Created by Jo Malone for her eponymous perfume line, Black Vetyver Café was launched in 2003 as part of a limited-edition collection.

The story behind the fragrance is that it was inspired by a visit Malone made to New York’s iconic gourmet grocery store Dean & Deluca, in SoHo. When Malone stepped into the store one day to pick up groceries for dinner, she was struck by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee at the coffee bar, mingling with the scents of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices on display. The experience prompted the creation of Black Vetyver Café.

On me, Black Vetyver Café opens with a note of roasted coffee beans that’s rich, dark, slightly smoky, with a bitter aspect. It’s brightened by a note of sparkling, bitter grapefruit. Nutmeg at the heart adds complexity with its spicy warmth. It’s joined by a note of green pepper that's vegetal and grassy, bringing out the coffee's green aspect and a freshness that echoes the citrus at the opening. Coriander rounds out the heart with its fresh, aromatic, woody scent. Then there’s the base, packed with woods, it’s the part of the journey I look forward to the most. Vetiver is here. It’s light and green and dry. It’s joined by creamy, woody sandalwood that’s kissed with cozy vanilla. A note of incense here is woody, warm and comforting. Sequoia wood is rich, green, earthy, and is perfectly pitched. Lichen, woody, earthy, and mossy completes the composition. 

Black Vetyver Café dries down to a warm, woody, green, sensual scent. It is a cologne, though, so it doesn’t have heft. Think of it as the smell of the coffee bar, you go to every morning with that barista who makes your cup of joe, just the way you like it. It’s the smell that clings to you after you’ve left with your hot coffee in hand. This is what has earned Black Vetyver Café its cult following.

Notes: Black roasted coffee, grapefruit, nutmeg, green pepper, coriander, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, incense, sequoia wood and lichen.