Vetiver & Golden Vanilla
Jo Malone London (2019)

This is a qualified Thumbs Up rating. I fell for Jo Malone Vetiver and Golden Vanilla in department stores, where its non-gourmand vanilla projected both a well of rich bourbony scent, and green refreshment. That remains my basic impression, but I find that it can have an oddly bi-partite composition: I don't feel as though the vetiver and cardamom and grapefruit are fully integrated with the bourbon vanilla. I also thought that perhaps the bourbon vanilla was receding after the opening, but when one moves, the bourbon vanilla pops up. Overall, I like the hide and seek of ingredients here more than I find their effect disappointing, because quite a few boozy vanilla scents are monotonous, and this scent is not. I think my final verdict is that to appreciate this fragrance, you need to want a vetiver translated through bourbon vanilla. The Jo Malone website says that in this "Cologne intense," the top note is cardamom, the heart is vetiver vanilla, and the base is bourbon vanilla. The result for me might more accurately be called just "Green Vanilla."

Wonderful boozy vanilla opening mixed with earthy, dirty, somewhat smokey vetiver. Really addictive opening. Later into the drydown, it starts to resemble a Dior Homme clone with more vanilla and less iris. Zara 9.0 is the clone I'm thinking of. Unfortunately, to me, the scent really goes cheap after the opening fades away.

Performance is better than average which is to say it's better than the average Jo Malone. Usually, the Cologne Intense line has better performance anyway, so it makes sense here. Look for projection tat will get you noticed in close quarters and longevity in the 8-9 hour range.