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Erolfa by Creed

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I have several more cologne reviews on the way within the next week or so. However, before I got to those I wanted to do one on the last Creed fragrance I sampled while visiting their boutique in Las Vegas, named Erolfa.

Yes, it’s an odd name but it’s taken from the letters of the names of the Creed family. I had never encountered this particular Creed scent before trying it out on my vacation, so, I came at it with no real expectations of performance or smell.

Update: I have tried this again, years after the original review, so I’m adding to my thoughts on this scent. This cologne is in the aquatic/marine end of things and as such I was interested in giving it a whirl in the desert heat.

What does Creed Erolfa Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, ambergris, lime, melon, orange, violet, ginger, coriander, pepper, sandalwood, musk, amber, cedar

Click here to try: Erolfa By Creed For Men. Millesime Spray 4.0 Oz.

My Full Review

The opening of Erolfa is mainly a citrus affair. The lime, melon, and bergamot really stand out in the start which reminds me of pieces of other Creed fragrances such as Imperial, Virgin Island Water, and Silver Mountain Water. Now, it isn’t wholly similar to any of them, just vague reminders from these opening notes.

I rather enjoy the opening that is a citrus blended with saltier notes which replicate the air of the sea, sort of like Acqua di Gio Profumo.

I think that Creed has done a really good job at creating a summertime fragrance that is so reminiscent of spending time on the water. It is fresh, bright, with a clean, quasi-soapy aroma to it.

Mostly what I get from this scent, beyond the citrus opening, is a slightly spicy/woody undertone with that prominent saltiness that hangs in the air.

The musk, ambergris, cedar, and sandalwood are the notes which stood out the most to my nose. The citrus stays throughout but it does weaken as time moves on and these other ingredients begin to shine.

 

It is still a rather fruity fragrance, with salt watery elements, and ambergris sitting on top of a woody base.  What I did notice about Erolfa, the second time around, is the secondary notes. 

This time, I made sure to really pay attention to the composition. I definitely got more violet, than previously, and an underlying earthy dryness. Now, neither is all that powerful, but you can zero in on each if you’re focusing.

Nonetheless, Erolfa is going to be more about the citrus, melon, ambergris, woods, and musk. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Erolfa is honestly pretty moderate. It isn’t really a heavy hitter in that regard, decent but nothing to write home about either. The projection will stay within about a 5 foot radius from your skin and move in closer from there. 

Longevity, I don’t know if it was just that one test I did or if it has problems, but I got a little more than 4 hours out of Erolfa. This is disappointing when compared to other Creed scents but then again it might have just been a one time thing.

Update: I’ve tried this again, since the review in 2016, I got around 5-6 hours the second time. Still, not all that great. I think the extra few hours were due to being inside more, during the second wear. 

I’d definitely say that Erolfa is a warm weather or summertime scent. I couldn’t see myself wearing this at any other time of the year. It just captures that kind of atmosphere.

Erolfa seems more of a casual daytime wear more than anything. It smells nice but it isn’t a date night or club wear by any means. Not really a sexy cologne.

You could wear it in a semi-formal situation during the spring/summer months, but it doesn’t come across as being for any specific purpose. 

Overall Impression of Erolfa

Overall, is Erolfa worth a buy? To me, I don’t think so. I like it but I was never blown away by it and I think there are not only better Creed colognes but also better seaside aquatics out there for cheaper.

I enjoy aspects of this fragrance. Coming back to it, I really appreciate the bergamot and melon notes, here. The melon is on the lighter end of things, but it pairs very well with the citrus.

Erolfa is a very pleasant fragrance, but I still can’t say that it reaches another level of greatness. 

Erolfa didn’t really wow me with its performance and while it’s pretty nice, I don’t want to spend that kind of cash for something that isn’t remarkable.

If you need to add to your Creed collection, then, by all means have at it. Anyone else, should probably look elsewhere.

Silver Mountain Water by Creed

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As a part of my ongoing fragrance reviews on this site, I have been gradually tackling the Creed line of colognes for men.

Creed is a luxury fragrance design house with a long history and has created scents for the rich, famous, and leaders of the world during this time period.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at what I consider to be one of their best colognes, Silver Mountain Water. How does SMW perform? What notes does it contain? Is it worth a buy?

What does Creed Silver Mountain Water Smell Like?

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Notes include: mandarin, green tea, bergamot, black currant, musk, and sandalwood

Click here to try: Creed Silver Mountain Water, 3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The opening of Silver Mountain Water reminds me of Imperial Millesime, in a lot of ways, as both fragrances contain mandarin and bergamot notes.

The main difference between the two is Imperial develops into a melon scented cologne with a sea salt note that brings about images of the summertime, while Silver Mountain Water, is cooler in crisper in its presentation and evokes mountainous terrain.

The citrus notes are most noticeable during the first 20 minutes of wear and after that, the green tea emerges along with the black currant, to really become the highlights. The black currant and citrus notes together can be fairly sharp, but the tea note settles it down quite a lot.

SMW is a very clean type of scent and isn’t overbearing at all. The musk note gives this fragrance it’s heart in my opinion and keeps it from becoming a completely light and airy affair. Once the green tea takes over, it starts to have a more green/herbal type of vibe to it.

It’s almost as if it goes from being a summertime type of fragrance towards a springtime wear. It’s like the melting of the last snow of winter and life starts to come out in full bloom again.

Another good springtime Creed fragrance is Green Irish Tweed.

Silver Mountain Water is super fresh at this point, with a green herbal chill, running through the heart of the fragrance.

Finally, the ultimate dry down, is the tea, musk, black currant/citrus mix, on top of a sandalwood base. Together, it’s a pretty simple and fairly linear scent, but does everything it needs to. Clean, sharp, and refreshing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say it’s moderate. I can definitely tell I’m wearing it, but it isn’t going to choke out the rest of the room.

I mean, it can if you overapply, but with a few sprays the sillage doesn’t stray too far.

It’s longevity is decent in my opinion, even though it gets a reputation for being short-lived.

I can tell you from my experience, I get six hours from this more or less. I have applied it before in the morning, and went on a long running work out, and could still smell it on me afterwards. Sometimes, it’ll go up to 8 hours but that’s not usual for me.

Seasonally, it’s actually good year round. The coldness of the fragrance is interesting in the warm weather. However, that bright citrus/icy quality, hangs around well in the wintertime. SMW is a unisex fragrance.

It’s good for daily wear, not really a ‘sexy’ scent, but can go casual or formal. Personally, I’d wear it casually or in some kind of semi-formal fashion during spring or summer.

Overall Impressions of Silver Mountain Water

Is Silver Mountain Water worth a try? I’d say yes. I honestly like it a lot, though, it definitely isn’t my favorite cologne ever.

I think it is a great idea for spring wear and it does develop this interesting herbal and almost metallic scent (the silver in the name), that is pretty unique and enjoyable.

I like the cold sensation that I get from the opening act, I do like a good black currant, and the tea is also a nice touch. It’s not a must have for me, but I have emptied the sample vials of this stuff over the years, and it didn’t just sit on the shelf forever.

I’d put it near the top of my Creed list and would choose it to wear out of the group depending on the weather and my mood (I have also been warming more and more to Original Santal, even if it is still a weak performer). Silver Mountain Water is a winner in my book.

Viking by Creed

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So, being in Las Vegas, I had to remember to make another stop at the Creed Boutique that is on the Strip. There were a few things that I wanted to smell while in there, including the new release, Viking.

Naturally, I sprayed it on myself multiple times, in order to give my one-time wear review. How does this Creed cologne stack up? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase?

Update: I am revising this post, a few years after the fact, and after using Viking some more.

What does Creed Viking Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, pink pepper, bergamot, peppermint, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli

Click here to try: Viking Eau de Parfum Spray for Men by Creed

My Full Viking Review

My initial impressions of Viking are specifically related to just how fresh and green of a scent this is. The peppermint is crisp and biting. This note is then met by a wooden note, sandalwood (sandalwood), which I believe was suppose to lend to the aroma of being like a Viking ship.

Having never been on a ship in the 9th century, I have no real idea, if that’s the case or not.

It opens up with a bit of citrus, pink pepper spice, and the really nice peppermint. The more that I’ve tested this over the years, the more I have come to really enjoy this opening. Fresh, cool, warm, and super crisp. It has such a great hook.

Viking has a certain warmth to it, that goes along with the colder peppermint. It reminds me of Original Santal in that regard (especially with sandalwood), warm/masculine, but Viking opts for a spicier pink pepper instead of a sweeter scent. Yet, there is a hint of sweetness in the opening act.

Viking is extremely well-blended and nothing seems out of place. Even the rose note, isn’t remarkably noticeable to my nose, just adds a dash or floral sweetness the the mint/pepper freshness.

As I’ve spent more time with Viking, the rose does have its moments, just not a huge factor overall.

I don’t really get all that much citrus from it Viking, somewhat at the start, but it quickly fades. It is a minty/spicy/wood with green vibes and a slight smokiness to the wood like the sort of smell you’d get from a dying campfire.

When it fully dries down, I pick up more patchouli and maybe another floral note, that I can’t identify.

Most of what you’re going to get is an old school sort of fragrance that’s got a cleanliness to it, through the interplay of the peppermint and pink pepper notes.

Pink pepper, mint, and drier woody notes. Vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood come through big time on my skin. The end of the wear, really shifts into a classic clean sort of masculine scent. Mature and polished.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it was solid. Not super strong stuff but with two sprays on my forearm, I knew it was there while wearing. It’s also got pretty good longevity, somewhere in the 6-8 hour range, it seems.

I had gone all around the Vegas Strip and the cologne hadn’t faded away at all. I have no real complaints about the longevity.

Update: So, the first time I reviewed this fragrance, part of the time was spent in the Las Vegas heat. It held up pretty well in that circumstance. Now, in more moderate temperatures, it will go more in the 9 hour range pretty consistently.

It’s still not a powerful scent, but it is noticeable, and projects well for a majority of the wear. Just don’t expect a completely ‘in your face’ fragrance, that’s not what Viking is.

Viking is much more of a casual (like business casual) kind of cologne. You could wear it to work, as it’s not offensive, and not super dressy.

It’s an attractive fragrance, like being fresh out of the shower and well groomed, but it doesn’t strike me as something particularly sexy or attention grabbing.

Again, the more time I spent with this cologne, the more it hits me as a classic sort of wear. The opening act, has a great modern take, but it settles down into something highly familiar while retaining its own unique identity.

Overall Impression of Creed Viking

Overall, do I like Viking? Yes, I like it. I wasn’t really impressed with it, either. It’s a good scent but it smells familiar and it’s not reminding me of any kind of remarkable cologne. I think it might be one that would grow on me much like Original Santal did.

Even then, it would never be my go to scent, and at that price..why bother? I think that the bottle looks really cool, though, it’d be a nice decoration.

I think there’s been a lot of people who have been pretty harsh on this scent, but I think that it’s above average, and enjoyable. Just maybe not, $350, enjoyable.

Update: I have come to enjoy Viking, a bit more than originally. I find it to be much more striking, than my initial impressions of it. The pricing concern, isn’t as relevant nowadays, as it has come down somewhat.

You can find bottles discounted. Is it worth the reach? Maybe. I still don’t think that I’d go out of my way to get a bottle, but I do think that it’s a very good fragrance.

Bois du Portugal by Creed

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Another one of the fragrances that I revisited upon my excursions to the Creed boutique in Las Vegas was Bois du Portugal. This men’s cologne takes a different turn than other scents in the Creed family and offers a much more woodsy scent.

It can also feel much more formal than even the other luxury fragrances offered by this boutique brand. In this post, I want to give my thoughts on this cologne, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

Check out: Creed Tabarome Review and List of All Reviews from this Site

What does Bois du Portugal Smell Like?

bois du portugal

Notes include: cedar, sandalwood, bergamot, ambergris, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: CREED BOIS DU PORTUGAL by Creed EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 2.5 OZ

My Full Review

I retested Bois du Portugal for one day with a few sprays on my arm. The opening is a familiar bergamot note from Creed which is similar to the one found in Green Irish Tweed as well as Silver Mountain Water.

This opening blast of citrus blended with the sandalwood, is just a phase for perhaps the first 20-30 minutes or so; before it begins to transition away from something familiar to a more refined and mature cologne.

There is this interesting, but very slight spice, during the opening act. Not very overt, but it is there.

As it wears on a bit more, Bois du Portugal takes on more of the cedar and lavender notes and the bergamot begins to take a back seat. This is where this cologne begins to shine, in my opinion.

At this stage, its a smooth, woodsy, and warm aroma that somewhat recalls the spiciness of Tabarome. Sitting underneath, is that famous Creed ambergris, which isn’t all that prominent in this perfume.

This scent is so wholly classic and doesn’t feel the same as many more modern fragrances for men. At the same time, the sandalwood and lavender provide a touch of sweetness, that doesn’t allow Bois du Portugal to stray too far in either direction.

Like most other Creeds, this one is blended superbly. I do enjoy getting bursts of aroma, from individual notes. A sharper cedar here and there.

Then, you get a nice vetiver, emerging from the creamy sandalwood. It’s got enough depth to be interesting, but never feels overly complicated, just refined.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, it feels pretty moderate. It isn’t a complete sillage beast, but it isn’t weak either, which allows it to be a completely safe bet. Decent amount of power, up top, but that fades into something much more middle of the road.

Longevity is also really good on this as well, I think I got 8-9 solid hours out of Portugal and a couple more when it was in a much more weakened state.

So, the performance is very good as a whole, just not an extreme or ‘in your face’ sort of fragrance.

The woodsy scent, lends itself well to the cooler months of the year. Luckily, it isn’t too heavy, that it cannot venture into slightly warmer weather. However, I probably wouldn’t wear it during the summertime.

Also, it fits for office, casual, and dressed up events. Though, not so much for clubbing or going to school. I don’t know that there’d be a large percentage of younger guys, who’d be into this scent. It is mature, professional, but never feels dated to my nose.

Overall Impressions of Bois du Portugal

Overall, would I rate this a buy? Yes, it is one of the best options for Creed. However, one needs to understand that, it comes off as a mature and more serious type of cologne.

Younger guys should probably stay away, unless you have a very refined style or go to lots of upscale events.

Bois du Portugal is a classic and should be treated as such. It is a really great scent for those who enjoy woodsy and elegant fragrances.

The bergamot opening is fine, but this scent really comes into its own, during the dry down. The wood notes are the stars here.

Each of them brings something to the table, for a really great cologne.

The performance is solid, just not extremely bold. If you want a refined woody fragrance, Bois du Portugal should be on your list to try out.