Clary Sage

An evergreen shrub “Salvia Sclarea” (not to be confused with “Salvia Officinalis”, the sage used for cooking) is native to the Northern Mediterranean and Central Asia. The Greeks and the Romans held it in high esteem for its alleged ecstatic and aphrodisiac properties. Perfumers use both the essential oil and the absolute. The sclareol it contains has been key to the synthesis of ambroxan, sometimes viewed as a modern substitute for ambergris. Clary sage smells sweet and herbaceous with ambery tones of fresh tobacco.