Bond No. 9 Astor Place

Notes: violet leaf, mandarin zest, freesia, red poppy buds, orris, teakwood, musk, amber

I'm always excited when a new Bond fragrance comes out, even though they are largely hit-or-miss for me. (Love West Side, Silver Factory, Lexington Ave, Brooklyn. Not fond of Bryant Park, Union Square, Saks Fifth Avenue.) Unfortunately, Astor Place is a big miss. The citrus top note is rather shrill, and it leads directly into an equally shrill freesia. It's too bright and green and high-pitched for my tastes.

I hope that the drydown is more interesting, but no orris comes in to temper the freesia, and the only softening agent I detect is the musk. After a few hours, it is noticeably less shrill, but over the entire period, it has failed to interest me. In fact, I find it far too similar to Union Square, which shares its bright ferocity.

A shame, because I love the bottle.