Indolic, the adjective deriving from the noun indole, is used within the perfume industry in a slightly different way than the common usage of the word indole. Indole is actually a chemical component found within certain plants. Aromatic plants which include jasmine (Jasminium spp.), lilac (Syringa spp.), honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), and gardenia (Gardenia spp.) contain varying degrees of indole. Indole is found in mostly white flowers which are fragrant; however, indole is also found in vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage (all cultivars of Brassica oleracea). In vegetables, the presence of indole promotes good health; in fragrant flowers, indole exudes a rich, narcotic aroma.
Pure indole is said to smell like moth balls: Heavy sweet, and tar-like (1). However, when found within some of our rich, white florals, indole is intoxicating and exotic - in just the right amount. Compare this description to the alternative descriptions of indole to feces and as animalic!
Above is an example of how to use the adjective indolic in a sentence. Now that you know what it means, and its noun derivative, you can get creative in using it in your fragrance writing!
Use this word as a scent prompt and see what other examples you can come up with! Or try substituting the word indole or indolic into the following quote as practice. All of these flowers contain indole:
“I love the scent of jasmine, honeysuckle, and orange blossom. They remind me of gardens and visits to the ocean I would make as a boy.”
Narciso Rodriguez, perfumer
References:
Indole, Indolic: Perfume Vocabulary and Perfume Notes, accessed from: https://boisdejasmin.com/2011/03/perfume-vocabulary-fragrance-notes-indole-indolic.html
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