1A-33
Mandarin and red pepper open onto linden blossom, magnolia and jasmine: a floral citrus named after an old Berlin license plate.
Perfumer: Veronique Nyberg
The name is a piece of Berlin history. On the city's old license plates, 1A meant Berlin, and 33 marked Moabit, the district where the company was based. From the 1950s onward the composition stayed one of the house's best sellers for decades.
It opens bright and a little sharp: mandarin peel lifted by red pepper. Alongside them sits an accord named after drops of the Spree, the river that runs through the city.
The heart turns to linden blossom, magnolia and jasmine sambac, a soft floral layer that keeps the citrus from feeling thin. The German-language description says the linden blossom extract alone is meant to carry the air of Unter den Linden, the grand linden-lined avenue. Cedarwood and iris powder round it off with dry wood and a powdery hush.
