Apple Brandy on the Rocks by Kilian

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Apple Brandy on the Rocks was a new release by Kilian Paris, that I really wanted to try ever since I first heard about it. Update: This post is from 2021, with some new additions. So, I ordered a sample to have as soon as I got back into town and have been testing this fragrance out. Does the Kilian Liquors perfume live up to the hype? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a buy?

Apple Brandy on the Rocks Overview

Notes include: cardamom, bergamot, ambroxan, apple, pineapple, cedar, rum, vanilla, and moss

Click here to try: Apple Brandy on the Rocks from Sephora

My Full Review

Here’s how Kilian describes this scent: Inspired by the city of New York, KILIAN PARIS introduces its new addition to the Liquors olfactive family: Apple Brandy on the Rocks, an olfactive soundtrack to nightlife’s liberation to come.

The opening to Apple Brandy on the Rocks doesn’t fully work for me. I’ve tested it multiple times on multiple days and still…meh.

There’s an aspect in here that I know I like, the apple and cardamom. However, the pineapple, bergamot, and ambroxan together are heavy and not very appealing.

Those do settle down and this Kilian fragrance will get better. After some more time passes, the apple not fully emerges which gives it a crisp finish, and I start to pick up more on the boozy rum note.

Apple, cardamom, rum are the keys to the second wave. Thankfully, that pineapple note pulls back. The ambroxan? It’s still around too much. It’s warm, slightly sweet, with a fresh coolness peaking through from apple and moss.

The next stage is apple and vanilla with woodsy notes, mostly. Oak, moss, and cedar sitting underneath apple and vanilla. The rum and cardamom, aren’t distinct any longer and provide a general warmth to the fresh woods.

It does simulate the apple brandy smell, well enough overall.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I thought this one was going to be pretty powerful. The opening does hit strong and projects very well. That is short lived, however. Ultimately, it’s pretty moderate for a few hours. Then, it will sit close to the skin for the rest of the time.

The longevity isn’t great. I get somewhere in the 5-6 hour range, on my skin. That’s pretty bad for a Kilian perfume, as many others I enjoy will hit double digits.

It just doesn’t seem to want to stay around at all. That’s probably my biggest gripe with this one. I know it’s ‘fresher’ aspects can be short-lived, still rather disappointing for the price.

Seasonally, stick to autumn and winter. This is going to be at it’s best in colder temperatures. In the heat, the performance is much worse.

In the chilly air, Apple Brandy on the Rocks has its moments where it catches my attention. That being said, it does have a freshness to it that you might be able to sneak into the springtime, in many places. It’s not as ‘thick’ as Angels’ Share.

It’s a pretty casual fragrance that can be used for nightlife. Unisex for sure, probably leans a bit more towards the traditionally masculine side of the spectrum.

Daily wear too. But, I guess that depends on whether you can get away with smelling like apple brandy in your day to day life. Probably not the most office-friendly perfume for most people out there.

Overall Impressions of Apple Brandy on the Rocks

Overall, do I like this scent? It’s decent. I really like the original Apple Brandy by Kilian and was excited about this one, coming heavier with the fruit notes and freshness. But, ultimately it didn’t live up to expectations.

I was wondering if I was going to have to buy a full bottle of this, right after I did with Angels’ Share from the Liquors collection. Nope.

It’s not terrible and there are aspects that I enjoy. Mainly, the apple and cardamom when they are joined by the rum. The opening pineapple and ambroxan, I don’t like.

The dry down, with vanilla, woods, and moss added to apple and the remaining general warmth from the rum and cardamom is pretty good. It do get the comparisons with Legend, but they aren’t anywhere close to being the same, just have a few similarities.

So, even if the performance was awesome, I wouldn’t be inclined to get a bottle. The mediocre sillage and longevity, just compounds the reasons.

I don’t hate Apple Brandy on the Rocks. At this price range though, I do want something spectacular. To me, this just never hits that level. You may actually like it, but I don’t think it’s one to buy blind.

I did try a fragrance from the Dua Brand called, Blackberry Brandy. I know they have other fruit note brandy perfumes. That one is cheaper and quite good for this style of scent.

Ranking Armani Stronger with You Colognes

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Stronger with You has been a big hit under the designer’s Emporio Armani label. Since the release of the EDT, the brand has released a whole lot of flankers to this original formulation. Which, can be kind of difficult to sort through, if you haven’t come across them all.

Not to worry, as I will sort through the Stronger with You colognes and rank them in order from first to worst. Hopefully, making it easier to narrow down your search and find the right SWY fragrance for your style.

Ranking the Best Stronger with You Colognes

I do have to note that I have yet to try the Amber and Tobacco versions of this series. So, the ranking is based on all of the other current fragrances. I will update once I’ve gotten around to those newer scents.

Stronger With You Intensely– For me, Stronger with You Intensely is the best of the series so far. Not head and shoulders above the next two fragrances on the list, but it’s the one that I prefer.

Pink pepper, sage, and cinnamon really rock the opening of Intensely; helping it live up to the title. Those spicy notes contrast with the toffee accord and the sweeter use of vanilla and caramel.

There is a lavender note which has its time in the middle act. Intensely becomes less spicy over time, with the back half being very much a blend of toffee, vanilla, and amber notes.

It’s a bold fragrance that’s great for nightlife and has 11 to 12 hours worth of staying time, on the skin. Intensely review

Leather– SWY Leather is my next pick on the list. It actually shares a lot of overlap with Absolutely, but I think the leather note gives this one a slight advantage. Plus, these two are fairly different from many of the others on the list.

Chestnut, leather, and vanilla open things up in this cologne. It doesn’t have that same spice as Intensely, it’s smoother with a resinous aroma from the elemi note. Sage and some spices are here, just much softer in this mix.

The tail end will be mostly vanilla and leather. Some hints of oud, chestnut, and the remaining elemi. Really though, the first two notes will be the focus.

Great performance, also. Leather can go well into the double digit total number of hours. Stronger Leather review

Absolutely– Stronger with You Absolutely is another edition that I really like. If you have a tough time getting a bottle of Leather or simply don’t want a leather accord, this is a great option.

This one starts off with a light citrus, but what really stands out is the glaze of the chestnut note. Very similar to SWY Leather, but here the mix is sweeter. Slight cinnamon and rum also add some warmth/spice.

But, it’s not that dominated by the boozy accord. Really, that’s what was intriguing me about Absolutely before I tested it, and I wish they had given this more of a rum kick.

Chestnut is one of the differences between this and Intensely. Here, you get a good deal of it and it is the main note for a good portion of the wear. If the chestnut is the note you really enjoy from this series, Absolutely might be your best bet.

Again, this is technically ranked third as of now. But, it’s a really tight race between Absolutely and the top spots.

SWY EDT– The EDT is the one which started the series off. Now, I’d say it’s middle of the pack among all of the releases. Still a nice fragrance, but there are better options for most people on this list.

Cardamom, pink pepper, and mint. It’s spicy and fresh up top. Still, has a nice sweetness throughout. The warmth and sweetness will grow over time, but you still have the additional sage to get through.

Vanilla and cardamom will share much of the focus, after the opening. Amber, chestnut, and woods also come through. The tail end is really dominated by the vanilla note, with some drier woody influence underneath that.

All in all, I like it. Can be a good one to pick up, especially since it seems to be the one, which can be had for a bit cheaper price than the others. Stronger with You review

Oud– To me, this one has a lot of overlap with Leather. But, it’s a mix of that one, Luminous Night, and A Midnight Stroll.

Sweetish, smoky, woods, and a rubbery tinge like in the aforementioned Gucci. Smoother in the dry down, still with a leather accord, but plenty of woods and lavender. Less sweet for sure, in the latter stages.

Between this and Leather, I prefer the leather accord to the oud. The oud isn’t even super present in the mix. It’s there for sure, but it’s a part of the mix and doesn’t have that aggressive use of the oud that some might be hoping for.

Still, this one is pretty good. I’d just prefer the others and the most closely related fragrance to wear SWY Oud. Stronger Oud review

SWY Only– The first of the lighter versions of this formula. Which, I’ll give Only a slight edge between the two.

Grapefruit, lavender, geranium, and chestnut are the main draws early. So, that bright citrus mixed with the calming lavender and the cooling freshness of geranium.

During the middle, you get vanilla and more of the chestnut. Very much in line with the original Stronger EDT. The chestnut will fade and it’s basically a lavender and vanilla cologne that is just a less heavy representation of the series.

Don’t hate it, but also don’t really see a point in having this cologne, unless you completely love the SWY series. Stronger with You Only review

Freeze– To me, Freeze at the bottom of the list. Actually, I don’t think there is much separation between it and Only. These two are the lighter offerings from the lineup, neither of which is great. It seems SWY is at its best as a more substantial cologne.

Coming into trying Freeze, I was certain that I would really like this one. Nope. It’s okay enough, but it never reaches the level of being anything all that memorable.

Frozen lime, ginger, and sage are the strongest notes up top. You get some further fruity notes with apple and orange, but they’re never as strong as that lime, which I do actually like.

It’s lighter and becomes much closer to the original in the dry down, when the citrus has faded.

Freeze isn’t bad, it’s just the worst of the line. Stronger with You Freeze review

Comparing Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

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Santal 33 from Le Labo and Oud Wood from Tom Ford are two very popular releases that people seem to have a tough time deciding between. I have never been a mega fan of either of these fragrances, but have tested each out repeatedly over the years.

So, today I am going to try and provide my own personal in depth takes while comparing these two perfumes, to see if I can help you get some clarity in this head to head matchup.

Tale of the Tape: Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

Santal 33

Notes include: sandalwood, violet, iris, amber, cardamom, leather, papyrus, cedar

Click here to try: Santal 33 on Amazon

Read my original review: Santal 33

Oud Wood

Notes include: rosewood, sandalwood, oud, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, cardamom, and vetiver

Click here to try: Oud Wood on Amazon

Read my original review: Oud Wood

Opening

Oud Wood starts off with a strong blast of the oud note and cardamom. Underneath that, is a peppery sort of spice. It’s warm and dry, with sandalwood and rosewood, already being prominent at the base. It’s a very spicy and woody, sort of aroma up top.

Santal also has the cardamom and dry woods. Just without the oud. It’s not remotely as spicy as Oud Wood is either. This notes are joined by leather and violet. Papyrus is a oud which distinguishes itself from the oud used in the Tom Ford scent.

Which is better? The opening act of Oud Wood is a great array of the various wood notes and spices. It’s not completely amazing, but it captures my attention.

I like the leather facets, the use of the papyrus in Santal. Though, even with that I feel the opening act is the weakest of the perfume.

Not a huge win, but I’ll give this category to Oud.

Edge: Oud Wood

Projection

Both of these are perfumes with a moderate sillage which then turn into lighter fragrances. I don’t think either is weak and both of them are detectable for most of their wear.

That being said, the Tom Ford perfume feels heavier and like it has a further reach at its peak. Yes, Santal 33 is more sustained on my skin, but I think Oud Wood is technically the stronger of the two.

Edge: Oud Wood

Longevity

Oud Wood has always been a strange one for me. Anytime that I’ve tried this fragrance out, I’ve gotten 4-5 hours of wear from it. The Intense version, lasted over 10 hours for me, however.

The Le Labo perfume will hit the 7-8 hour range, on my skin.

Neither of these is an absolute beast with their performance, but Santal 33 takes this category fairly easily in my experience.

Edge: Santal 33

Versatility

Seasonally, Oud Wood always struck me as being built more for the autumn and winter months. Santal can do that too, but it also extends well into springtime. Honestly, outside of the height of summer, I think the Le Labo works.

Both of these are unisex, of course. But, I think Santal has a wider range of use cases as a signature scent or a daily wear. Neither is a nightlife beast, but Santal also just has a wider appeal than you’re going to get with the oud based scent.

Edge: Santal 33

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these perfumes do I like more? I’d go with Santal versus Oud Wood. Which, I think that Oud Wood Intense was the better of the two anyway. Of course, it’s the one that got discontinued.

Oud Wood starts out nice, but never really interests me much beyond that. Sure, it has similar vibes at times to Santal, but I just think that the Le Labo smells better.

Santal has a weaker start. It’s never been bad to me, just kind of meh, who cares? Though, it really gets going as it transitions into the heart of the wear.

Along with the scent itself, Santal has better performance and will fit the style of a wider range of people. Plus, a more extensive use case. Santal checks more boxes and gets the win here.

Winner: Santal 33

3 Great Scents Like Prada L’Homme

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L’Homme is a very popular fragrance for Prada. It is a line of colognes, that I have had plenty of experience with and have enjoyed testing out over the years. Though, sometimes you may want something a bit different. A fragrance that smells like it for cheaper or another one with a closely related style.

On this page, I keep track of such options that I’ve come across. Whether it’s the original L’Homme, L’eau, Intense, or other flankers.

Colognes that smell alike or have a similar style to Prada L’Homme

His Royalty L’eau– This is an ‘inspired by’ option from Dua. But, the inspiration is based on L’Homme L’Eau and not the original L’Homme. I actually have a bottle of L’eau, as it and the Intense version were my favorites.

The difference is that L’eau is a lighter scent. It starts off with a bright neroli note standing in contrast to the iris powder and the light spice of the ginger. It’s fresh and feels more like a pure powder when compared with the original, as it does have additional powdery notes in the base.

Pretty simple stuff, some light woods with the iris and powder, and an amber finish. His Royalty is the alternative version of that. So, if you want a version of the designer style without the price, check this one out.

Dior Homme Eau– I’m going to include this one, even if it’s been discontinued for a while. Just on the off chance you come across a bottle.

Eau is very much like the old Dior Homme formula. But, without the cacao and leather notes. Which gives this its lighter presentation of the iris and woody notes, that lends it to favoring Prada L’Homme.

Now, it’s not going to be exactly the same as our target. However, as an alternative this can be a great one to get a hold of. The iris is magnificent, the grapefruit helps to keep it lighter and brighter, and the cedar holds down the base. Not to mention the use of coriander to give Eau an extra kick.

This may be preferable to a lot of people when compared to our Prada target. Again, you’ll just have to track down a bottle. Dior Homme Eau review

Bleu Noir Parfum–  Here’s another one that’s not the same as the Prada release, but does have a very closely related style to our target and to other scents in this space.

For me, Parfum was the better of the Bleu Noir fragrances. As far as its similarities go, I would say that is has more directly in common with Dior Homme Intense with some additional overlap with Profondo Lights.

Iris, muskiness, and the citrus note up top bring in the relevant notes to what we’re looking for. But, we get a darker and woodier aroma than with L’Homme. Cardamom and cypress are powerful here early.

Then, I really got a smoother dry down with this Narciso Rodriguez cologne during testing. Iris with suede and tonka bean, sitting on some light musky woods. That’s when it has the most in common with Prada L’Homme.

This is a good one to try out, when you are wanting something a bit different, but well within the same ballpark.

Vanille de Tahiti by Perris Monte Carlo

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Vanille de Tahiti was released by Perris Monte Carlo in 2020. I received a sample as a bonus to one of my orders some time ago. I hadn’t heard of this one and actually put off trying it out for a long while. But, eventually I got around to Vanille and wanted to see what it was all about. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

Vanille de Tahiti Overview

Notes include: champaca, ylang-ylang, vanilla, amber, sandalwood, musk

Click here to try: Vanille de Tahiti

My Full Review

Opening minute is pretty dirty with how it comes across. Between the the ylang-ylang influence and champaca  opening, I get why people might get put off by it. That does clear out pretty fast, for me at least.

The ylang-ylang initially has its earthier aroma going for it, but then starts to take on its more banana-like scent. The champaca here, really comes across as an orange flower note, at least a few minutes in. With those two and the vanilla, there plastic/rubbery tinge to this scent.

Much more floral on the skin. Like a tropical flower smell, once that initial dirtiness wears off. The vanilla seems like one part of a triad on the skin, whereas it feels more dominant early on, when sprayed on clothes.

Actually on clothes, this has a classier Le Male vibe to it, that same fuzzy spice (sans mint/cinnamon). Strange.

Eventually, both on skin and clothes it becomes very much the same. Still, an early divergence.

More of a light champaca, ylang-ylang with a definite sweetness, vanilla, and amber especially. The vanilla isn’t pure creamy vanilla either. Leans that way with the sandalwood influence but Vanille de Tahiti does have a musky/powdery undertone throughout.

The dry down for me is a rather simple aroma of a naturalistic vanilla, amber, and sandalwood. It’s creamier at this point, still a lovely sweetness without being sickly, and this Perris perfume has a nice balance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a moderate fragrance with how it projects with a lighter scent trail. It’s not going to necessarily reach across the room. However, in my testing of it, it does create a nice scent bubble and is noticeable for almost the entire wear.

The longevity with this one is around 7-8 hours. It’s not the most powerful scent out there, but it does stick around for a good while. It’s nothing elite, but I really wasn’t disappointed with this Perris fragrance.

Seasonally, this one is a bit too much for the height of summer, but it can fit in nicely during the rest of the year. I think it actually works better on a mild day versus the coldest days of winter.

Yes, this is a unisex scent too. Maybe the floral notes make it lean more traditionally feminine, but if you’re a vanilla fan, this can absolutely work for anyone.

Vanille de Tahiti is more of a daytime fragrance. It can be worn casually, to work, dressed up, etc. I don’t think it’d be out of place in certain nightlife situations, but it’s also not a complete club beast or anything.

If it works for your skin, this will probably get complements. Though, I’m not sure how it’s going to come across to those who have noses the really focus in on the more animalic/dirty aspects of the perfume.

Overall Impressions of Vanille de Tahiti

Overall, do I like this perfume? Yes, I actually kind of love it. I knew nothing of this fragrance when I received it, but it’s won me over.

The opening minutes almost made me doubt, but it is a beautiful scent, once I’m past that. Even still, it’s nothing all that bad.

I guess there are some people who get a dirty or toilet type of smell for a long duration. Not the case for me, it’s more just a dirty floral scent for a brief time.

That’s probably going to stop me from giving this a total buy recommendation. I’d say for sure try, if you can before you commit. It’d be disappointing to find out you’re one of those people, who it smells terrible on, after splurging on a fully bottle.

The sandalwood, vanilla, and amber dry down is awesome. With the remaining floral notes floating around, it’s very enjoyable.