This is the most important, by far, of all petitgrain oils. The oil is produced in Paraguay and, to a smaller extent, in Haiti. However, only in Paraguay is the oil distilled exclusively from the bitter sour variety of Citrus Aurantium, subspecies amara, the bitter orange tree. This tree grows wild, serniwild and is cultivated on a large scale in the interior of Paraguay. Paraguay Petitgrain Oil S.A. (South American) is a pale yellow to dark yellow to dark yellow or olive brownish liquid of strong, bitter sweet, woody floral odor. The topnote is somewhat harsh, but it quickly gives way to a heavy and sweet bodynote of typical petitgrain character, bitter floral, with a sweet and slightly woody backnote. The dryout, which comes quickly since the odor of this oil is not very tenacious, is sweet and slightly woody floral. According to the age of the oil, there are wide variations in the topnote of its odor. Most often, the topnote smells like the topnote of crude bois de rose oil, almost nutmeg like and warm spicy.
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