At this point, I would like to take up the cudgels for Highgrove Bouquet: The fragrance has been well received here, but not necessarily enthusiastically, and so far it hasn't really spread very far. In my opinion, Penhaligon's has succeeded in creating a real modern classic with this fragrance, which deserves more attention.
The fragrance opens with a fresh, rather unsweet tuberose with a distinctly green twist. The tuberose is unusually realized in Highgrove Bouquet: Due to its lack of sweetness and heaviness, it does not appear particularly sensual and feminine here, but rather "neutral-floral", so to speak. It virtually sets the stage for the fragrance, shaping its floral character but leaving the other notes to flesh it out. This is quickly joined by a very high-quality iris note. This will also become important for the fragrance's character in the drydown, but initially appears only moderately powdery in the top note. Instead, it reveals a cool, clean earthiness in the top note. The carrot association typical of iris (root) is definitely recognizable here and harmonizes wonderfully with the green impact of the top note. This cool, clean earthiness in particular conjures up the image of a garden after a summer rain shower before the main characters even enter the stage.
As the fragrance progresses, a beautifully realized lime blossom slowly emerges, which will have a decisive influence on the fragrance. The top note does not simply disappear, but remains pleasantly present. This gives the honey-like sweetness of the lime blossom a counterbalance that prevents it from becoming too pervasively sweet and overpowering. I find it a little difficult to clearly distinguish the mimosa from the lime blossom. In my opinion, the lime blossom always remains dominant. Since both notes have a certain similarity with their floral "honeyiness", they should blend quite well here. In my opinion, however, lime blossom is definitely the main character of the fragrance.
Cedar and lavender, on the other hand, are very noticeable in the base. As Turandot already mentioned in her review, the base here is quite lean. Against the backdrop of the quite lush florality in the previous fragrance, Highgrove Bouquet really surprised me here: the absence of sandalwood, amber etc. has a very positive effect here and allows the fragrance to appear in clear contours until the end. In addition, the iris is once again more present here, but this time less earthy and cool and instead soft and powdery. In this beautifully slender, very elegant and not too sweet base of cedar, lavender and iris, the lime blossom also appears again and again until the end and leaves its mark on Highgrove Bouquet.
Highgrove Bouquet is a very classic and elegant fragrance overall. At the beginning, it tends towards the feminine, but always remains wearable for men too. However, from the heart note at the latest, when the tuberose becomes a little less intense, worried gentlemen no longer need to worry about this. In my opinion, the base note even takes on a masculine tendency, but always remains wearable for women too. The fragrance always comes across as bright and friendly, but never "playful", instead always carrying a conservative-British seriousness. Overly casual clothing is rather inappropriate, regardless of gender.
The fragrance's unisex appeal is not least due to the very high-quality and natural implementation of its concept: Highgrove Bouquet is neither a typical floral fragrance for women nor a typical lavender fragrance for men, but actually manages (for me anyway) to evoke the rather realistic image of a blooming garden in summer.
Lime blossom as the central fragrance note is anything but run-of-the-mill and is beautifully realized. The (impressively high-quality) iris and lavender give the fragrance a depth that you will look for in vain in other summer fragrances, especially citrusy fragrances. The fragrance is indeed suitable for summer: the green freshness in combination with the powdery iris always ensures that the fragrance never becomes overpowering and, in my experience, makes it extremely wearable up to 30 degrees.
For me, Highgrove Bouquet has a characteristic that I have come to appreciate very much in older classic fragrances: The fragrance can "grow". While some modern niche fragrances can be extremely impressive when you first test them, they can quickly become boring. With great, classic fragrances, I have experienced the opposite: the more often you wear them, the more you realize how much depth there is in them, how finely they are "composed" down to the last detail, without dazzling. In addition to its classic character, Highgrove Bouquet also has this characteristic and I would no longer want to do without it in summer. It is certainly a far cry from a "shallow" floral fragrance. In my opinion, Penhaligon's has succeeded in creating a great "neo-classic" here. Chapeau!
Tuberose
Mimosa
Orris root
Cedar
Lavender
Geranium
Godfreywilde
BrianNewYork
Astralmonad
Fvuk
