DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters banner for Heirloom Elixir No.35 cropped by Michelyn

You wanna be Americano, ‘mericano, ‘mericano

You were born in Italy.

You try livin’ alla moda,

But if you drink whisky ‘n’ soda

All you do is sing off key.

(Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano

mericano, mericano…

sient’a mme chi t’ ‘o ffa fa’?

tu vuoi vivere alla moda,

ma se bevi “whisky and soda”

po’ te siente ‘e disturba’…)

Sophia Loren singing Tu Vuò Fà l’Americano in It Started in Naples, 1960 via IMDb

Ah. If the protagonists in It Started in Naples wanted to ‘play the American’, it’s fairly certain that over the past few years Americans – and everyone else – would love to be Italian. The Aperol Spritz has exerted its bittersweet charm and become one of the most sought-after libations there is. For the past three years, every time I traveled to Italy to attend a fragrance event, I couldn’t pass a single table without spying the brilliant orange cocktail in someone’s hand (American, Italian, French, Swiss, Russian, German…).

Perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz courtesy of Dawn 11/2024©

It makes perfect sense that artisanal perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has recently added DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters (Heirloom Elixir Edition No.35) to her ever-burgeoning list of tempting alcoholic beverage-inspired fragrances.

You may inquire: what is an Aperol Spritz? It’s a sparking cocktail composed of a) Aperol, a brilliantly orange-hued, low-alcohol (11%) apéritif liqueur said to act as a digestif or appetite stimulant before meals; b) Prosecco, an effervescent Italian wine known for its notes of lemon, citrus, green apple, and pear; c) sparkling water or club soda; and d) a slice of fresh orange. Aperol Spritz is served on the rocks, and can be enjoyed before, during, and after a meal. It can be very sweet, depending upon whether a sweeter or drier Prosecco is used (I prefer the drier). This liqueur is bittersweet, due to the intensely herbal nature of it and its overall composition, which includes bitter and sweet oranges, rhubarb, gentian, herbs and roots. Aperol has become more expensive of late, because it is perceived as being trendy. DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters

Aperol Spritz via Unsplash

Dawn refers to Orange Bitters as a transitional fragrance abstraction; as this perfume seamlessly blurs the veil between late summer and autumn’s riotous foliage, I am in complete agreement. Fizzy aldehydes introduce the contrasting aromas of bitter angelica, tangy rhubarb, bitter orange peel and pith that sit atop the more dulcet tones of sweet orange, mandarin, bergamot, orange blossom, neroli, and an orange juice accord.

 

Heirloom Elixir Edition No. 35 Orange Bitters is a Limited edition

Spice notes are unspecified, but in Aperol’s secret recipe, there are known subtle notes of cinnamon and clove – to which our perfumer has added coriander. More sources of bitter facets can be found in the roots of gentian and cinchona bark (from which quinine is produced).

Aperol Spritz via Pixaby

Dawn’s research and talented nose have reproduced the effects of many of the less-divulged materials which include traces of licorice, fennel, and anise; wormwood (artemisia); valerian; and cascarilla, a bark which is rich in resins and lignins and has been added to tobacco. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these herbs comprise a portion of Dawn’s Aperol accord, while cascarilla may have been portrayed by a bevy of woods and tobacco absolute. Jasmine and Bulgarian rose wend their sweet way into Orange Bitters’ aromatic tapestry, along with the perfumer’s re-creation of Prosecco and ruby fruits. Musk, vetiver, and ambergris provide a powerful underpinning that binds the varying elements into a cohesive whole. All this detailed framework results in a delightful, photorealistic depiction of (arguably) the most popular potable of 2024.

DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters is a taut balance of opposing fragrances which manages to make the mouth water in eager anticipation. I hesitate to employ the term olfactory genius – but truthfully, that is what the latest Heirloom Elixir is. I bought it blind, with no regrets.

Notes: aldehydes, bergamot, bitter orange, sweet orange, yellow mandarin, orange (juice) essence, Aperol accord, rhubarb, spice notes, ruby fruits (botanical accord), angelica root, coriander seed, chilled Prosecco accord, orange blossom, neroli, grandiflorum jasmine, Bulgarian rose otto, clove tobacco, sandalwood, Siam wood, Virginia cedar, Brazilian vetiver, ambergris, musk

Flacon purchased by me. My nose is my own…

 

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters

Thanks to the generosity of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes, we have one 30 ml EDP of Heirloom Elixir Edition No. 35 Orange Bitters for one registered reader in the Continental USA. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what sparked your interest about Ida’s review of DSH Perfumes Orange Bitters. Draw ends 11/29/2024

Michelyn’s Note: Dawn is running a sale The SALE code is Joy20 and is good for all DSH Perfumes orders from November 24, 2024- January 14, 2025 (except Scent of Hope! ) You can use the code as many times as you like, and please feel free to share it! 

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz was the first in our American Perfumers Series which officially launched July 11, 2011

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