Vodka on the Rocks by Kilian

Vodka on the Rocks was one of the Kilian scents that I hadn’t tried, but wanted to based on the name alone. I wanted to see exactly how they were going to represent that drink, to make it a compelling fragrance wear. So, I grabbed a vial, as a part of the by Killian samples that I recently purchased. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Kilian’s Vodka on the Rocks Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, coriander, aldehydes, oakmoss, cardamom, rhubarb, sandalwood, lily of the valley

Click here to try: By Kilian – Vodka on the Rocks – 1.7 fl. Oz – no clutch 

My Full Review

The opening act does give you an impression of vodka. To my nose, it is cold and has a similar aroma, but isn’t a distinctly vodka smell like found in 212 VIP. Really, coriander is the strongest note here in the early stages and supported by the aldehydes, which I suspect give it the spirits-like scent.

It’s nice and fresh with a spiciness sitting underneath that chilled feeling. This goes on for some time before, this Kilian fragrance shifts a bit.

The middle of the wear is fairly soapy with that rose note poking through. The rose here, really reminds me of the one in Toy Boy, but that’s a better fragrance overall than this one. Not as prominent and Vodka also puts forth a lily of the valley note.

Finally, the scent really takes on a close approximation of A&F Fierce. There are so many overlaps in the notes, especially the mossy base, and the floral notes. Vodka on the Rocks ends up smelling like a fresh soapy rose/vodka scent, that’s sitting on top of a base spray of Fierce.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it is above average but not beastly. It seems to project itself to around 6 feet from the skin or a t-shirt, at it’s peak. I actually spilled too much on me, during one of my tests, but it wasn’t close to being unbearable of something that I needed to scrub.

The longevity is also good. At over 8 hours and can probably hang around for 9. Not a superstar performer, though, it is very solid.

Seasonally, I’d want to wear this autumn through springtime. It’d be best in colder to moderate temperatures. I’d just stay away from the high heat with this one.

While it does have that vodka impression, it isn’t as boozy as you might think. It’s safe to wear for almost any occasion, since it has that clean soapy sort of freshness. The versatility is probably Vodka on the Rock’s greatest strength.

Overall Impressions of Vodka on the Rocks

Overall, do I like this scent? I do like it, but it isn’t anything special either. For close to $200 per bottle, I would expect something a little less commonplace than this, like they managed to pull off with the beautiful Angels’ Share…which is a great boozy scent.

It does manage to get the chilled vodka aroma done pretty well and it is pleasant to wear all around. Vodka on the Rocks isn’t a bad fragrance, it does everything well, but it never wowed me at all. 

You might consider this, if you liked older bottles of Fierce, as this captures quite a bit of that style…just not exactly. The performance is also better than the modern bottles of that A&F.

Vodka on the Rocks is fine, just fine. By Kilian has so many other options better than this one, that it becomes kind of pointless to me.

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Vodka on the Rocks?

Abercrombie Fierce is the main one. Not exact, but the dry down is pretty close. They share the rose and lily of the valley notes, but Vodka on the Rocks is more floral and soapy than Fierce is. 

Montblanc Legend might be another option, since it has a close replication of Fierce. But, I’d say that Vodka on the Rocks is further away from that scent.

Both of these colognes are cheaper than Vodka on the Rocks, which really doesn’t do enough to justify the higher price.

Best Men's Colognes

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.