Gold Knight

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Gold Knight, but as I’ve had so much success with this house with such perfumes like Intoxicated, Back to Black, A Taste of Heaven, Straight To Heaven Extreme, Smoke For The Soul, Apple Brandy, Noir Aphrodisiaque, and Single Malt, I knew I had to give a bottle a try even without testing it. First reaction: not what I was expecting. It’s cold out and I don’t think I’m in the right mood. The quality is there, I like pieces of it, but I’m not in the right mood. Did I make a mistake? Second wearing: ok, I know what to expect. I’m in the mood and this is good, really good. Definitely not a mistake! Back to Black vibe like others mentioned but with a floral aspect that is somewhat dandyfied. Warm honey. Develops and interacts in a couple different ways. Yes, very pleasant olfactory experience for sure. A big fan of anise but however it’s done in this, my nose isn’t picking it up in way like it does with for example, Lolita Lempicka. I can see why the ratings on this are off. Most people get a chance to smell frags once and if lucky get a complete wearing and then write a review. If I were to only wear this once or sample it haphazardly, I’m not sure what I would write. It’s not completely unusual but it has an unusal aspect at first. You see you have a somewhat masculine aspect competing with a light feminine aspect. Very interesting in that respect. It’s marketed as a men’s fragrance and this is definitely not a manly man’s fragrance. You have to stick with this one a little more than 15 minutes if you’re a male. In fact you will need a few wearings at different times and moods. I actually think it would be much more appealing to a woman sensual wise. It’s a very sensual fragrance, but if you can get used to it, give it a full wearing, you’ll see it’s high level of competence. Most perfumes are made to grab you at first. A lot of times you can get sick of those easily. This one is like the wise turtle that catches up with the hare that is fast out of the gates. The turtle is rewarded at the finish line. Kilian has been making fragrances for a while now on his own terms, and it’s a fragrance that is definitely an example of an experienced director that knows it’s not about just the intro, but the long term. This is a wise perfume that isn’t going after anything or competing for anything other than a pure sensual experience of satisfaction. Easily a 4.25 out of 5.

I don't get the hate on this! I blind bought a full bottle half off, complete with the impressive coffret that is quite heavy. I use it as a small jewelry box for cufflinks because you can take the fragrance bottle insert out. Props to Kilian for the best packaging. The bottle itself is also very nice, having the ceramic with neat designs in it. The refill system is actually ingenious; it stops filling once it's full. Mind you, you can just buy the refill and fill your own bottle/atomizer to save money if you don't care for the extras. But I think the coffret/bottle is worth it--especially if you don't have other Kilians. This and Moonlight in Heaven have the best coffret/box. Scent-wise, other reviewers are correct that it's similar to Back to Black. Put plainly short, it's a darker version of Back to Black with an extra dose of honey and much less powdery-ness. There's some chocolate-like qualities to it, and the patchouli mixes perfectly with it. It's not for everyone, but it's for most. It's niche, but not really anyone is going to find it awful. Most will like it. I say that as someone from the rather conservative Southern USA. I hate to use the word, but it's sultry--just what you'd wanna wear on that hot date. It's suave, almost edible. It's not so dark that it's not fresh, but it's not so fresh that it's generic and only good for Summer. Tom Ford would call it unisex, but this is definitely a man's scent. It pairs well with its sister, Woman in Gold, which I just bought my girlfriend. How romantic! The season for this is probably best suited for Fall/Winter, but I could see this being year-round, especially if worn at night. This isn't the best office fragrance, as it's pretty heavy and smells like a date. However, I'll still wear to the office--even with my suits. My friends had a pool party last month in the heat of August in Mississippi, and let me tell you: this scent carried across the air incredibly well--absolute sillage monster! Lasted well in the heat, too. I got compliments from 2 different friends on 2 occasions that evening who were very impressed with it; neither of whom are fragrance nerds. 9.5/10 full bottle worthy (sometimes 10/10 or 8.5/10), 10/10 sillage beast, 9/10 longevity (performance here has varied for me, but overall has been great).

I bought the 30ml travel set off of the back of testing from a couple of samples I was given ...... God damn, this is a beautiful monster! That combination of anise and honey just is the best thing ever, whilst the weight of the vanilla is spot on. The patch gets just the right amount of dirty for a By Kilian..... I bloody love this!! I’ve tried several from the house over the past couple of years and whilst I’ve not disliked any in particular, I’ve never been wowed enough to buy any, weighted against their cost but with Gold Knight, I didn’t hesitate for a second. It was the anise that won me over, no question and at points in its development, I could definitely detect echoes of Jacques Cavalier‘s Opium pour Homme EDP (blue case original, minus the black currant) which, being a MASSIVE fan of, sealed the deal. In some respects, I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t buy the 50ml in it’s beautiful Klimt inspired coffret but at the end of the day, I’m not sure I could wear this one too often to justify it. It’s a stunning fragrance but heavy..... very heavy and for me, 2 sprays on skin gives me 10+ hours longevity, with a good 4ft + projection & huge sillage..... and on clothes, it lasts for days in cold weather; it’s just that bold on me, so what I’ve bought will last a long time. Big, bold, brash & unapologetic...... but a classy and refined bad boy too. You’ve definitely got to wear this one with confidence. You can’t just put it on casually and forget about it: it’s not possible and besides, it won’t let you.

I actually really like this fragrance. I do understand where people are coming from when saying it is too similar to Back to Black. They don't start out the same but do get more similar as time goes on. I would say Gold Knight reminds me of a flanker to Back to Black. In Gold Kight, that smoky tobacco note and the fruity notes (cherry/raspberry) are replaced with anise. The anise gives Gold Knight a medicinal note that I quite like. I find the two fragrances quite different in the beginning. They get more similar when the honey note starts to make it's presence known. I do like how the anise note in Gold Knight cuts through the honey note. It cools the scent down a bit whereas the cherry/raspberry notes in BTB add a bit more heat and sweetness. I wore these scents side by side and like them pretty equally. I get monster lasting power with both. I still smell them both the next morning. I get good projection with both too. That said, I already own BTB and can't see adding another $300 honey fragrance. If I didn't own BTB, it would be a tough call between the two. I could see Gold Knight being perfect for someone who likes honey but wants a scent that is a bit cooler then BTB.

Pure elegance! It took me some time to appreciate this perfume but now i love it. Kilian was inspired from a painting created by Gustav Klimt called "The golden knight" and imagined this perfume and the presentation (this coffret!). I think that this fragrance brings all the elegant, noble and mascluline elements of this knight in gold. This perfume is refined, it's sweet but not in a cute way, it's sexy, dark and seductive. The honey is the main note here, a bit animalic, compined with an earthy but not dirty patchouli, bergamot, anise that gives a kind of fresh vibe and vanilla. Performance is beastly, it lasts for more than 14+ hours on my skin with good projection. The sillage of this fragrance is addictive and you will appreciate it more if you smell it on someone else. This leans masculine in my opinion, i can imagine it on a date, night, in a black shirt. I am not the biggest fan of Kilian but this has grabbed my attention! It's a grower..