughout multiple generations of our industry. We treasure these ingredients at Berjé and rely on the ceaseless creativity contained within them to continue pushing our industry forward. As such, we’re committed to keeping these ingredients in the market so that future generations of perfumers and flavorists can unlock their potential.

Petitgrain Oil Paraguay

Description

Petitgrain Oil tends to be a standout ingredient in any fragrance it’s used in due to the material’s unique blend of fresh, sweet, and floral notes. The oil is distilled from the leaves and twigs of the Citrus aurantium tree, which grows in many tropical regions throughout South America.

However, we find that Paraguay tends to have the most consistent quality for petitgrain, exhibiting a fresh and slightly bitter top note that works especially well in citrus and floral perfumes. Petitgrain oil is also excellent at balancing out woody, herbaceous, or sweet profiles such as honey, apricot, and peach.

Aroma

Petitgrain Oil Paraguay imparts a fresh, floral, and bitter aroma in perfumery. The material also contributes an important green note that continues to express itself from the initial top note to the bottom of the drydown. Petitgrain’s trace pyrazines create a pronounced refreshing effect that can help to uplift fragrances.

Petitgrain in the fields

Vetiver Oil Haitian

Description

Berjé is partnered with the oldest vetiver distilleries in Haiti, providing us with some of the most authentic vetiver oil on the market. The oil is steam-distilled from the dried and washed roots of the Vetiveria zizanioides grass, which grows abundantly across the hills of southwestern Haiti.

Beyond its ubiquitous status as one of the most treasured ingredients within fine fragrance, Hatian vetiver oil also plays an integral role in the island nation’s domestic economy. The material provides steady income to thousands of families across Haiti, with cultivation dating back to the very first European expeditions in the Caribbean.

Aroma

Vetiver Oil Haitian has an intensely sweet, earthy, and woody aroma. The Haitian variety is valued for its smooth, rich qualities that place emphasis on vetiver’s amber-like facets, rather than its inherent smokiness.

Vetiver in the fields

Rose Oil Bulgarian

Description

Rose Oil has been produced just south of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria for hundreds of years. The oil’s great value is due in part to the fact that it takes approximately 3-4 tons of rose petals - about the size of a fully grown elephant - to produce a single kilo of rose oil. All of these rose petals must also be picked by hand from up to 3500 rose flowers.

Rose accords are central to so many fragrances that it remains no surprise the aroma of rose has transcended stylistic shifts throughout history. Even after centuries of use in perfumery, rose oil has remained one of the most treasured ingredients in the world, and Bulgarian rose often sits at the top of that distinctive throne. This hasn’t stopped innovation within the profile however; in addition to the heavy, powdery scent of rose that we all know and love, the flower has been modernized to become more sheer, light, and watery over recent years.

Aroma

While all rose types can be described as warm and floral, Bulgarian Rose Oil differentiates itself through a prominent clove-like spiciness within its drydown. This is unlike any other rose type and makes Bulgarian rose particularly well-suited for floral and spicy fragrances.

Rich in the Rose fields #inthefields

Rose ready for distillation #inthefields

Rose Fields #inthefields

Rose checking Distillation #inthefields

Rose Distillation #inthefields

Rose #inthefields

Cognac Oil White

Description

Cognac Oil, also known as “Lie de Vin,” is a co-product of cognac distillation. The oil has its origins in the late 19th century, quickly gaining renown among perfumers for its unique blend of fruity, sharp, and sparkling notes.

Berjé’s cognac oils are a proprietary blend of wine lees from three different European wine regions, all of which are blended and processed at our New Jersey facility. The dry and estery undertones are clearly present in this variety of oil, adding a delightful contrast to the strong, alcoholic, effervescent top note expected of cognac. Cognac oil whtie is the preferred grade for perfumery due to its water-white coloration.

Aroma

Cognac Oil White is immediately recognizable by its sparkling, ethanolic top note. Its aroma contains notes of red apple skin, melon, and wine grapes, providing a rich and satisfying character to cognac oil’s drydown.

congac in the fields

Lavender Oil Bulgarian

Description

Grown and distilled in the village of Starosel for over 400 years, Lavender Oil Bulgarian has played an integral part in the local culture of Bulgaria for centuries, as well as the region’s overarching economy. Berjé’s lavender oil is a farm-to-bottle creation that we produce within Berjé Trakia, our Bulgarian facility located in the incredibly verdant Rose Valley.

Unlike lavender material sourced from other regions, Bulgarian lavender oil has a uniquely sweet and hay-like top note that adds excellent contrast to its otherwise floral and herbaceous aroma. This hay-like note is further accentuated by the oil’s warm, slightly fruity nuances that emerge from the drydown process. Such aromatic complexity has made Bulgarian lavender a popular choice within high-end fragrance products since the earliest days of perfumery.

Aroma

Lavender Oil Bulgarian has a floral and herbaceous aroma, with uniquely sweet and hay-like nuance. As time goes on, the oil retains a warm, somewhat fruity and herbaceous nuance alongside its delicate, sweet undertones.

Budding Lavender #berjeInTheFields

Lavender #berjeInTheFields

Lavendar in the fields

Cedarwood Oil

Description

Domestic cedarwood oil is one of the most important and sustainable components of the modern fragrance industry. Both Texas and Virginiana varieties of cedar tree grow in abundance throughout much of the southern and central United States. Texas Cedarwood Oil, however, is so populous and reproduces so quickly that it has been named an invasive species in recent years. As such, the trees are often cleared as part of ranch expansions and forest restoration efforts, leaving behind a huge quantity of wood for essential oils extraction.

In fragrance, Texas cedarwood oil is renowned for its incredibly fixative properties, especially when used alongside other woody materials such as petitgrain, guaiacwood, and vetiver. The aroma of cedarwood is often compared to the scent of freshly shaven pencils or sawdust. This is particularly useful in perfumes that demand a prominent woody, yet slightly smoky and balsamic top note.

Aroma

Cedarwood Oil Texas Redistilled imparts a sweet, clean, and refreshingly woody aroma that is extremely versatile. Its pleasant, slightly balsamic drydown works well for extending the lifetime of woody aromas applied to the skin.