JARDIM REAL by Granado

There is always something so refreshing in perfumery about finding fragrances that speak of another time, another era, when life was “simpler” and distractions were few. Of course, the actual real life experiences would have been far from simple, just focused in a different way to ours, but scents that don’t follow today’s trends really are a welcome relief. With many historical brands choosing to jettison portions of their back catalogue in favour of trend-following releases, discovering a company that actively honours its past and dedicates time to its creations is a breath of fresh air, and it helps that we’re heading to Brazil.

Granado Pharmácias was founded in 1970 by José Antonio Coxito Granado. He was based in Rio de Janeiro and was passionate about cultivating and discovering local natural solutions to everyday ailments. In a similar way to Nicholas Culpeper’s “The English Physician” in 1652, later retitled “The Complete Herbal”, José also compiled the first official register of Brazilian medicinal plants and herbs. It was this idea of using local supplies that was actually a forerunner to today’s carbon footprint goals, but he was already doing this back in 1870. The company grew, but remained a little bit of a Brazilian secret until 2013.

The first 124 years of Granado Pharmácias’ life had seen it remain in family hands, being passed down to successive generations. However, in 1994 the company was bought by Christopher Freeman, and he quickly started the difficult task of fully researching the company’s history and past product ranges. This wasn’t going to be a case of “strip the assets”, this was a careful rebuilding of an historically important brand. Now simply called Granado, they have boutiques in Brazil, Paris, Lisbon and London, but its core goal of being a pioneer is as strong as ever. So, where do the perfumes fit into the story?

Brazil, in the same way as France and Germany, always had a strong tradition of colognes. So it was natural that these would join José’s line-up. The range then extended to include more complex fragrances, and it’s this combination of varying price points that has absolutely helped to establish and grow the company’s reputation. The eau de parfums that are now in the catalogue are inspired by the fragrances of the past, but have been modernised for a new audience. The perfumers have carefully kept the DNA of the company, while honouring the milestones in its life, and my favourite has to be Jardim Real.

Inspired by the 19th century parks and gardens of Rio de Janeiro, the fragrance opens with the expansive notes of bergamot and mandarin before being quickly joined by the delicious floral heart. The bouquet effect that you get contains jasmine and orange blossom but, in a very clever move, the merging of magnolia with pink pepper adds an edge to the waxy floral blend to make it wonderfully evocative. There’s also an aquatic hint in the heart that keeps the scent vibrant. The development continues and you’re greeted by creamy sandalwood and a musk-buoyed patchouli, which brings to mind a leafy canopy under which to relax.

Jardim Real is available from the Granado website at granado.eu priced at £110 for 75ml. You can also find it in the Perfume Society's “Garden of Delights Discovery Box”. [Sample provided by Granado]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

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Labels: Brazil, Christopher Freeman, Culpeper, Granado, Granado Pharmácias, Independent, Jardim Real, José Antonio Coxito Granado, Niche, Nicholas Culpeper, PUIG, Rio de Janeiro, The Complete Herbal