The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Raer 05 Black + White Pepper was released in 2022 with perfumer Ted Rohn at the helm. Its inspiration is explicit: a modern reading of the classic fougère, built around a core of black and white peppercorn. Rohn places that sharp spice against handpicked Corsican immortelle, dried tobacco leaf, Aceh mace, and clove buds, then extends the composition with benzoin, tonka bean, French oakmoss, and galbanum. The name does the explaining. Two peppercorns, one black and one white, become the scent's central argument, lending the composition a crisp opening that gradually settles into spice, greenery, dry tobacco, and soft amber warmth.
The unusual part is how comfortably opposites share the frame. Pepper brings a clean, almost metallic snap, while immortelle adds a honeyed floral warmth. Tobacco leaf supplies dry depth, clove adds a pointed sweetness, and galbanum pulls green sap through the middle. Benzoin and tonka bean soften the edges without muting the spice. Oakmoss then gives the whole composition a dry, forest-floor backbone.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a clean sting. Black pepper and white pepper create that first brisk hit, sharp enough to pull attention, while mace and clove add fluttering warmth beneath it. Galbanum introduces a smoky green edge, like crushed leaves over a cold forest floor, and immortelle brings a rounder honeyed note into the heart. As the fragrance settles, dried tobacco leaf takes over. It dries out the sweetness and gives the composition a quiet, lived-in gravity, while benzoin and tonka bean leave a soft amber trail. French oakmoss remains the grounding note, dry and earthy when everything else turns smooth. Over time, the bright pepper gives way to a more textured blend of green, tobacco, and warm spice, while the honeyed immortelle and resinous base notes linger close to the skin in a soft, quietly aromatic finish.
Cultural impact
Raer 05 Black + White Pepper uses the language of classic fougère while placing unusual contrasts at its center. Cool green spice meets dried tobacco, honeyed immortelle, clove, and the earthy depth of oakmoss and galbanum. Black and white peppercorn give the composition its clearest identity, making it a fragrance to explore through its changing layers: sharp at first, then warmer, drier, and more quietly textured as it settles against the skin.
The House
RAER ScentsRaer Scents is a Berlin‑based perfume house that builds each fragrance from 100 % botanical ingredients. The brand launches limited‑edition scents that combine rare, sustainably harvested plants with a modern compositional style. Every bottle arrives hand‑blended, free of synthetics and preservatives, offering a tactile, textured experience that reflects the city’s experimental spirit.
The Creator
Ted RohnRohn gravitates toward materials with presence: ambery warmth, creamy sandalwood, bright citrus that cuts rather than merely refreshes. His formulations favor clarity and directness over complexity for its own sake.
