Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil Eau de Cologne

Hot mornings are what 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange and Basil Eau de Cologne is for, and it belongs to the oldest idea in perfumery, which is that a large quantity of citrus splashed on freely does more for you than a small quantity of something heavy.

The citrus here is layered rather than single. Bergamot gives the bitter, slightly floral lift, lemon the clean edge, grapefruit a sulphurous tang that stops the sweetness, citron a thicker and more candied peel quality, and orange the warmth underneath them all. Within a few minutes the herbs arrive and take over. Basil is the signature, green and faintly aniseed, more like the leaf crushed between fingers than anything cooked. Mint pushes the coolness further, rosemary brings a dry, needle like bite, lavender a soft herbal calm and geranium a green, slightly rosy texture that smooths the join. The close is gentle. Neroli and petitgrain keep the citrus idea alive in a quieter, more bittersweet form, cedarwood gives it a dry backbone, nutmeg a touch of warm spice, and amber a low sweetness that stops the whole thing evaporating into nothing. Expect it to behave as a cologne should. It is bright and generous for the first half hour, then settles into a clean skin scent rather than a statement. Use it liberally, use it again after lunch, and do not expect a working day from one application. It is unisex, it works best in warm weather and after shaving, and it is the sort of bottle that gets used up rather than admired on a shelf. Alexandra Kalle composed it.

The maker is a cologne specialist that dates its own beginnings to October 1792, when a merchant named Wilhelm Muelhens is said to have come by an aqua mirabilis recipe as a wedding present.