The Hesperidic Family: Complete Guide to Citrus Notes (Bergamot, Lemon, Yuzu)

The Architecture of a Perfume

Before defining the hesperidic family, it is important to understand the orchestration of a perfume. All fragrances are indeed composed of an architecture, comprising 5 to 10 components that assemble to form an “accord.”

The main theme of a perfume is given by this main accord, which can be likened to the “soul” of the fragrance, and which allows the perfume to be classified into its olfactory family.

Each theme (like woody, floral, and hesperidic) can be dressed with one or more facets by the perfumer-creator, to make the architecture of their perfume more complex.

What Is the Hesperidic Family?

A perfume belongs to the hesperidic family when the hesperidic facet is present in large quantities in the fragrance, thus defining the main accord, or “theme,” of the latter.

Furthermore, hesperidic notes, very fresh and dynamic, give the “smile” to the fragrance, meaning they are felt from the very first notes.

The Hesperidic Family and Its Citrus Fruits

The Hesperidics form the oldest family in perfumery.

Here are the main citrus fruits used in perfumes belonging to the hesperidic family:

Bergamot

The perfumer’s favorite note, bergamot has a unique scent: it is often called the “fine flower” of hesperidics.

This citrus offers an extremely refined and very faceted note, making it a fragrance in itself. Its scent is also green, a little floral and acidic, even bitter, but also sweet and round. However, the quality of bergamot in a perfume depends, as with any natural raw material, on how it is cultivated, processed, and blended.

Only the zest of bergamot is used in perfumery (the pulp is too bitter to be used). This zest must be treated by cold expression, using large presses, which releases the essential oil of bergamot.

The “Communelle”

In perfumery, a “communelle” is a harmonious blend of several batches of a natural essence, to create a “standard” with a specific scent. This blend allows for a strong olfactory signature to be given to perfumes and ensures consistent quality from one year to the next. In the hesperidic family, the communelle can be composed of green citrus fruits or other more or less ripe citrus fruits.

Sweet Orange

The scent of sweet orange is exactly the same as that of orange juice. This citrus fruit comes today from Florida and Brazil, but originates from China.

Bitter Orange (Bigarade)

Very bitter, the scent of this citrus comes mainly from its peel rather than the pulp. Bitter orange comes from the bitter orange tree, native to Tunisia and Italy (which also produces petitgrain; neroli and orange blossom absolute) (cf. The Floral Facet).

Mandarin

This citrus brings a big smile to hesperidic fragrances: its scent is very sunny, green, and somewhat bitter, as it is impregnated with the peel of the fruit. Mandarin essence is used in perfumes, treating the fruit by expression: the peel is crushed by machines that harvest the nectar.

Clementine

In fragrances of the hesperidic family, clementine offers a scent close to that of mandarin (it is actually a seedless mandarin, whose scent is nevertheless juicier).

Yuzu

This small Japanese lemon offers a delicious and very complex scent because it is very faceted, as if it were itself composed of several citrus fruits. However, this product is very expensive, even locally, because it is produced in small quantities. It must therefore often be reproduced or reconstituted from other raw materials by the perfumer-creator.

Lime

Lime, a small lemon with green skin, delicately and very abstractly dresses fragrances of the hesperidic family. It also offers a lot of character and relief to perfumes, and its scent somewhat resembles the taste of Coca-Cola.

To be used in perfumery, lime must be treated by distillation (the only citrus that can be extracted this way), or by expression. Very suitable for men’s perfumes, it also pairs very well with vetiver, as is the case in Guerlain Homme.

Lemon

Lemon offers a very dynamic, acidic, and rising note.

Citron (Cédrat)

Coming from a tree called the citron tree, this citrus fruit similar to lemon is very acidic. However, its scent is more delicate. It comes notably from Mediterranean countries and China, and its use is more frequent in cosmetics than in perfumes.

Verbena

With a lemony, light, and delicate scent, verbena is used in perfumes of the hesperidic family. Yet it is not a citrus fruit, but a plant.

Grapefruit

A hybrid citrus, crossed between pomelo and sweet orange, grapefruit is little used as a natural product in hesperidic fragrances. Perfumers often associate grapefruit with vetiver or blackcurrant.

Fragrances of the Hesperidic Family

Many fragrances belong to the hesperidic family, such as classic and modern Eaux de Cologne, fresh waters, and feminine perfumes.

Hesperidic Eaux de Cologne

Here are some references of classic Eaux de Cologne from the hesperidic family:

• Eau Impériale, Eau du Coq, Eau de Cédrat by Guerlain, Eau de Cologne Roger Gallet.
• Eau de Cologne 4711, Eau de Cologne Chanel, Eau de Cologne Dior.

Regarding modern, more tenacious Eaux de Cologne, we can cite the Mugler Colognes as well as L’Eau de Cologne du Parfumeur.

Mixed Hesperidic Eaux Fraîches

Here are some references of mixed Eaux Fraîches from the hesperidic family:

• Eau Sauvage Dior
• Eau Guerlain
• Ô Lancôme
• Eau Hermès
• Eau d’Orange Verte Hermès
• Eau Cartier
• Eau Givenchy
• Les Eaux Fraîches Roger Gallet
• Les Eaux de Politesse Serge Lutens
• CK One Calvin Klein
• Light Blue Dolce & Gabbana
• Aqua Allegoria Guerlain
• Chance Chanel
• Eau de Soleil Blanc Tom Ford
• Neroli Portofino Tom Ford
• Les Escales Dior
• Les Jardins Hermès
• Colognes Atelier Cologne
• Orange Sanguine Atelier Cologne
• Citron Noir Hermès
• Yuzu Man Caron
• Dimanche à la Campagne Guerlain
• Bronze Goddess Estée Lauder

Hesperidic Fragrances

• Chance Eau Vive Chanel
• Chance Eau Fraîche Chanel
• Shalimar Souffle de Lumière Guerlain
• Eau Fraîche Addict Dior

Conclusion

Perfumes of the hesperidic family are very tonic, sparkling, and sunny. Moreover, citrus fruits sublimate many other olfactory families, such as florals, orientals, and aromatic notes. In perfumery, citrus fruits are found in all olfactory themes.