KILIAN Imperial Tea EDP

By Kilian Imperial Tea Eau de Parfum (2024)

Imperial Tea Eau de Parfum by Kilian is a refined, luminously green aromatic fragrance for women and men, composed by celebrated perfumer Calice Becker and relaunched in 2024. A fragrance of quiet confidence and considered restraint, Imperial Tea draws from the serene world of the tea ceremony clean, contemplative, and deeply elegant, with a construction that rewards patience and close attention.

Fragrance Profile

The opening is immediately fresh and multi-layered: Green Tea establishes the fragrance's central identity with a clean, slightly astringent vegetal clarity, Bergamot adds a luminous citrus brightness, and the combination of Seaweed and Laminaria two marine-adjacent botanicals introduces a cool, oceanic depth that gives the opening an unusual dimension beyond the expected tea-and-citrus formula. As the fragrance develops, the heart adds warmth and complexity without sacrificing the composition's essential lightness. Jasmine Sambac contributes a creamy, softly tropical white floral note, Maté brings a smoky, slightly bitter green quality reminiscent of the South American herb, Orange Blossom adds a honeyed white floral sweetness, and Freesia provides airy floral transparency. Together they create a heart that is simultaneously green, floral, and gently smoky a rare combination of considerable elegance. The base is grounded and earthy: White Musk provides a clean, skin-close warmth, Moss adds a classical green, damp earthiness, and Vetiver grounds the composition with its characteristic smoky-rooty depth.

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes: Green Tea, Bergamot, Seaweed, Laminaria

Heart Notes: Jasmine Sambac, Maté, Orange Blossom, Freesia

Base Notes: White Musk, Moss, Vetiver

Scent Character

Green. Aromatic. Fresh. Aquatic. Floral. Earthy. The Seaweed and Laminaria pairing in the opening is Imperial Tea's most distinctive structural choice it gives the green tea accord a marine depth that is cool and atmospheric without reading as a conventional aquatic fragrance. Maté in the heart adds a smoky, slightly bitter dimension that prevents the floral notes from becoming sweet, and the Moss and Vetiver base ensures the dry-down has genuine character and staying power beyond the initial freshness.

Best For

Imperial Tea is a fragrance for women and men who value clarity, refinement, and the quiet authority of a well-constructed green aromatic. Its clean, fresh character makes it an exceptional choice for daytime wear, professional settings, and the warmer months of spring and summer when its green, luminous quality is most at home. It also works beautifully as an understated evening fragrance for those who prefer subtlety over sillage.

Why Choose Imperial Tea (2024)

Calice Becker is one of the most accomplished perfumers of her generation, and her handling of the tea genre here is exemplary the addition of Seaweed and Laminaria transforms what could have been a straightforward green tea fragrance into something more atmospheric and considered. The Maté-Moss-Vetiver axis running through the heart and base gives Imperial Tea a structural depth that ensures it is never simply a light, forgettable fresh fragrance. For those who seek a green aromatic of genuine quality and longevity, the 2024 edition of Imperial Tea is the definitive version.