I realize this conversation is old, but the ARS Encyclopedia of Roses (2003) says the fragrance is strong, sweet, and fruity. Botanica's ROSES (2000) lists the scent as strong and spicy.
I just added the ARS Modern Roses 12 REFERENCE which describes the scent as "damask and spice". I guess it's hard to describe the scents of some roses.
Since the U S patent says the rose "requires winter protection in colder zones", I was a bit conservative and gave it a zone 6a for the colder range of hardiness for the rose.
I don't know how people determine the finer points of scent. I'm just happy if the rose has one!
It does seem safer to use the more conservative zone rating. The term, "requires winter protection in colder areas" is confusing to me (I've been reading it all day in rose literature). Colder than WHAT? Ha-ha!
I know what you mean, Dianne. Some scents which are described as possessing various elements of other fruits and flowers simply smell to me, with no discernible other elements. Others scream their distinct elements to my nose. I'm glad it isn't up to me to write all those descriptions! Same goes for zone hardiness. You can alter the actual zone conditions tremendously in such simple, easy ways. Plant the rose next to a protected warm wall with hardscape at its feet and you might create conditions equal to a full zone (or more!) in that micro climate. Conditions such as those really should be stated when considering something is grown in colder (or even hotter) zones.
I know this will sound strange, but I do forget to smell the roses. I am always surprised when someone posts about how fragrant a given rose is and I have that rose in my garden and didn't know it had great fragrance because I hadn't checked.
As for the cold hardiness thing .. sometimes I think it might be a case of CYA.
I have seen it grown in the county rose garden in Somerset, New Jersey, zone 6b where it occupied the same bed for many years. I think with freeze protection it must be cold hardy to zone 6b.
