The Top 10 Best Creed Cologne for Men

#10 Creed Erolfa

The Hidden Gem

Erolfa is rarely talked about and gets overlooked – simply because of the big hyped releases dominating their line-up.

But don’t sleep on this because this stuff smells GREAT. Let’s take a look…

Erolfa is a unique, super fresh, citrus fragrance that has a captivating sparkling sea-salt marine vibe.

Sparkling Marine Freshness

It’s fresh and invigorating, and so easy to wear. In fact, it smells like a fresh summer sea breeze… mixed with a nice citrusy melon accord. Beautiful.

Fun Fact:

The name of this scent is an acronym of Olivier Creed’s family members:

His son, Erwin (ER,) his daughter, Olivia (OL,) and their mother, Fabienne (FA.)

Because Erolfa is a homage to the family’s memories of sailing the Mediterranean. So a fresh salty marine breeze and citrus fruits are encapsulated into the scent. Anyway…

Shines in Summer

This is a great daytime casual scent. Perfect for the warmer months. And lasting performance is quite respectable for being a citrus based scent.

Here’s a tip that works great:

To make this last even longer, just simply give your clothes a quick spritz.

Sorted 🙂

#9 Creed Original Vetiver

Professional Clean Freshness!

This is Creed’s unique take on a fresh, clean vetiver cologne.

How’s it unique?

Well, before this, perfumers would only use one part of the vetiver plant to create their fragrances. However…

Olivier Creed went two steps further… and used all three parts of the vetiver plant – to create a unique, modern spin on the vetiver genre. And he nailed it. 🙂

In fact, the color of the bottle represents what this fragrance is all about:

A super fresh, uplifting, green aromatic scent… which gives you that long-lasting fresh-out-the-shower vibe. Ain’t complaining.

By the way, this also made it onto our best vetiver colognes list – for good reason! So if you’re a vetiver fan, I urge you to check that list out.

This is the Definition of Freshness

Let’s take a look:

First off… it has a beautiful mix of brightness to it… With sparkling citruses blended with light vetiver in the background.

But it gets even better…

Once this starts to dry down, it has an amazing soapy, creamy sweetness to it. Which oozes quality.

It’s a very clean, very safe, and inoffensive easy-to-wear cologne. And the good news…

Super Versatile

It’s highly versatile and long lasting, and can also be enjoyed by anyone of all ages (although, it’s probably more suited to the 25+ age group).

Perfect for the spring and summer, but it can be worn whenever: for casual and work. In fact, this would make a perfect shirt and tie, professional office scent. This is signature scent worthy.

The bottom line:

A simple scent, done in the best way possible.

#8 Creed Virgin Island Water

If You Could Bottle the Scent of Summer – This Would Be it

Now:

This is a super unique, fresh, citrusy coconut fragrance. Which is perfect for going on vacation (or if you live in hot climates). Let’s break it down…

It opens up with a blast of super-fresh juicy lime… mixed with a smooth creamy coconut.

Sweet Boozy Coconut

As it settles, it gains some soft white floral accords… and eventually, a sugar cane and rum accord join the party – to give this a gorgeous sweet, boozy coconut vibe. (Think – Pina Colada.) 🥥🍹 And…

It’s extremely natural smelling!

Now, to be clear:

This is a unisex fragrance (so it’s not super masculine) and is more appropriate for the summer – for casual use. Perfect for hanging out in a pair of shorts or visiting the beach club.

Shines in The Heat

That said, you could wear this in other seasons as a fun, casual scent… especially if you want to indulge yourself in a virtual vacation… that transports you to a tropical island. 🏝

Speaking of… to discover more fragrances that work AMAZING in the high-heat, check out our best summer colognes list.

And the good news: for being a citrus based scent, it has good lasting performance. So two thumbs up.

Bottom line:

If you’re looking for a high-quality, naturally smelling vacation scent, then this could be for you.

#7 Creed Royal Oud

Sophisticated Masculine Woodiness

If you want to smell super-unique and turn heads, then maybe Royal Oud is for you.

Here’s what you need to know:

This is Creed’s take on an easy-to-wear, European friendly oud-based scent. And they nailed it!

(In case you don’t know… Oud is a scented resin which is distilled from the infected wood of an agarwood tree. And, due to its rarity, oud is uber expensive. Oud has a dark, slightly smoky, woody aroma.)

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

Despite the name of this scent, the Oud in this is very subtle and only plays a small supporting role in the fragrance. Nevertheless, this is an outstanding composition and has a well deserved place on our best oud fragrances list. How’s it smell?

Fresh, Spicy & Woody

This smells fresh and citrusy, mixed with a sweet and fruity vibe… sitting on top of an expensive smelling spicy woody accord (mainly cedar and sandalwood…with a pinch of oud).

The end result:

A regal smelling, mass-appealing woody fragrance.

Upscale

Now, the is best worn in cool weather: fall/winter (cool spring nights). And is great for nights out, the office, dates, and upscale formal events.

This will make you smell like Royalty. 🙂

The beautiful part?

Women seem to LOVE this stuff – immense compliments with this one.

#6 Creed Silver Mountain Water

Cooling Freshness!

Silver Mountain Water is a super unique, sophisticated scent.

In fact, this has been a Creed best seller since its debut in 1995, and for good reason! Let me give you a quick rundown…

Fresh Green Herbal Scent

SMW starts off citrusy and has a unique smooth metallic inky vibe (from the blackcurrant and green tea notes). This gives it a nice cooling freshness! And eventually, it dries down to a nice musky sandalwood base. Very light and inoffensive.

This is extremely well blended, and screams quality.

And the beautiful part:

Dressed-up or Dressed-down

This has a TON of versatility: it smells great on a man or women (any age). And can be worn dressed up or casually. However, it’s more suited for the warmer weather. Even better…

It’s long lasting and bags a LOT of positive attention. I’ll take that. 🙂

Side note: The white bottle is gorgeous.

#5 Creed Original Santal

The Best Creed Cologne for Clubbing

Original Santal is Creeds take on a modern sandalwood based fragrance. And they didn’t disappoint. 🙂

By the way…

Santal is the French word for “sandalwood” which is the star of the show in this fragrance. In fact…

Mysore Sandalwood

Creed claim to have used genuine Mysore sandalwood from India. Mysore sandalwood oil is considered one of the best in the World – and, understandably, is SUPER expensive.

You’re probably wondering…

What does it smell like?

Sweet, Creamy & Woody

Original Santal smells fresh and clean – with a prominent spicy cinnamon note… which sits on a slightly sweet, smooth creamy woody base. It’s super unique – yet mass appealing.

In plain English:

This smells GREAT. 🙂

Dates

Hyper versatile: This can be worn dressed up, dressed down, any age group. Perfect for clubbing, bars, dates, romantic settings, nights outs etc.

And is more suited for fall, winter (and maybe spring nights).

Brutal compliments with this one. 🙂 And we got a respectable 7+ hours of lasting power with nice projection. Thumbs up.

Bonus: The bottle looks awesome.

#4 Creed Viking

Cool, Minty & Spicy

First off…

This isn’t for the younger crowd; this is grown man’s stuff. Let’s take a closer look…

Viking kicks off with a blast of icy, minty freshness mixed with some citruses… and a nice pinch of sweet-spicy pink pepper.

Sophisticated & Manly

As it starts to dry down, the citruses fade, and it begins to smooth out beautifully. You then get a hint of masculine rose, joined with a classy masculine base of sandalwood and vetiver.

The end result?

A classy, sophisticated, manly scent. Very contemporary. And the beautiful part…

Mega Versatile

This is mega versatile: it can be worn in ANY season… dressed up, or casual – days or nights. Great. In fact, this would make an amazing signature scent for the sophisticated gent.

Now to be clear:

This is a mature, masculine fragrance – more suited for the 30-up crowd.

And, the good news… it sticks around for up to 8+ hours, with moderate projection. Not too shabby. 🙂

Bottom line:

If you’re looking for a sophisticated mature masculine scent… that you can wear all year, for just about any occasion – then give this a try.

#3 Creed Millesime Imperial

The Gold Standard of Aquatics

As the legend goes…

This was allegedly created for the former King of Saudi Arabia. The good news?

Now everybody can smell like royalty. 🙂

Now, Millesime Imperial is the brand’s prestigious take on a fresh citrusy scent. Does it live up to the hype? Let’s find out…

Juicy Watermelon

MI opens up with an invigorating blast of fresh, citrusy fruity notes… blended with a pinch of marine saltiness. Smells insanely natural!

To my nose, this smells like a freshly cut, juicy mouth-watering watermelon… With an added marine vibe, and a nice touch of sweetness.

In plain English:

This stuff smells AMAZING. 🙂

Anytime, Anywhere

Super versatile: This is a unisex scent and can be worn in any situation, anytime, anywhere, and by any age. Great.

From a suit and tie… to a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, for it’s a subtle and non-offensive fragrance.

Where this truly shines, however, is in the summer and hot humid conditions. Very refreshing!

Bright, Juicy & Addictive

But here’s the kicker:

Being a fresh citrus based scent, we’ve seen some people in the past complain about longevity issues. To be clear:

The bottle we tested was from a new batch, and we didn’t have any performance issues. In fact, our testers were averaging about a solid 5-8 hours of longevity.

Let’s face it:

Citrus and Aquatic based scents are NOT super long lasting. With that said, a good tip to make citrus based scents last longer; simply give your clothes a spritz.

Sorted. 🙂

Oh, and did I mention the gold colored bottle is awesome?

#2 Creed Green Irish Tweed

A Classic – That Never Goes Out of Style

Here’s the skinny:

After being released way back in 1985, this has proven itself and stood the test of time… because today, this is still one of Creed’s best-selling colognes – and for good reason:

This is what a green fragrance should smell like.

It’s fresh, it’s clean, it’s crisp.

This is the perfect balance between a fresh, clean, citrusy scent… and a deep masculine scent. How’s it smell?

Soapy & Green

Green Irish Tweed opens up soapy and green. Then eventually, it dries down to a masculine sandalwood and ambergris base – giving it a fresh, creamy woody sweetness. Quality is top notch!

Now, I should point something out:

Green Irish Tweed is not a clubbing type scent. This is something to wear when you want to smell super clean and fresh – to smell like the perfect guy. This gets a LOT of compliments. 🙂

The good news:

Smooth & Refined

This is crazy versatile – it’s smooth and refined and can be worn anywhere, anytime (more suited for the 30+ crowd). You can rock this suited-up, or in a T-shirt and jeans. In the office or casual. You name it.

In fact, this would make a perfect signature scent. However, where this truly shines is in the spring and summer.

Now, a quick word of warning:

Go easy with the sprays as this is quite strong (lasting power is great!). 2-3 sprays MAX…

…and you’re set. 🙂

Bonus: The matt black bottle looks awesome.

#1 Creed Aventus

The Best Creed Cologne

No surprise here folks. 🙂

In case you don’t know…

Aventus is the most popular Creed by a country mile. In fact, this is the brand’s best selling fragrance… in their entire 260 plus year history. And for good reason!

This smells GREAT.

This is the rockstar of the fragrance community. In fact, there’s no explanation to be had here. Aventus is the best smelling Creed cologne. Period.

And… no matter how much people say it’s hyped or overrated – it lives up to all expectations. (Kidding. Mostly.) 🙂 Seriously though…

You’re probably wondering:

What does Aventus smell like?

Aventus is a fresh and fruity-sweet masculine woody scent, that is super unique smelling – yet also mass-appealing.

It smells like a fresh juicy pineapple, blackcurrant and apple combo… with some underlying smoky woods, leather and musk.

The beautiful part?

Perfect for Nights Out

It’s ultra versatile. Aventus can be used in all seasons, and for all occasions (days or nights). And is especially amazing for nights out, bars, and dates, etc. This is where it shines.

Even better…

This has GREAT long-lasting performance. A quick heads up, though… For best results: do not overspray this. Less-is-definitely-more with this one – trust me.

Here’s the truth:

Since its release, countless other fragrance houses have tried (and failed) to copy it, with their own similar take.

To be honest, some have come pretty close… However, Aventus still remains the original and the best.

Head Turner

So, it still sits on the #1 spot here as well as on our best mens colognes in the world list. Make no mistake…

It’s a brutal compliment getter and head turner. 

Simply put:

If you want the best smelling men’s Creed cologne, this is it.

Bonus: Creed Aventus Cologne Version

Meet Aventus’s Cooler Younger Cousin

This is fresh fruity woody fragrance – that works GREAT in the high heat.

In a nutshell:

Aventus Cologne is a newer, fresher and more modern version of Aventus. And, to be clear…

Although this new version is called a “Cologne,” the term ONLY refers to the type of fresh genre of the fragrance. This is not a typical cologne concentration, or a “watered-down” version of Aventus.

In fact:

Aventus Cologne is the same Eau de Parfum concentration as the original Aventus – containing more than a 15% concentration of infused oils. Meaning, it lasts a LOT longer than a typical cologne concentrated scent. (Which are only about 5% concentration.)

Creed Aventus Vs Aventus Cologne

Now to be clear:

Aventus Cologne has a completely different scent profile from the original classic Aventus. However, the newer version still shares some of the classic’s DNA.

Think of them as being cousins. 🙂

Let’s take a closer look:

Here are the main differences:

This new cologne version does NOT have the smoky birch note from the original, and it does NOT have the pineapple and apple notes.

Furthermore, it also does not contain any ambergris. In the words of the perfumer…

'With Aventus Cologne, I was inspired to create a new legend—a fresher, modern complement that would provide an olfactive experience entirely of its own.' — Olivier Creed.Click To Tweet

Let me break the scent down for you:

Aventus Cologne opens up with a blast of SUPER fresh fruity citruses mixed with a hint of ginger… and whispers of pepper.

Sparkling Orange

The main player here is a refreshing sparkling mandarin orange note. It smells ultra natural and has the brand’s classic natural freshness.

To be honest…

The opening is similar to the original Aventus opening – but more fresher and more fruiter. When they dry down, however, they take different directions. (So if you like the fruitier batches of the original Aventus – you will LOVE this.)

Woody

As it starts to settle, the ginger fades, and then it starts to get a semi-sweet, fruity orange, creamy woody vibe. Also, some vetiver reveals itself, to give some fresh greenness in the background.

And eventually, it dries down beautifully on the skin, with some hints of musk and woodiness. It’s very well blended and remains smooth.

But here’s the big question:

What’s Better Aventus or Aventus Cologne?

We think (and also the masses) the original version. However, make no mistake:

Aventus Cologne is also an amazing fragrance, and we think it’s a winner.

And the beautiful part:

It’s super versatile: This is unisex (but leans more masculine), and can be worn in all seasons, for all situations, dressed up, dressed down – by any age. Talk about versatile!

Shines in the High Heat

It’s perfect for the spring and summer, and works GREAT in high-heat.

But I’ll be straight with you…

This is not a bold scent, and does not perform well in the winter. It projects good for the first few hours, then becomes more subtle – and sits close to the skin.

So… you may want to stick with the original Aventus in the colder seasons.

Now for the bad news…

How Long Does Aventus Cologne Last?

Being a fresh citrus-based scent, Aventus Cologne is not as long lasting as the original Aventus. Understandable.

In fact, our testers were getting about an average of 5-6 hours of longevity (which is quite decent for a summer freshie).

Now for the good news…

Women absolutely LOVE fresh scents on men. And this is a HUGE compliment getter.

And, from our testing of Aventus Cologne, it was even more loved by women – compared to the original Aventus. Seriously.

Can you say jackpot? 🙂

Now let’s uncover the mystery behind The House of Creed

Who Makes Creed Cologne?

As all Creed fans know, the House of Creed has a long history. In fact, it all began in 1781, with a pair of scented gloves and a bottle of Royal English Leather. Now, in case you don’t know…

Family Run

Creed are a family run niche perfume house. And they have boutiques and counters in high end stores throughout the World.

Today, the company is located just outside of Paris. And it’s one of the world’s oldest privately owned fragrance houses. In fact, it has been passed down from father to son for more than 250 years (spanning seven generations).

'Highly original fragrances of extravagant quality.' Olivier Creed.Click To Tweet

How it All Started

The House of Creed was founded in 1760, by James Henry Creed, in London, England. However, it originally began its roots as a Tailoring business. Hence, the crossed scissors on the brand’s logo.

Anyway…

In 1781, James Creed became King George III’s glove maker, and made some scented gloves which were worn by the Royal Court. Back in the day, these gloves were scented in order to mask the bad smell of strong body odours (due to poor hygienic conditions of the day).

This was a common practise with the wealthy elite. Yikes, right?

But listen to this…

The King loved the scented gloves – so much so that he asked James Creed to make him a fragrance.

The result?

The very first Creed fragrance – Royal English Leather.

What Happened Next?

In the 1850’s, Henry Creed II (the third generation of The House of Creed), expanded the brand throughout Europe.

He then created scents commissioned by Europe’s monarchy, including Empress Eugenie of France, who later enticed the House of Creed to officially relocate to Paris in 1854. And eventually…

Royal Warrants

Queen Victoria (King George III’s granddaughter) appointed Creed as an official supplier to the Royal Household. And they received several Royal Warrants of appointment to royal houses across Europe.

Now:

Fast forward to today, and sixth generation Olivier Creed is now the current master-perfumer of the House.

He has two children, his daughter Olivia is the company designer. And his son Erwin, the seventh generation master perfumer, collaborates with him on creating fragrances.

In fact:

It was Olivier who made Creed fragrances available to the public for the first time in 1970. Thus, making perfumery, rather than tailoring, the forefront of their business.

Kings, Queens & Emperors

To summerize:

For more than 260 years, numerous Kings, Queens and Emperors, from all over the World – have been addicted to the scents of Creed. And for good reason. 🙂

And so, the legacy continues, from father to son…

Why is Creed Cologne So Expensive?

One of the downsides to Creed fragrances are they are uber expensive. Why?

Here’s the truth:

Typical designer fragrances will mainly be composed of cheap synthetic ingredients.

Natural Ingredients

However, authentic Creed fragrances are hand-crafted in the factory at Fontainebleau, France.

And:

They use only the finest natural ingredients, which have all been hand selected from the best crops from all over the World.

In other words:

This makes them super expensive.

In fact:

Olivier Creed, and his son Erwin, personally travel the world themselves, to find only the purest raw materials to use in their fragrances.

Italian jasmine; tuberose from India; Rose from Morocco and Turkey, the list goes on…

Also:

One of Creeds favorite ingredients is iris.

This is used as a fixative in perfume, which stabilises and intensifies the other ingredients. It’s also expensive.

Furthermore, they use the extract of iris pallida, the white iris of Florence. This can take up to six years to prepare!

Crazy.

Ambergris

Also, many Creed fragrances contain small quantities of ambergris, which is also used as a fixative – this allows the scent to last much longer.

But what you might not know is:

Ambergris is a waste product regurgitated by sperm whales (Yes, whale puke!). This is a rare substance and is incredibly expensive!!

Yikes, right?

But that’s not all…

The production methods Creed use to produce their fragrances are expensive as they use a traditional perfuming method.

Traditional Methods

In fact, they are the only fragrance house that still uses a 4000-year-old infusion technique. This method enables them to maintain the super high quality of their fragrances.

Simply put:

If you want Creed awesomeness, you are going to have to pay for it.

What Does Millesime Mean?

Creed fragrances that are made up in an Eau De Parfum strength concentration are referred to as Millesime.

Vintage

Millesime is the French word for “vintage,” and is a term used in the wine industry – referring to a particular year and place from which the quality of wine was superb.

Olivier Creed, however, uses this term to stress the outstanding quality of the ingredients that are used to produce his fragrances.

What are Creed Batch Numbers and Batch Variations?

You may have seen discussions on various fragrance forums about these magical, mysterious batch numbers and batch variations. Especially when talking about the mighty Creed Aventus.

Here’s how it works…

Each Creed fragrance will come with a matching alphanumeric code labelled on the box and on the bottle.

Creed use these batch numbers for internal monitoring of their supply chain.

But Creed fans use these batch numbers for something totally different! 🙂

Let me explain:

Harvests

Well, one of the frustrations of a fragrance which is high in natural oils, is that the composition of the scent will smell slightly different with every harvest. Even though the quality remains 100% the same.

In fact, this is similar to how a precious wine will vary subtly, from year to year.

Also, different harvests will produce flowers of a slightly different scent, depending on how much sunshine and rainfall they receive.

So:

Creedsters will use these batch numbers to distinguish between their favorite variation and year of a particular fragrance.

Because…

One batch might smell more smokey, while another batch may smell more fruity/pineapple. But overall, most of the time, it’s not a HUGE difference.

Also, as of now, the Quality Control seems to have been improved, and the batches are more consistent and smell less varied.

However, some Creedsters are still over analyzing them for any tiny differences. 🙂 Anyway…

Any batch you get now, if it’s authentic and fresh, should smell super awesome!

Bottom line:

Don’t worry too much about these batch variations.

What does it mean when Creed Vault a fragrance?

If a certain ingredient is not up to Creed’s standard during the harvest, they prefer to wait until the next harvest, instead of using the inferior ingredients in their fragrances.

This sometimes leads them to temporarily discontinue a scent. (They Vault it.)

Now, over to you…

We would love to hear from you:

Did we rank them right?

Or maybe you have a question.

Either way, please let us know by leaving a quick comment below right now.

Where to go from here?

I highly recommend you check out our best Tom Ford colognes list for some more awesome fragrance recommendations. And also our best Parfums de Marly fragrances list.

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