The spirit of perfume (7)
I believe the answer is:
essence
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'the spirit' is the first definition.
(essence can mean something's spirit or heart)
'perfume' is the second definition.
(I know that perfume can be written as essence)
'of' is the link.
(Other definitions for essence that I've seen before include "Perfume or concentrate" , "Perfume; core" , "Intrinsic nature (of something)" , "Core, most vital part" , "Plant extract or concentrate" .)