Phoebe, Tamora has a "myrrh" scent, which is licorice. To my nose, Mary Rose has a touch of that combined with other elements. Per Help Me Find-Roses, Mayflower has a "moderate old rose scent". Scepter'd Isle is "strong myrrh". Pretty Jessica has 'strong myrrh, old rose". If you go to the Austin roses web site, you will usually find their "rose porn" descriptions of their fragrances. Perhaps if you get to know how they describe the scents you don't care for, you can figure out which of their other roses you won't like the stink of. You might find more information about the Heirloom bred roses' scents on the Heirloom site. Kim

Hmm so Myrrh is black licorice.....good thing I love black licorice, my sons not so much. They did not like Ambridge much, myrrh but loved Bishops Castle, old rose

My Reine des Violettes has the strongest scent of all my roses, I think. You can smell it from half way across the yard! But I think my Golden Celebration is my favorite scent. Since it's a giant and the blooms are nearer the top and hang down over my front walk the fragrance drifts down to me when I walk under it and it's just heavenly! As for what they smell like, I'm not good at making comparisons. To me they smell like roses. The way roses are supposed to smell!

The absolute WORST "licorice" scent is Cressida. Take a bud which is just beginning to open and pull it open. Sniff quickly and have your barf bucket handy! It is INTENSE and extremely bitter! I have worn a mustach forever and this oil/alcohol combination is so intense and lasting, it got on my mustach and I had to wash my face twice to get rid of it. If you don't like myrrh, stay away from Cressida! Kim

Kim, dear -- Tell us how you REALLY feel.

Now, see, I love that myrrh fragrance. It's the reason I might try again to grow Fair Bianca, for I think the myrrh is strongest there.

But I really do love the fragrance of Golden Celebration. When our GC hedge is in full bloom, we have had people stop in cars to ask what that is. So, it "wafts." And if you pick GC fairly tight, it's good in a vase, and holds some of the fragrance.

I clerked once for a team of rose show judges who smelled Golden Celebration, and agreed that it had no fragrance.

I wanted very badly to tell them that they were ill-equipped to judge the "Most-Fragrant" class, if indeed they could not smell Golden Celebration. They found a HT they swore unanimously was more fragrant. HMPH!

Jeri

I am officially Jealous of Jeri's Golden Celebration.

Mine was from a Costco body bag, and it was kind of left alone, and I did move it this year. And it seemed like it was finally happy and going to take off. And then it changed it's mind.

Wonder if I bought a better one it would take off.

Or, wait a year or so for the patent to run out and ask Jeri for cuttings.

Actually, Jeri, while I can not stand the taste of licorice, that "myrrh" scent can be quite enjoyable. It's simply SO concentrated in Cressida, it is over powering and intensely saturated, particularly just prior to the flower opening. Kim

I love the fragrance of 'Cressida'. To each his nose. ;)

'Sharifa Asma' is not myrrh, so you should like that one.

Thank you for your responses, everyone! I must be very sensitive to the myrhh scent. Strange... I love myrhh resin and essential oil, but don't think they smell like myrhh in flowers at all.

I agree, Seil, Reine des Violettes and Golden Celebration smell just like how roses should smell. Sumptuous!

Kim, thank you! Now I know what to look for when I read the descriptions. :-)

Thank you for your responses, everyone! I must be very sensitive to the myrhh scent. Strange... I love myrhh resin and essential oil, but don't think they smell like myrhh in flowers at all.

I agree, Seil, Reine des Violettes and Golden Celebration smell just like how roses should smell. Sumptuous!

Kim, thank you! Now I know what to look for when I read the descriptions. :-)

Yay! I've heard a lot about Sharifa Asma. Can't wait to get it! Thanks, Hoovb...

If you like Brother Cadfael's scent, you might like Evelyn's, and Eglantyne's also. Another rose, not an Austin, that I think has a similar, but stronger scent than these two, is Frederic Mistral (yum!). I raise a number of Austins and I think Evelyn has the loveliest scent of all of them.

Evelyn's fragrance was wonderful -- To my nose, something like the smell of sun-warmed fresh peaches, right off the tree.

SADLY, in my SoCal location, all Evelyn wanted to do was grow, and no matter what we did with it, it would ONLY bloom on the top of 12'-15'canes. It might have worked, had I had a low fence on which to espalier it, but I did not, and so it is long-gone.

It also mildewed on tender new growth.

Jeri

That's what Evelyn did here, too. It appears from what Evelyn and Eglantyne have done in this area and how they appear to perform in colder climates, they need more chill and much less hot hours to flower as they are supposed to. Otherwise, these two, like Graham Thomas, run to rampant, thorny growth with little color. Kim

Agreed.

FWIW, in the same period, we also grew Austin's 'Emanuel.'

For this Coastal SoCal area, it was a far better rose. A nice arching shrub of perhaps 3.5 ft tall and maybe 4.5 ft wide, which was disease-free and bloomed well. It was not as fragrant as those of Evelyn (though it was fragrant) and it's blooms were smaller than those of Evelyn (but there were a lot of them, in attractive sprays). It was the same color as Evelyn, more or less, and had a good vase life.
It may now be out of commerce, but for this area, it was a very good rose.

Jeri
Coastal Ventura Co., SoCal

All the suggestions are beautiful! I love how Eglantyne smells, only haven't gotten it because I was afraid of its thorns. I'm in Zone 4/5, so hopefully the Austins won't misbehave so much and can last through the winter with protection. Frederic Mistral has not been on my radar, but seeing it now makes me drool! And the scent sounds heavenly!

Eglantyne is really hardy for me, love the fragrance of this rose.

I also grow Mortimer Sackler, The Mayflower and Sharifa Asma. They have wonderful fragrance as well, not myrrh but more of a Damask/ Old Rose type of scent.

Frederic Mistral smells similar to raspberries and peaches, to my nose.

The Austins are hardy for me, give a little extra mulch at the base for winter and that's all I do for winter cover.

Frederic Mistral is hardy as well.

Austin describes Mortimer Sackler as " There is a lovely fragrance; Old Rose with a delicious hint of fruit."

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/showrose.asp?showr=4073

The Mayflower is "strong old rose", from the same site.

Sharifa Asma is "A distinctive and beautiful fragrance with fruity notes reminiscent of white grapes and mulberry."

Eglantyne is "It is sweetly fragrant - a charming and delicate Old Rose scent."

Mary Rose "The delicious fragrance is of Old Rose character, with a hint of honey and almond blossom."

As I suggested earlier, if you want to know the scent, check the Austin catalog. It's right there on line. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Austin Catalog

It's good to know that the Austins can make it through the cold climate, Krista. I am intending on getting all of those mentioned when I make more space to plant. It's so addicting!

Kim, I love all the descriptions given for the fragrances. Tamora is mentioned in the David Austin catalog as having a "remarkable and very delicious fragrance with aspects of lilac and mimosa." I would have picked Tamora and Mary Rose based on the descriptions if I hadn't actually smelled them. Looks like the best thing to do would be to attend a lot of rose displays! :-)

I have 'Pretty Jessica' and the myrrh element in her delicious scent is barely or not noticeable to my nose most of the time. So don't rule her out.

"Licorice" is a generous characterization. Some of Austin's myrrh roses smell like dirty socks (ammonia) or cough drops (camphor).

Of course they're going to call it all "licorice". You gonna buy an over priced rose touted as scented of "1992 Keds"? Kim

Just so I avoid the old keds....which are the worst of the stinky Myrrhs? (although they are by the chicken house so maybe keds is an improvement)

I can back michaelg up and say I have Pretty Jessica, too, and she smells like old rose to me.

I'm SO glad to hear that about Pretty Jessica! I've been having my heart set on her. Dirty socks and cough drops... hehehe. Yes, please do let us know which ones are like that, michaelg. I couldn't quite figure out Tamora and Mary Rose, but now that you mentioned about it, I did have the same cringe as when I smell cough syrup.

I only have Sharifa Asma and scepter D'isle from your list. Sharifa smells along the lines of Abe darby to me- so fruity rose.
Scepter Di is VERY strong myrhh. I initially hated this rose and was horrorfied -like you are with your Tamora :-0--- when i first smelled it because it reminded me of those urinal deoderant cakes (diaper pail deoderizers too smell like it-- and not the urine, btw) (possibly the phenol??) and so I would eye it with a big frown as it exploded and reloaded immediately in blooms all summer. SHe starts early, quits late. Nothing comes close to SD'is blooming abundance for me. And it's flower is so cheerful and lovely. Eventually i became accustomed to its myrrh scent and now I like it. It smells clean and pure and fits the rose. I love that rose and blow it kisses now! Maybe your Tamora will grow on you too, ;-).
(i have tamora too and it smells different each time i smell it- but
You might like Abraham darby as the blooms are pretty similar, just a little more pink.)
My golden celebrations only have moderate scent comparatively-
And smell like roses and peaches to me.

It's not on your list, but in my garden Lady Emma Hamilton wins top honors from my husband for strength and character (citrusy rose). She blooms well too -- just behind abe darby. Though LEH bush is so well behaved and the awesome purple stems make her special. FWIW, in my harden Fred mistral (romantica, not DA) and sharifa smell rosy delicous but are t that abundant bloomers. Fred's young so maybe he'll improve?

Hi lola_lemon: Thanks for the info. that Sharifa Asma smells like fruit and rose, like Ab. Darby... I'm not fond of fruit and rose.

Eglantyne own-root isn't thorny, but doesn't like my alkaline soil. Eglantyne's scent is old rose with a ginger touch - it smelled better at the rose park. Frederic Mistral smells better in my soil than at the neutral soil rose park. Fred is a water-hog. When the weather cools down, I'll dig him up to make his soil less hardened clay, and more fluffy with moisture-retention amendments.