A difficult patchouli season, reported as it happened

Unusually heavy rain through the Aceh drying window left patchouli alcohol at the low end of our published range and, in two lots, below it. Both lots were released with the actual figure on the certificate and offered at a corresponding price.

The alternative — blending across seasons to hold an average — would have produced a tidier specification and a less useful one. Customers formulating to a number need to know when the number moved.

Drying capacity at Takengon is being extended before the next season to reduce exposure to the same weather pattern.