Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Vitae Forte

Mostly bright and zesty, like fresh orange or lemon peel. Underneath that, warm baking spice, in the cinnamon and clove family.

It opens on lemon, guatemalan cardamom and sicilian mandarin, moves through madagascar ylang-ylang and tunisian orange blossom, and settles on sandalwood and haitian vetiver.

• lemon: sharp, bright citrus. The most cutting of the citrus notes
• bergamot: bright citrus peel, sharper and greener than orange. The note that makes Earl Grey tea smell the way it does

It lasts well and carries into a room.

Built from the note listing and the measured performance figures. We have not smelled this one.