Encouraged by rediscovering some joy in perfume making with Cozy Mystery, I quickly started a new project. In full embrace of autumn, I turned to chocolate in the form of a Chocolate Key Accord I’d bought a while ago.

(It contains: triethyl citrate, butyl butyryl lactate, vanillin, methyl laitone, trimethyl pyrazine, isovaleraldehyde, hydroxy ethyl methyl thiazole, methyl cyclopentenolone, ethyl maltol, dimethyl-2,5-pyrazine, diacetyl… a.k.a. ingredients I’m not currently in a position to compound myself to make such an accord!)

I also wanted to explore the new “-ade” I’d discovered through experimentation, which comprised aldehyde C12 MNA, bitter yuzu, Sampaquita Givco, osmanthus absolute, ambergris, Orbitone, and Ysamber K. However, as I wrote out other potential ingredients, I realized that bitter yuzu would have to sit this one out.

What other ingredients, you might ask? Well, I’ve had myrrh on the mind, partly thanks to new releases from well-known brands featuring this ancient material. Auralva, which I’ve had for a long time and used only once—also known as Aurantiol and consisting of methyl anthranilate and hydroxycitronellal—with its “orange flower, neroli, muguet, grape facets,” seemed intuitively to fit. Orange terpenes also seemed appropriate, although I wasn’t explicitly trying to make a chocolate orange.

Kohinool was an opportunistic addition. A woody-amber molecule with “exquisite floral, woody odor with dry, ambery, vetiver, and raisin nuances,” I’m still trying to figure it out, but it also made sense with this chocolate concoction.

The osmanthus absolute I omitted in one mod, because it’s such an expensive material and seemed at risk of being buried under the others. However, this mod I found to be lacking in something. So, I added osmanthus back.

I know that some of you do not like chocolate in perfumes, so this may not be interesting, but here goes. The chocolate accord is the most prominent in this mix. Otherwise, it is by turns orangey and floral. I hid some Dorinia in here so that it’s just a tinge rosy without being soapy or overpowering. Also a bit of Evernyl, the synthetic oakmoss note that always feels very “hollow” to my nose, to keep the whole thing from becoming too dense and cloying.

• Top notes: aldehyde C12 MNA, Hedione, Auralva, orange terpenes, rum ether
• Heart notes: chocolate, Sampaquita Givco, osmanthus absolute, Dorinia, myrrh EO
• Base notes: ambergris tincture, Orbitone, Ysamber K, Kohinool, Edenolide, Evernyl

The musks and woody ambers play their background roles well without ever becoming obtrusive—this is why I love these particular base note materials.

This was another blend that I didn’t go in with a name for, and it took a hot minute and a bit of an open mind to decide:

Chocolate Key to My Heart