Neroli oil produced by distillation of the flowers of the bitter orange tree. French origin, fine quality and extremely verstatile and useful. Much fresher and less tenacious than the Absolute produced from the same flowers.
According to Arctander “Neroli Oil, also called Neroli Bigarade Oil (neroli bigarade petales) or Orange Flower Oil is produced in the south of France, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Haiti, Guinea, Comoro Islands, Algeria, Lebanon and, in small quantities, in China, Spain, Egypt, Cyprus, etc. … France and Tunisia lead in quality. ”
He goes on to explain that “Neroli Oil is the essential oil water distilled from the flowers of the cultivated bitter orange tree, Citrus Aurantium, subspecies amara, which also is important for the production of petitgrain oil (“bigarade’’-type) and bitter orange peel oil.” as well as the previously mentioned Orange Flower Absolute.
Arctander says that “Neroli Bigarade Oil is a pale yellow, mobile oil which becomes darker and more viscous on ageing. The odor is very powerful, light and refreshing, floral with a peculiar sweet-terpeney topnote, but its tenacity is rather poor. This oil is primarily a ‘top-note’ material in perfumery. The keeping qualities of neroli oil are very poor, and its odor loses its freshness after a few months if the oil is not kept cool, dark and well sealed.”