In my recent sample haul, I picked up 5 vials of different colognes from Amouage, and as I’m getting close to being through with the current box of fragrances…it’s about time that I do my first review of this high end designer. Today’s post is going to cover Epic Man, which is described as, “Evoking memories of the ancient Silk Road journey from China to Arabia”. Yeah. Think this one is going to be exotic? You better believe it. Please continue below for my full wear review.
What does Epic Man Smell Like?
Notes include: leather, saffron, patchouli, incense, oud, nutmeg, pink pepper, myrrh
Click here to try: Amouage Epic Cologne, 1.7 Ounce
My Full Review
Based on the notes alone, I was expecting to really dislike Epic, as I don’t personally enjoy many oud scents. However, this one intrigues me, and while I cannot say I loved it, I do think that I got some enjoyment from wearing Epic. It is an ‘oriental’ style of fragrance, it at times reminds me of Opium Pour Homme (with more spice and no vanilla) and Man Amber.
Right out of the gate, you experience the full oud note which is complemented by a very smokey spice mix. The leather, patchouli, incense, and myrrh notes create a very masculine, warm, and smoke-laden aroma that is actually quite nice.
Epic is dry, like a desert heat, and does conjure images of travels through Central Asia along the Silk Road.
After about 20 minutes or so, the smokiness calms down and it becomes more leathery and I begin to notice the pink pepper note. At this stage, there is a less in your face spiciness and a sweet smoother fragrance emerges from the pretty powerful start.
This is a very complex cologne, it takes you on a journey or different aromatic experiences throughout it’s life cycle and never strikes me as boring.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Projection wise, this is a heavy hitter. Epic starts out very strong but does quiet down to a tolerable level of intensity. You won’t have to overdo the spraying with this one.
It also has some good longevity to it, I get 6-7 solid hours of wear, and I can still detect it at the 9 hour mark in a diminished state. Epic is a performer.
This is a highly masculine animalistic kind of cologne, so it won’t be for everybody. Late Fall and Wintertime, would provide the best results with Epic. I didn’t really like it, when it was exposed to the heat of August, here in the States.
I’d put this more towards the business/casual side of things, it might be passable for romantic wear for some guys but that’s not how I’d describe it.
Overall Impressions of Epic Man
Would I recommend Amouage Epic Man? Again, I’m not personally enamored with oud scents, they don’t really do anything for me. BUT I kind of like this one, it’s not my style but I appreciated the complexity and quality of the fragrance.
This is probably a niche kind of scent that will appeal most to guys who like smoky/spicy/masculine/oriental colognes, as Epic nails the vibe the designers were going for. Not for everyone, but this will definitely appeal to a subset of the population.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.