Bitter Orange
lat. Citrus aurantium
Group: Citrus
Odor profile: inedible tart citrus, known as "bigarade", full of aroma of proper marmalade, tart and citrusy with an elegant base note.
Bitter Orange, also known as Seville orange (Bigarade orange), is one of the many types of oranges, and one the most important citruses used in modern perfume industry. Bitter orange is a main source of orange blossom and neroli extracts, prized for their delicious fragrance and wonderful and fresh bitter-sweet citrusy aroma. Bitter Orange grows in warm parts of the world, but the best quality oil is produced of peel from Spanish and Guinean orange. The odor of bitter orange is fresh, tart and hot and bitter.

Bitter oranges originate from northeastern India and certain regions of China and Myanmar. The fruit has spread to the rest of the world by the 1st century CE, when the Romans first started cultivating bitter oranges to use them in natural remedies and as a delicious treat. With fall of Roman Empire, the cultivation of Bitter Orange has staggered for a while in Europe. It was the Arabs who spread it all the way to Spain, where they grow even today, lining the streets and spreading the wonderful aroma of the fresh citrus blossoms. Some of these trees are more than 600 years old, but oldest live bitter orange tree is supposedly one planted back in 1421, and still growing at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.
When the Americas were discovered, Spanish people brought the seeds of bitter orange to North America, namely to Florida and the Bahamas. Florida is today known as the world’s largest producer of oranges, and the fragrant blossoms of the orange tree are listed as Florida state symbols.
Bitter orange is mainly used for production of essential oils, which are used in perfume industry and as a flavoring. This sort of orange is not edible like the rest of the commonly grown oranges, however it is frequently used processed, especially in production of bitters, jams, marmalades, and to flavor tea. The extract of bitter orange is rich in synephrine which is known as very good appetite suppressant. Bitter orange has been used as a stimulant and herbal remedy for a long time, but recent studies have linked this substance with the increased risk of premature death from myocardial infarction (heart attack). Today, consumer groups advocate avoiding medicinal use of the fruit, but its sweet side is still preserved in perfume industry and poses no harm at all.

Bitter orange is a precious fruit for all perfumers, used for production of Orange blossom and neroli. The orange blossom absolute is obtained with the volatile solvents, while neroli is produced obtained by careful steam distillation of the freshly picked flowers. Neroli has a wonderful and heady refreshing but spicy floral aroma, which makes it a great addition to all kinds of floral compositions, eau de colognes and skin-care products. The orange blossom absolute is an intensively floral brownish liquid with a delicate and fresh scent that closely resembles the natural fragrance of fresh bitter-orange. The leaves of bitter orange, as well as the flower buds, are steam-distilled to produce petitgrain, an essential oil that has a greenish woody orange scent.
Another derivate from bitter orange, which truly marks this note in the world of perfumery, is the bitter orange oil. This oil has a distinctive citrusy aroma placed somewhere in the middle of sweet orange and bitter grape. Bitter orange oil lends a distinctively zesty and bitter flavor to the fragrance, and it is mostly used in production of eau de Colognes. This essence is obtained through the process of cold extraction from the orange peel.
Bitter Orange note is found in Miss Dior Cherie L`Eau by Dior, a clean and fresh composition designed to accentuate beauty of simplicity. It also emanates from Moschino’s Moschino Funny!, lively and cheerful fragrance designed especially for young girls. More sophisticated interpretation of bitter orange is offered in elegant and romantic Chopard’s Happy Spirit, as well as in optimistic and floral “Marry me!” by Lanvin. Cartier uses Bitter Orange in the top notes of Declaration, which is a woody floral musk fragrance for men, while Boucheron does the same in floral oriental fragrance for women – Boucheron.
Other fragrances containing Bitter Orange note can be found listed below this article.

Author: Marina Milojević (Mary)
Fragrantica Writer, Translator & Editor
Perfumes and Colognes With Bitter Orange

Bigarade concentree Frederic Malle
L de Lolita Lempicka Lolita Lempicka
Cologne Bigarade Frederic Malle
Agrumi di Sicilia Monotheme Fine Fragrances Venezia
Pluie de Pétales de Fleurs d'Oranger Cinq Mondes
Misae Tallulah Jane
Miss Dior Cherie L`Eau Dior
Armani Code for Women Giorgio Armani
L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme Lumieres dIssey Issey Miyake
Orange Leaves Eau de Cologne L`Occitane en Provence
Moschino Funny! Moschino
Eau d'Elide Diptyque
Serendipitous Serendipity 3
Armani Code Summer Pour Femme 2010 Giorgio Armani
Orange Sanguine Atelier Cologne 
Emporio Armani City Glam for Him Giorgio Armani
Imagine for Him Esprit
Eau de Portugal Geo. F. Trumper
Green Orange & Coriander Jo Loves
L’Eau 2 Kenzo pour Homme Kenzo
Best of Chevignon Chevignon
Beloved American Beauty
Andalucia Sensuelle Isabel Derroisne
Citron de Vigne Fresh
Santal Rouge Il Profvmo
Habit Rouge L`Eau Guerlain
Marry Me Lanvin
Azzaro Pour Homme Night Time Azzaro
R'oud Elements Kerosene
Armani Code Summer Pour Femme 2011 Giorgio Armani
Trefle Pur Atelier Cologne 
Kapsule Light Karl Lagerfeld
Collection Extraordinaire Cologne Noire Van Cleef & Arpels
Kate Summer Time Kate Moss
Une Rose Au Bord de la Mer Les Parfums de Rosine
Happy Spirit Chopard
Zohar Ayala Moriel
Sicilian Lime Ortigia Sicilia 
Corsica Voluspa
Missoni Missoni
Neroli Eau de Parfum Laura Mercier
Hypnose Homme Eau Fraiche Lancome
Marry Me! Love Edition Lanvin
Hanae Mori N03 Hanae Mori
Fire Opal (Orange 2; Natural) DSH Perfumes
Giardini Segreti (Italian Journey No. 3) DSH Perfumes
Silver Shadow Davidoff
Moon Safari Memo
Jump Summer Temptation Joop!
Yuzu Fou Parfum d`Empire
Jardin du Poete Eau D`Italie
Jardin de Sicile Isabel Derroisne
Mango Mandarin Bath and Body Works
Au Lac Eau D`Italie
Baldessarini Hugo Boss
Joop! Go Joop!
Cedre Olympe Giorgio Armani
Amarige Mariage Givenchy
In The Mood For Love Gianfranco Ferre
Chrome Legend Azzaro
Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta Acqua di Parma
Quiksilver for Men Quiksilver
Montaigne Caron
Armani Prive Oranger Alhambra Giorgio Armani
Poule de Luxe Vanilla Orangette Crazylibellule and the Poppies
Da Don Algodon 
Les Naturelles: Figuier fleur Fragonard
Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Guerlain
Style Pastels Soft Yellow Jil Sander
(untitled) Maison Martin Margiela
Comme des Garcons Series 4 Cologne : Citrico Comme des Garcons
Gucci Eau de Parfum II Gucci
Ambra Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
Kaiak Natura
Parfum de Maroc Aftelier
The Garden MCMC Fragrances
Obsession Night Woman Calvin Klein
Black M. Micallef
Mystery Naomi Campbell
Ruban d'Orange L`Occitane en Provence
Bamboo Harmony By Kilian
Armani Code Summer pour Femme Giorgio Armani
Liberte Cacharel
CH Marine Carolina Herrera
Incanto Pour Homme Salvatore Ferragamo
Idole d`Armani Eau de Toilette Giorgio Armani
Declaration Cartier
Habit Rouge Sport Guerlain
Island Capri Michael Kors
Vetiverus 11-11-11 Oliver & Co.
Stella Tocca
Cococabana Parfums de Nicolaï 
Cerruti 1881 Black Cerruti
Zeste de Vigne Caudalie
Wall Street Bond No 9
Givenchy Play Eau de Toilette Givenchy
Chocolate Greedy Montale
Six Scents Series Three 1 Alex Mabille: Beau Bow Seven New York
L'eau de Hesperides Diptyque
Je Suis un Homme Etat Libre d`Orange
Versilia Vintage Boise Profumi del Forte
Royal Service Creed
Botanical Essence No.1 Liz Earle
Idole Lubin
M7 Fresh Yves Saint Laurent
Miracle Homme L'Aquatonic Lancome
01 Le Maroc Pour Elle Tauer Perfumes
October Neil Morris
Scarlett Keiko Mecheri
Boucheron Boucheron
Signature Story for Her David & Victoria Beckham
Montana Homme Montana
Style Pastels Tender Green Jil Sander
The Color Orange DSH Perfumes
Graciella Tocca
Daphne Comme des Garcons
Dianoche Ocean Daisy Fuentes
Zig Zag Dana
Cruise Collection Escale a Parati Dior
Sandalo Byblos
Tokyo by Kenzo Kenzo
Chrome Sport Azzaro
Profumo di Pantelleria Profumi di Pantelleria 
Jailia Profumi di Pantelleria 
Imprevu Coty
Classic Black Jaguar
Eau Mo Pour Gay Perfumes Hedoné
L`Eau de Kenzo Amour Kenzo
Eau du Fier Annick Goutal
Carolina Carolina Herrera
Plus Plus Feminine Diesel
Custo Barcelona Custo Barcelona
Déclaration Bois Bleu Cartier
Femme Fekkai Sensuelle Frederic Fekkai
Eau d'Ikar Sisley
Disagreeable Object Smell Bent
Idole Eau de Parfum Lubin
La Rose du Petit Prince Le Petit Prince
Sui Dreams Anna Sui
Sol La Reminiscence
Original Vetiver Creed
The Library Collection Opus I Amouage
Odin 07 - Tanoke Odin
L'Instant d'Un Ete Guerlain
Vetiver Extraordinaire Frederic Malle
Opium Eau D'ete Summer Fragrance 2003 Yves Saint Laurent
Kashmina Touch Max Mara
Arpege Pour Homme Lanvin
Hasu-no-Hana Grossmith
Vetyver DSH Perfumes