Orange Bitters Jo Malone 2016

I noticed this great bottle last Christmas. Together with the name, it immediately caught my attention. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a bottle back then, as it was limited. Now I finally got to test it, thanks to a dear friend from Parfumo! Thank you for that, Henry:-)!
Bitter Orange smells incredibly delicious right from the start. A slightly sweet orange meets a lightly fresh-bitter Petitgrain/Bergamot. Radiantly bright, as if kissed by the sun, with an extra dose of Vitamin C. Although the notes of the top note suggest a consistent scent experience, it still smells completely unique.
After about 10-15 minutes, a certain sweetness creeps in that I can't quite place. I can't say it smells like prunes, perhaps they contribute to this subtle sweetness. I don't find it wintry or even Christmassy, nor does it smell like potpourri.
But this is the phase where I wish it were below 10 degrees; then I could enjoy this slightly warming phase more than in the current humid 28 degrees.
What I can identify quite precisely, however, is the enchanting mix of spicy-aromatic sandalwood and dry papyrus. Because this very successful mix is also offered to me by Bentley Absolute in the base; you just have to fade out the frankincense and partly the cedarwood, and then the same "accord" remains. Balsamic-creamy with a hint of orange on top, this is how Orange Bitter ends for me after 5-6 hours. The development takes about 45 minutes, and the sillage is quite strong, which might be a bit much in summer.
When I was at Ludwig Beck in Munich at the beginning of June, I received the pleasant news from a Jo Malone salesperson: This limited fragrance is supposed to remain limited, but will be re-released in November for the Christmas season. Let's see in what sizes it will be available then, because with this strong scent, 30ml would probably last me forever. No matter... I won't let it slip away again;-)!