Set upon the river, surrounded by an ancient oak forest, the village of Old Windsor was once the domain of kings and queens. Today, this area of natural beauty within castle grounds continues to be a much-loved place for more than just gentry. The aroma of this exhilarating scent is inspired by the timeless facets of Eau de Cologne, created with a sense of British tradition.

Personally I’ve never been to the United Kingdom, much less experience what it’s like to be walking through the old towns. Fortunately, looking at pictures of the village of Old Windsor while having this Crabtree & Evelyn Old Windsor Eau de Cologne in front of me to sniff makes me better understand its history and tradition.

With the Old Windsor Eau de Cologne, be prepared to be swept off your feet with the exuding English refinement and luxury. It emanates a herbaceous freshness that captures the scents of the great outdoors as well. The effervescent notes of bergamot and bitter orange precede a verdant and subtly floral bouquet of English lavender, verbena and rose. The smokey blend of cedarwood and sandalwood creates a regal finish to this elegant scent.

It took a while for me to appreciate this scent because of the strong notes of lavender and bergamot. It goes powdery with time and I would say this is the kind of scent that grows on me. It is unisex so don’t expect it to be overly floral or masculine. It’s a good balance between the two worlds in my opinion.

Old Windsor Eau de Cologne is part of the relaunched limited edition Heritage Collection which is the fruit of 40 years of experience in fragrance creation. Each Heritage Collection fragrance is presented in a charming glass bottle that looks just like perfume bottles from the olden days. I love how the scent bottles sit inside their respective luxurious boxes beautifully decorated with archive illustrations fitting to the history behind their creation.

This March, Crabtree & Evelyn introduces the Black Absinthe Eau de Cologne and the Parisian Millefleurs Flower Water – the latest sensual fragrances to join the Heritage Collection, following the success of the other 7 scents launched in 2013.

Taking inspiration from the romantic city of Paris, these 2 seductive scents are said to combine botanicals with a contemporary twist, featuring notes of absinthe, rose, narcissus, lavender and cypress.

The Heritage Collection also includes other Eau de Colognes:

• Neapolitan Bergamot
• Old Windsor
• Hungary Water
• Sevillian Neroli

And other Flower Waters: