In short: clove smells warm, sharp and spicy, with a sweet, woody depth and a slight numbing, medicinal edge. It is the smell of mulled cider, gingerbread and holiday baking.
What clove smells like
Clove is the boldest of the baking spices. It is hot and pungent up close, but in a blend it reads as warm and festive. Many people also recognize it from the dentist's office, because clove oil has long been used to numb toothaches. In candles it is the backbone of most autumn and Christmas scents.
Where it comes from
Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of an evergreen tree, Syzygium aromaticum, native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, once called the Spice Islands. They are picked when the buds turn pink and dried in the sun until they turn brown and hard. Today they are also grown in Madagascar, Zanzibar and Sri Lanka.
Cloves were among the most valuable goods in the medieval spice trade, and European powers fought for control of the islands where they grew. The main aroma compound is eugenol, which is also found in cinnamon leaf, basil and bay. Our candles use fragrance oils with a clove note.
How it is used
Clove is a heart note. It adds warmth and spice to woody, fruity and gourmand blends, and a little goes a long way. An old holiday tradition is the pomander, an orange studded with whole cloves and hung to scent a room.
What it pairs with
- Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, for baking
- Orange, apple and red wine, for mulled drinks
- Cedarwood and smoke, for a cabin fire
- Rose and carnation, which have a natural clove-like spice of their own
Our candles with clove
- Sweet Roll: clove with cinnamon, vanilla, butter and sugar.
- Dionysus: clove and spice with red wine and black cherry.
- California Redwoods: clove and earth over pine, cedar and embers.
- Campfire Stories: clove and maple with smoke, vetiver and patchouli.
Common questions
Is clove the same as cinnamon? No. They often appear together, but cinnamon is sweeter and softer, while clove is sharper and more pungent.
Why does clove smell like the dentist? Eugenol, clove's main compound, has been used in dentistry for over a century as a mild numbing agent.
Explore more notes in our Fragrance Notes A to Z, or browse our Food & Drink candles.