Gentleman Society Extreme is the follow up to the fairly popular, Gentleman Society. Extreme was released in 2024.
This flanker has gotten some attention already for being a worthy second act in the line. But, does it actually live up to the hype? How long does it last? Is Society Extreme even worth a try?
Gentleman Society Extreme Overview
Notes include: sage, peppermint, nutmeg, iced coffee, narcissus, iris, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla
Click here to try: Gentleman Society Extreme
My Full Review
I grew to like the original Gentleman Society a bit more after I initially tried it. However, it never became something that I ever got too excited about wearing. So, I really wasn’t expecting much coming into testing Extreme.
I must say, this version is simply better to my nose. Yes, they are quite similar but the differences are enough to really make a difference, for me at least.
The opening here really sets the tone. It’s like an iced coffee drink smell with nutmeg and peppermint. A mix of freshness and later warmth. Not to mention the clary sage from the original is still around. Though, in a reduced role.
The addition of the coffee note is fantastic. I’ve seen a few reviews saying that they don’t get much coffee, but it really sticks out on me, thankfully. That’s one of the notes that appealed to me before trying this version.
The iris here is a richer orris root. It’s certainly a powdery fragrance, but that’s not the sole focus at all. The iris isn’t to the degree of something like L’Homme L’eau by Prada.
Coffee, fresh spiciness, powder, and the emergent vanilla note are what I get in the first phase of the wear.
Later, we will start to move into it’s woodier aspects. But first, the iris and narcissus shine alongside the coffee note.
To me, this has less of the narcissus than the original, at least to my memory. The original had the cardamom and narcissus pairing with the vanilla, whereas this goes coffee, iris, vanilla, and mint.
Either way more weighting on my skin toward the orris root. There is a slightly green or earthy quality here. Faint at times, but between the floral notes, swath of vetiver, cedar, and sandalwood this one starts to get woodier as we dry down.
The tail end is going to be the iris, vanilla, coffee, vetiver, and cedar. It depends on the time, as to which note is leading the way at which point, but they all seem to get some shine. Actually, this is when Extreme seems to smell the most similar to the original Society.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
The original Society was a pretty strong fragrance at its start and was above average for the duration.
Extreme, is even more powerful with its projection early on, and does a better job at maintaining throughout.
Now, it’s not an absolute monster. However, it’s got plenty of reach, particularly during the first few hours.
It’s not super heavy either. Substantial for sure, but this perfume doesn’t bog down or ever feel cloying on me. The sage, cedar, etc. do a nice job at giving this enough aromatic freshness to keep it pleasant.
On my skin, I get 10-11 hours of wear with this one. Not a complete projection bomb, but one that will stick around and be noticeable for a long time. A good value, especially if you can get a bottle on sale.
Seasonally, I’d stick to autumn through early springtime with this Givenchy. I wore this on a warmer day before and it wasn’t too great in that environment. Though, in the colder weather it hangs beautifully in some crisp air.
The additional notes give this one a greater balance and a more refined style than the original. It’s more acceptable for all age ranges, to where Society felt geared more toward men in their 20s.
Nonetheless, this retains the ability to work during days or nights. It’s a great fragrance to wear out in a variety of scenarios from a party to a date and in between. Yet, it’s not so loud or anything that it can’t fit in at the office as well.
Overall Impressions of Society Extreme
Overall, do I like Society Extreme? Yes, it’s one of my favorite designer releases of 2024. Not that it was too difficult of a field in a slow year, but it actually is a very nice perfume that I enjoy wearing.
The coffee note and peppermint combination really makes this one for me. That opening is distinct from the original and the overall composition has a better balance with everything.
Less of the sage sticking out and the freshness is incorporate well with the sweeter notes. Plus, the Givenchy iris is still great.
Society Extreme does live up to the name, giving you very good performance for a designer wear, while also checking the box of being a daily wear scent.
After trying the sample, I bought a full bottle on Black Friday for $100. I’d say it’s worth retail price, if you can’t find a discount, but I’m sure it’ll available for around what I paid for it again sometime soon.
This is well worth a try and I think that it will continue to grow in popularity. It’s an easy going floral cologne that isn’t going to alienate the average guy by straying too far into the ‘flowery’ territory.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.
