In the world of mens colognes, there is one fragrance brand that just stands out above them all – Creed.
Creed is a niche fragrance house with a long history of producing the highest quality scents ever since the year 1760.
To this day, Creed has established itself as one of the biggest and most successful perfume designers with fragrances worn by royalty, celebrities and a lot of successful people. In the fragrance community, they are known for producing some of the best mens colognes you can find.
Not only are they popular, but these Creed colognes are huge compliment getters that will get you the attention you want.
In fact, two of their fragrances have made it very high into our list of best mens cologne with Creed Aventus being arguably the best mens fragrance of all time.
In this post, we are ranking all Creed colognes from best to worse so you can find the right Creed fragrance for you!
Best Creed Cologne For Men
Creed Aventus
Creed Aventus. The king of all fragrances.
It is really no surprise that we put the mighty Creed Aventus as the number one Creed Cologne on the market.
Aventus is really Creed’s masterpiece and has proven itself over and over again as their biggest best selling fragrance of all time.
But is it really that good? Yes!
While some may say this fragrance is overrated, it definitely lives up to the hype. Aventus smells so unique and attractive, it just oozes masculinity, success and confidence.
Not only is it unique and at the same time mass appealing, it is also extremely versatile and you can rock it to any occasion and instantly be the best smelling guy in the room.
And if that weren’t enough already to convince you of this masterpiece, it also lasts extremely long. We could get a great 10 to 12 hours of projection from this cologne and some people report even more.
This is the safest scent that will turn heads and give you massive compliments from both men and of course women!
Creed Aventus deserves its spot as the best smelling Creed cologne. If you only want to pick up one Creed fragrance – or even one fragrance for that matter – do yourself a favour and get Creed Aventus. You won’t regret it. (Check out our Creed Aventus review for more details)
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Pineapple, Apple, Bergamot, Blackcurrant Leaf
Heart Notes Birch, Jasmine, Patchouli, Juniper Berry, Rose
Base Notes Ambergris, Oakmoss, Musk, Vanilla
RATING:
Best Unique Creed Cologne For Men
Creed Silver Mountain Water
If there is one Creed cologne that just stands out from the rest due to its unique scent then it is Silver Mountain Water.
Although the notes on this one are quite simple, the scent itself is very complex and unique and just smells amazing.
Creed Silver Mountain Water was inspired by perfumer Oliver Creed who loves skiing and wanted a fragrance that captures the essence of the silver mountains.
We can not even begin to tell you how many compliments we got in our tests with this cologne. In terms of compliments, this was pretty much a tie with Aventus if not even better.
All in all, you get a very high-quality, fresh scent that is very light and pulls people in. You can wear this cologne pretty much all year around but it really shines in the summer months.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Mandarin, Neroli
Heart Notes Marine notes, Green tea, Blackcurrant bud
Base Notes Sandalwood, Musk
RATING:
Best Masculine Creed Cologne
Creed Green Irish Tweed
Creed Green Irish Tweed is a legend.
As one of the most iconic and revolutionary fragrances of its time, Green Irish Tweed has easily made it as one of the best Creed colognes for men on the market today.
When it was released all the way back in 1985, Green Irish Tweed was a fragrance that was showered with praise because it was just so ahead of its time and something that has never been done before.
To this day, this classic Creed cologne is one of their best sellers and worn by celebrities and royalty like George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan and Prince Charles. They swear by it.
Creed Green Irish Tweed is a true classic that never seems to go out of style and will always be one of the best smelling Creed men’s cologne you can get your hands on.
In terms of smell, if you haven’t already guessed, it is a very natural, green smelling and perfect for the spring and summer months.
You spray this on and you will just feel like a man of purpose.
This one of those fragrances that makes you feel instantly like a winner when you put it on. It screams masculine, successful, prestige and makes you appear like a man who knows what he wants and gets it.
Oh and don’t forget the incredible bottle design.
While all Creed fragrances have gorgeous bottles, Green Irish Tweed is probably our favourite Creed cologne bottle with the matte black design. You see it and you just know it will smell good!
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Verbena, Peppermint, Lemon
Heart Notes Violet leaf
Base Notes Ambergris, Iris, Sandalwood
RATING:
Best Fresh Creed Cologne For Men
Creed Millesime Imperial
Creed Millesime Imperial smells simply phenomenal.
Creed describes Millesime Imperial as both versatile and opulent, made to work in any environment and be the perfect fit for royalty. That pretty much hits the nail on the head.
This is a fresh, citrusy and fruity cologne that you can rock anywhere and any season. It is that versatile.
You can dress up and wear this with a suit and it will work perfectly, or dress down casually and it will still fit.
Being a fresh and citrusy scent, Millesime Imperial shines most in the hot summer days and this is really where you will get the most out of it and appreciate its full effect.
In recent years, Millesime Imperial has also gotten an aesthetic make-over which we welcome and enjoy very much. Previously it used to be a clear bottle to the likes of Aventus with gold detailing but these days it comes in a fully gold bottle in the style of Silver Mountain Water and Green Irish Tweed and it just looks absolutely gorgeous. The bottle alone is a real eye-catcher.
Now, it’s not that they changed anything about the smell – it still smells as amazing as when it first came out – it is just nice visual improvement.
In terms of longevity, this scent is pretty good. Personally, we haven’t had any problems in our tests and got a good 10-12 hours of longevity and projection out of Creed’s Millesime Imperial but this can vary especially in the summer months.
This is just a common pitfall of fresh and citrusy scents. They do not tend to have overwhelming performance but in our eyes, it is perfect for the intended purpose and definitely works beautifully.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Green mandarin, Lemon
Heart Notes Iris, Marine notes
Base Notes Amber, Musk, Sandalwood
RATING:
Best Masculine Creed Cologne
Creed Viking
Creed Viking is probably one of the most controversial fragrances from the house of Creed.
It was the first big release since the groundbreaking Aventus and was expected to be as good if not better.
Truth is: Most people wanted a clone of Aventus – essentially Aventus 2.0.
And that didn’t happen so people were mad and started criticising this fragrance without giving it a chance to shine in its own light.
And it does shine. Viking is one of Creed’s most unique colognes and super versatile. It definitely rocks and makes a statement.
Now, this being more of a mature fragrance that screams masculinity, we don’t really recommend it for the younger crowd.
This is a scent that you would picture a very mature gentleman wearing. We really see this fitting for wealthy, mature, CEO/office type men who are already established in life.
If this is you, then this will definitely make a great signature scent for you.
Performance on this scent is above average. You can expect at least a good 10-12 hours from Viking and you will definitely polarize the crowd wearing this cologne.
Viking is definitely one of the best Creed cologne for men.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Sicilian Lemon, Calabrian Bergamot, Pink Pepper
Heart Notes Pepper, Bulgarian Rose, Peppermint
Base Notes Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver, Indian Patchouli, Provençal Lavender Absolute
RATING:
Best Creed Cologne For A Night Out
Creed Original Santal
Creed Original Santal is a spicy, sweet scent that is best for the colder days.
It smells very aromatic and sexy.
The main notes in this Creed cologne are the highest quality Indian sandalwood which gives it the name Santal blended with cinnamon, vanilla and tonka bean.
This fragrance is truly an aromatic scent that will make peoples heart melt.
As it is kind of on the heavier side with its spicy, sweet smell, we recommend you wear it during the colder seasons like fall and winter and maybe even on some spring nights.
But don’t go out there and try wearing this during hot summer days as it will be way too offensive for the hot weather.
Now:
This scent DNA might not be suited for hot weather but it comes with enormous longevity and projection and is a great clubbing fragrance by Creed.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Orange Tree Absolute, Jamaican Ginger
Heart Notes Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Juniper Berry
Base Notes Mysore Sandalwood, Virginia Cedar, Vanilla Absolute, Thai Benzoin, Ambergris, Tonkin Musk
RATING:
Best Oriental Creed Cologne
Creed Bois Du Portugal
This is what Portugal smells like.
No seriously, Creed’s Bois Du Portugal was inspired by the fragrant trees of beautiful Portugal and has been a bestseller ever since its launch in 1987.
This is a classic oriental fragrance for men. Creed hardly produces fragrances of this type and it is really the only cologne in the Creed lineup that has this scent DNA.
It is very rich and warm and the perfect fit for a gentleman.
Legend has it that this was the signature scent of Frank Sinatra and we totally buy it because this is the exact scent you would picture someone like Sinatra be wearing.
A very masculine, classy gentleman type. If you fit this description, or you aspire to be like this, Bois Du Portugal is going to be the right scent for you.
It opens up with a fresh start thanks to bergamot and then transitions to a very mature, vintage, classy scent.
Both projection and longevity are great on Bois Du Portugal.
We think you shouldn’t miss this unique oriental scent in your collection as it is one of Creed’s best colognes for men in their catalog.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Lavender
Heart Notes Cedarwood
Base Notes Sandalwood, Vetiver, Ambergris
RATING:
Best Creed Cologne For Summer
Creed Virgin Island Water
You want to know what summer smells like?
Well, go no further than Virgin Island Water. Inspired by Olivier Creeds adventures in the Caribbean, he tried to recreate the summer aura in this masterpiece cologne.
We can say he did a great job as it is arguably the best tropical fragrance out there.
Very fresh, light and citrusy. Virgin Island Water just gives you tropical, beach vibes all day long.
When you spray this, you are immediately hit by the lime and coconut notes which are very prominent in this scent.
It immediately reminds you of vacation and gives you summer memories.
And although this is a citrus based cologne, it still lasts very long which is uncommon for this type of fragrance.
If you are looking for the ultimate summer scent, Virgin Island Water is the right cologne for you and one of the best Creed fragrances out there.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Coconut Pulp, Lime Of The Antilles, White Bergamot, Sicilian Mandarin
Heart Notes Hibiscus, Ginger, Ylang-Ylang, Indian Jasmine
Base Notes Sugar Cane Of The Antilles, White Rum Of The Antilles, Tonkin Musk
RATING:
Best Everyday Creed Cologne
Creed Himalaya
Who wants to go visit the Himalyas?
Father Olivier and son Erwin Creed created this fragrance together inspired by adventures in the Himalayan mountains.
Creed Himalaya is supposed to remind you of the iced mountain peaks and the natural mountain smell in high altitudes.
It did a great job on this one.
It just smells very clean, natural and fresh.
Perfect for everyday wear as a casual scent or even dressed up.
It is super versatile and really works well in every situation.
It starts off fresh with a citrusy opening with top notes like grapefruit, bergamot and lemon.
Himalaya then slowly transitions into a more oriental scent with notes like sandalwood and cedarwood.
Once it dries down, you get this metallic type vibe that is actually kinda similar to Silver Mountain Water.
Longevity on this one is great, too! A couple sprays will get you through the whole day.
All in all, a very pleasant, easy going fragrance that is a great signature scent for every day.
Himalaya is definitely underrated but a secret weapon in the Creed arsenal as very few people wear it and you will for sure stand out!
On a side note: The bottle is super cool in typical Creed fashion as well with the metallic, silver look.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Lemon
Heart Notes Nutmeg, Pepper, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Juniper Berry
Base Notes Ambergris, Musk, Tonka Bean
RATING:
Best Luxury Creed Cologne
Creed Royal Oud
If you want to smell like luxury and royalty, Royal Oud is the Creed cologne for you.
Oud is a huge fragrance trend right now. You can see everybody from designer brands to bigger niche brands like Tom Ford release Oud fragrances.
Now, this is Creed’s take on an elegant oud fragrance and in typical Creed fashion, you’ll know they will always step it up a notch and make sure to deliver the greatest quality product.
And oh boy they do.
Creed Royal Oud is a very warm, elegant, luxurious type of scent.
It is fresh and fruity, mixed with oriental woody notes. The oud note is actually very subtle and not too overpowering in this fragrance which is very welcome.
Royal Oud was specially developed for several clients but soon became a main cologne in Creed’s catalog and quickly became a bestseller.
It is versatile, gets great compliments and just works every time you put it on.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Lemon
Heart Notes Angelica, Galbanum, Lebanon Cedar
Base Notes Musk, Oud, Sandalwood
RATING:
Best Date Creed Cologne
Creed Tabarome
This is one of the sexiest fragrances ever.
It is bold. It masculine. It screams sex and power.
Yes this is no understatement. Creed Tabarome is a hidden gem.
You wear this, you know what you are doing. You know where you are going. You know who you are, what you want and you know you are going to get it.
This is a scent for mature guys.
It is heavy on the tobacco just like the name Tabarome implies. But not just any tobacco. Imagine thousand dollar cigar tobacco and you’ll get the idea.
Now:
You can only really pull this off if you are a mature guy. We say at least 30+.
But if you can pull it off, you’ll be on your way to the hearts of the women around you. This is the best date cologne by Creed.
Longevity and projection? Phenomenal.
Bottle design? Honestly, if you have seen one Creed, you have seen them all but they are still all beautiful and unique.
Creed Tabarome is phenomenal. Get it while you still can before it gets discontinued.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Bergamot, Ginger, Mandarin, Lemon
Heart Notes Jasmine, Sandalwood, Vetiver
Base Notes Musk, Tobacco, Tea
RATING:
Best Fresh Creed Cologne
Creed Erolfa
Erolfa is another one of those underrated Creed colognes.
It stands in the shadow of giants yet it is still one of our favorite Creed fragrances the house produces.
Erolfa is one of the best fresh fragrances by Creed and it smells like sea water.
When you spray this, you immediately get hit by sea water vibes and are taken back to an imaginary trip to the coast.
If the bottle design doesn’t already remind you of the sea, and the Mediterranean, then the smell surely will.
In fact, this is also the inspiration behind this scent. Olivier Creed’s family trips of sailing the Mediterranean which also led to the unique name:
Erolfa is composed of the first two letters of his family members. ERcomes from his only son Erwin, OL from his daughter Olivia and finally FA from his wife Fabienne.
All in all, Erolfa is truly a hidden gem in the house of Creed and a great casual scent for every day. It shines in the warmer seasons and lasts pretty well for a fresh, citrus scent.
FRAGRANCE NOTES:
Top Notes Basil, Bergamot, Caraway, Melon, Orange, Rosemary, Lemon
Heart Notes Ginger, Jasmine, Coriander, Pepper, Marine Accord
Base Notes Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Cedarwood
RATING:
What Is The History Behind Creed Cologne?
The companies slogan really says it all: “From father to son since 1760”. Creed is a family run business that produces and an established and successful niche perfume brand with extensive history that dates back all the way to the England of the 1760s.
Allegedly, James Creed founded a Tailoring business and sent a pair of scented gloves to King James III.
He supposedly loved the scent of the gloves so much, that he ordered James Creed to create a fragrance which resulted in the very first Creed cologne called Royal English Leather.
What came next was a roaring success that spread Creed’s all across the European royalty.
Creed became popular among the royals and supplied custom fragrances for monarchs like Napoléon III, Empress Eugénie of France, Empress Sissi, Queen Christina, Emperor Franz-Joseph and many more.
Not only that, but through the help of Empress Eugénie of France, Creed was able to expand their business through Europe and relocate their fragrance house to Paris.
Even in the modern age, Creed produced exclusive fragrances for royalty like Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
Still to this day, Creed cologne is worn by royalty and celebrities alike. Famous people who were and are known to be huge Creed cologne fans are David Bowie, Jennifer Lopez, Robbie Williams, Clint Eastwood, Frank Sinatra, Harrison Ford, Victoria Beckham, Elton John, Pierce Brosnan and the list goes on an on.
These days, Creed is now run by Olivier Creed, sixth generation master-perfumer, who made their fragrances available to the public for the first time in 1970.
His son Erwin Creed, who is the seventh-generation master-perfumer, frequently collaborates with him on fragrances and helps him create the masterpieces we know and love as Creed colognes.
Why Is Creed Cologne So Expensive?
When people first start getting into fragrances and they discover Creed cologne, they are often surprised by the expensive price.
But why is Creed cologne so expensive?
You are probably familiar with most designer fragrance brands that you can find in any department store.
These designer brands cater to the masses and produce mass-appealing fragrances. They also use mostly cheap, synthetic ingredients which allows them to keep the price relatively low.
Creed, on the other hand, is a high-end, luxury niche perfumer.
They only use and carefully select the highest quality, natural ingredients from all over the world.
Ingredients like iris and ambergris (whale puke), which are often used in small quantities in Creed colognes, can be very expensive. In fact, finding something rare like ambergris might even help you retire.
But it’s not just the ingredients …
Creed’s traditional production methods certainly don’t help bring the cost down.
The truth is, they depend on an old fragrance production technique that helps them to maintain the highest quality with all of their products.
Lastly, you’ll have to factor in the name. Creed is an established brand and they know what they are worth.
Should you take the plunge and get a bottle off one of the best perfume brands in the world? Definitely.
What Does Millesime Mean In Creed Colognes?
When looking for the best Creed cologne, you might stumble onto the word Millesime.
If a Creed cologne has the word Millesime in the name, then it means you are dealing with the popular Eau De Parfum fragrance concentration. This lasts longer than most typical colognes and contains more pure perfume juice.
Millesime is French for vintage and originally used in the wine industry to describe the best of the best wines.
Creed adopted the term for the colognes as an homage to the prestige and quality of their perfumes.
What's The Deal With Creed Batch Variations and Numbers?
When you start getting into Creed fragrances, you will inevitably hear about batch variations, especially when it comes to Creed Aventus.
Even though some people like to dismiss batch variations in Creed fragrances as myth, the truth is, they exist.
Fragrances like Creed Aventus and all Creed colognes for that matter, that are produced with natural ingredients can vary slightly from batch to batch.
While the quality and the general scent stays the same, they might still smell a little different.
For example, one batch might be heavier on the tobacco note
while another might be more prominent on the pineapple note.
Creed fans hunt the internet for the best batches of the different fragrances and especially Aventus is hyped to have some legendary batches.
How do you find the Creed batch?
Each fragrance will come with a code on the bottle and the package that you can use to identify your Creed batch.
Now:
Is this something you should worry about?
No.
To the average consumers, these batch variations most likely won’t matter that much and probably won’t even be that noticeable.
So just go ahead and get yourself the bottle of the Creed cologne you are eyeing at your favorite, reputable store.
If you wanna spend the extra time and really want to get into the whole Creed batch game, then sure go ahead.
There are plenty of forums that will help you find the right Creed batch for you!
When Does Creed Vault A Fragrance (Discontinue It)?
Sometimes Creed discontinues certain fragrances.
If they aren’t satisfied with the ingredients, they tend to stop production and wait until they get their hands on the best of the best ingredients again.
This means they might discontinue a fragrance for a certain period of time.
They call this vaulting a fragrance. They say these vaulted scents are fragrances preserved in time by Creed.
Popular Creed colognes that have been vaulted are Creed Vetiver and Creed Royal English Leather. Here is a full list of vaulted Creed fragrances.
Usually, you should still be able to get your hands on older batches if you look hard enough.
Conclusion - The Best Creed Fragrances For Men
Creed is truly a remarkable fragrance house.
Not only do they have impressive history and an impressive track record of continuously putting out amazing fragrances, they are also unique and one of a kind.
There really is nothing that compares to the Creed cologne experience.
Just take a look at the king Aventus.
Still, almost 10 years after the release, nothing even comes close to the masterpiece that it is and it is still touted as one of the best – if not the best – fragrance of all time.
If you have the money to invest, you can’t go wrong with Creed fragrances.
They are phenomenal.