The 7 Virtues: Noble Rose of Afghanistan

Review by Hannah JV in Canada.

As we head towards the UN International Day of Peace and the release of the custom blend box by The 7 Virtues, we are exploring the four fragrances that make up the blend box. Yesterday we learned more about The 7 Virtues and about the flagship fragrance, Afghanistan Orange Blossom.

Today we check out the Noble Rose of Afghanistan. If you think the name rings a bell, you’re right – Jordan explored the process behind the Noble Rose in his recent article Make Perfume Not War.

Like the Afghanistan Orange Blossom, some Afghan farmers have chosen to grow illegal opium instead of the beautiful, region-specific rose. 7 Virtues CEO Barb Stegemann decided to start offering well above market rate for rose oil, incentivising the legal trade of growing roses.

Today, Afghan farmers transport the oil made from distilling the rose petals along one of the most dangerous highways in the world, before they are shipped to Canada to be made into perfume. Noble Rose of Afghanistan was signed by Canadian perfumer Susanne Langmuir in 2010 and it is so far the only perfume made from this rose source.

Prepping rose petals for distillation.
Photo: The 7 Virtues

Noble Rose of Afghanistan

There are a reported 178 hand-picked rose petals in each bottle of Noble Rose, and this is evident in the huge envelope of scent that greets you when freshly sprayed. The Noble Rose makes a beautiful first impression by offering up its namesake rose, along with a zesty hit of bergamot and lemon. The bouquet of roses is joined by gardenia and geranium, which lingers for some time; some hours later the dry down reveals tamboti wood and carnation with a hint of spice. This powerful scent blends extraordinarily well with the other elements in the custom blend box, but to read more about this, you will have to wait until the UN International Day of Peace (September 21st) when the blend box is released.