Ginger, Whisky, Marmalade – Fall with Jo Malone

It’s that time of year – daylight savings just ended and it’s dark at 5pm. Time to get hygge with the teas, the candles, the flannels on my body and bed, etc. This seems like the perfect time to talk about three new-to-me Jo Malones I tried last week, with first impressions that surprised me: Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit, Orange Marmalade, and Vanilla Scotch.

I somehow missed Ginger Biscuit last time around and was thrilled to find a bottle at Sephora while traveling last week. (Of course I went to Sephora, since we don’t have one here; I assure you the rest of the trip was very highbrow and culturally enriching.) Google says a ginger biscuit or “ginger nut” is similar to our gingersnaps. I love all things ginger, including gingersnaps, emphasis on the “snap” – I’m partial to those giant tins of Swedish Nyakers from World Market, although the Trader Joe’s ginger thins will do in a pinch. “Warm and spicy scent with ginger, cinnamon, and roasted hazelnuts. Sensual with vanilla and tonka bean.” I was all set to buy the $40 travel bottle of this, which they had in store. I’m glad I tried it first, because shockingly, it is not for me. I don’t get enough of the spices, and the nuts and tonka combine in a way that smells almost rancid to me. I was devastated (in a perfume-y way.) Next!

Vanilla Scotch, another holiday LE, this one’s brand new for 2026, “A festive adventure in the Highlands. Warm indulgent vanilla blended with a spirited splash of a Scotch whisky accord, tumbling over roasted tonka bean and wrapped in the sensual allure of golden amber.” Not what I was expecting – I was hoping for a smoky, boozy vanilla – but again the tonka is playing games and it’s the wrong kind of smoke with an almost barbecue note on me? YMMV, there are people online who loooove it. Weird, and less personally devastating, but also no. Next!

Orange Marmalade – “Orange peel simmers on the stove, its vibrant aroma and bitter bite tantalizing the senses. Warm woods are blended with orange zest.” Orange peel, bitter orange, clary sage and cashmere wood. This one’s from 2024 but I don’t think I ever ran across it. Anyway, I laughed out loud, spraying it on – what a delightful scent! It really smells exactly like marmalade to me, that juicy-bitter-slightly sour smell. (I am a major fan of marmalade and still miss the Keiller’s Dundee crocks.) The clary sage doesn’t come stomping through, and the woods stay well in the background, like the smell of a woven gift basket holding a nice jar of the good marmalade. JM reeeaally stresses the layering option on this one, which to me implies a lack of complexity or longevity (or both) but I think it’s just dandy on its own and it lasted for hours while I went about my day. Of course this doesn’t come in a travel size like the other two, dammit. I want some. (Update: 30ml tall bottles available online for about half the price at Sephora, I see one in my future.)

Vanilla Scotch and Ginger Biscuit are available as a cute mini gift set as well as travel sizes. There’s some other seasonal-looking ones too with pretty bows.

Have you tried any of these? I know Jo Malone can be a bit meh for perfumista-ville, mostly (I think) due to longevity, although I remember being blown away by Dark Amber and Ginger Lily which I bought immediately and then eventually sold, it was toooo much. I can’t believe how many JMs there are now. Also, if you’re a jam/preserves/marmalade person, what are your favorites? I eat a lot of Tiptree, Bonne Maman, and anything else that catches my eye, on toast with excellent French butter. Made me hungry for some, just typing that. It’s teatime somewhere, right?

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