Description

Number Six, America’s First Fragrance, in ‘Supernatural’ form.

Formulated from the original handwritten recipe with the most exquisite botanical oils and rare molecules. We spared no expense in sourcing and blending this beautiful and historic American fragrance with natural oils, plant-based musk, and a beautiful amber that makes the scent both true to the original 1772 formulation and thoroughly modern. 

The Scent:
A lasting EDP with beautiful opening notes of Citrus, Neroli, Bergamot & Rosemary with a strong Amber influence. Complex in the dry-down to Rose, Musk, Myrrh and a smooth balance of Herbal notes.

History:
‘Formula Number Six Toilette Water’ was created in 1772 by Dr. William Hunter, a Scottish Doctor living in Newport, RI and the original founder of Caswell-Massey.  To this day, it is regarded as the first American Fragrance and the third oldest continuously produced scent in modern perfumery.   

Dr. Hunter had access in the busy trading town of Newport to all the best European imports of rare and exotic oils and ingredients from around the world. He also had a taste for European luxuries from his travels, and a belief that ‘foul air’ was a source of malaise and that Perfumes had a place as both a remedy and a luxury for his customers.

He developed several fragrance formulations, of which Number Six is the most widely known and well documented due to its commercial success: Number Six was ‘discovered’ in our Newport apothecary shop by George Washington in 1780, who became an instant fan of the scent and a persistent customer. President Washington wore this scent and gave both Number Six and the Newport Apothecary shop notoriety, famously gifting a case of Number Six to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

Since its creation the formula has continued to be quite popular, and was passed down through the various owners of the brand, including Charles Feke, Rowland Hazard, Philip Caswell and William Massey, and the Taylors of New York. Over time, the formula was changed in subtle ways based on the availability of the many ingredients, the skill and tastes of the chemists and perfumers, and the styles of the times. 

Supernatural Six:
In 2017, we set a goal to create a formulation of Number Six that would be true to the original in its use of the most exquisite and expensive oils. We also set a goal to use natural oils for the formulation, to use ‘For Life’ certified oils when possible, to use the types of floral and herbal distillations that would have been available at the time of its creation, and to find the best plant-based replacements for the animal ingredients (Musk and Ambergris) that would ensure the modern scent is true to the original scent. 

Supernatural Number Six is the result of this year-long process, months of research, trial and error and dozens of iterations working with an incredible team of perfumers lead by IFF’s Laurent LeGuernec. A remarkable scent that is every bit as beautiful and luxurious today as it was when it was introduced.  

Caswell-Massey also offers a ‘Cologne Number Six’ in our Gold Cap Collection which has the citrus and herbal components of the original formula.

Supernatural VI was launched in 2018.