Midnight Black Tea Jo Malone 2016

Since no one has written anything about this edition yet, let me start with a few words about the Rare Tea Collection:
Jo Malone launched tea-inspired fragrances with its Tea Fragrance Blends back in 2011. Serge Majoullier continued this idea and experimented for four years to now release six exclusive scents that stand out from the rest of the offerings due to their pricing policy (only available as 175ml bottles for around €300), elevating them to higher luxury levels. There are also interesting differences in the production: For the first time, the tea is extracted as a pure infusion, meaning it is steeped in alcohol. For Midnight Black Tea, this process supposedly takes 100 hours, as the note becomes softer over time. The perfume is consciously designed around the tea without a classic pyramid, only with complementary additions to highlight and emphasize its inherent scent.
Visually, the distinction is made through the new bottles, a novelty for Jo Malone London after 25 years.

Black Midnight Tea sounds so enticing that I was tempted by its exclusivity ("I probably won't get this again") to participate in my first sharing of an untested newcomer.
The first attempt was disappointing:
1) I smelled, and still smell, no tea. With that, Black Midnight already misses its task, which I had blindly entrusted to it. However, I must say that despite liking the note, I am not a tea connoisseur and sometimes have difficulties recognizing it in other fragrances as well. So, an experienced nose needs to take another look to sniff out the Puerh leaves from the Chinese Yunnan province.
2) Labdanum. What I first encountered in "Sable Marocain / Morocco Sand" and which sparked a spontaneous affection in me, has now repeatedly proven to be increasingly bothersome. That the so promising labdanum dominates the heart note and detracts from my enjoyment of the midnight tea was something I did not expect at all.

The second attempt, with a more cautious dosage:
Much better. After the sweet, finely spicy, and somewhat scratchy beginning, the labdanum behaves more appropriately later on. Throughout the day, I perceive the amber vanilla much better, which waves its golden flag softly from a distance of my wrist.

The third attempt, as a sprinkled napkin on the heater:
I hoped that the tea would dare to come to the moonlight at a warmer temperature, but the Puerh spirits remain reserved. At least, it is a soft room scent, and the forbidden L-note stays shy on the cellulose.

Longevity:
A strong spray lasts from midnight to midnight, including a shower. For a tea scent, that is a long time, but here I allow myself the quibble that tea is, after all, not present for me ;)

I like it. However, I am a bit unsure to what extent this is due to the further chances and to what extent it is because I want to justify the purchased decant. I will not buy it again, perhaps use it up, definitely trade it. Still, my desire for more fragrances from Jo Malone has been awakened.