Single Malt

Kilian Single Malt opens with a very moderate projection of plum and some woods. The plum note is very sweet, slightly boozy although the fragrance contains no boozy notes, very aromatic and evocative of the actual fruit. The wheat creates an aromatic and support note, slightly nutty, dry, and fresh. As the fragrance dries down, the cedar tone is more prominent, clean, and fresh wood; The vanilla and tolu balsam create an aromatic gourmand and ambery note respectively which enhances the plum note making it feel gourmand. Once Kilian Single Malt has reached its full dry-down, it can be summarized as a moderate projection, sweet gourmand, plum fragrance with vanilla, tolu balsam, and wheat accords. The fragrance feels comforting, delectable, fruity, inviting, mature, mild, resinous, rich, syrupy, unisex, warm, woody, and very pleasant. BATCH REVIEWED: 2020 WOW RATING: 9/10. Kilian Single Malt is a delicious fragrance. DISLIKE RATING: 1/10. The notes are well blended, inoffensive. Someone could find the sweet somehow offensive but it is unlikely. UNIQUENESS: 7/10. The market has produced many gourmand fragrances. This is one of them. MASS APPEAL: 9/10. Most people will find this fragrance very appealing. PROJECTION: 4/10. Moderate, about 4 feet around the wearer. SILLAGE: 5/10. Moderate, about 5 feet behind the wearer. APPLICATION: 3 atomizations will suffice. LONGEVITY: 5/10. About 5 hours with 2 of good projection. SEASONS: Winter, fall, colder nights, or climate-controlled environments. OCCASIONS: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, office, casual, holidays, romantic, dating, clubbing. In moderation, this is an office-friendly fragrance. VERSATILITY: 6/10. Not the most versatile fragrance because of its gourmand nature, but highly versatile to be a gourmand fragrance. GENDER: Unisex. AGES: Any. RECOMMENDATION: Kilian Single Malt can be found for over $300. The market provides similar and ever better alternatives for a lower cost. Not recommended. BLIND-BUY: No, sample it first. SIMILAR: These are examples of gourmand fragrances, some combine tobacco or boozy notes. Dior Feve Delicieuse by Christian Dior – La Collection Privé is one of the best gourmands/boozy fragrances in the market, pricy but good; Dua Fragrances Beauteous Delight is the clone of Feve Deliciouse, very similar but with stronger citrus notes and great longevity; Feve Delicieuse is a fantastic gourmand fragrance featuring cacao, milk, and other notes; Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille is a great boozy, and vanilla fragrance; Kilian Black Phantom EDP features delicious coffee, rum, caramel, and dark chocolate; Montale Chocolate Greedy bring cacao, vanilla, and tonka, but lacks performance; Nishane Fan Your Flames features woody, sweet, coconut, and rum notes, and it is very good; Paco Rabanne Black XS By Paco Rabanne is a gourmand fragrance that features praline and it feels chocolaty; Parfums De Marly Oajan EDP is slightly boozy, sweet and spicy; Thierry Mugler - A*Men Angel Men Pure Tonka is another great gourmand fragrance featuring coffee, cacao, and other delectable notes; Tiziana Terenzi Al Contrario is an exquisite malt, woods, cacao, and sugar cane gourmand fragrance; Tom Ford Noir De Noir is more floral and more chocolaty; Tom Ford Noir Extreme EDP is a sweet, dessert-like, floral fragrance but slightly tilted to the feminine side. SUMMARY: A moderate projection, sweet gourmand, plum fragrance with vanilla, tolu balsam, and wheat accords. The fragrance feels comforting, delectable, fruity, inviting, mature, mild, resinous, rich, syrupy, unisex, warm, woody, and very pleasant.

The opening here is interesting and tricky. I'd swear it has citrus in it, but if not, it's the way the plum plays with the wheat 🌾. The plum here is unique and special. Most other plums I've smelled in perfumery are ripe or overripe. But this plum here is just barely ripe, perhaps even slightly under ripe, and sprinkled delicately with sugar. The perfume is subtle, especially compared to modern Kilian boozy fragrances like apple brandy or angels share. Those perfumes show you all their cards right away, bludgeoning you with booze and everything they've got immediately. Single Malt takes it's time and transitions slowly and deliberately. It's very clever perfumery. The booze and other notes are never heavy or cloying. This is one of the most chill and subtle boozy fragrances I've ever encountered. It's got backbone, but is light enough to be worn in moderate temperatures. Performance is not "beast mode", this is more elegant, and is about elegance over raw horsepower. Longevity is good, sillage is good, projection is moderate. Very classy perfumery and could be worn by those that are leery about boozy fragrances, but are looking for something in this genre or or are looking to get into this category. This is not a monster like Angel Share, and I don't think it was meant to be. This is class and elegance over brut force. Scent 8/10 Performance 5.5/10

By Kilian’s Single Malt is a fragrance that truly lives up to its name—rich, warm, and intoxicating in the best way. It opens with a smooth, boozy malt whiskey note that immediately sets a luxurious tone, evoking the image of aged spirits resting in oak barrels. That wooden, slightly smoky undertone gives it depth and character, making it feel like a scent with a story. The plum note adds a subtle sweetness, never overpowering, just enough to round out the edges and keep it from becoming too dry or austere. It’s this balance that makes Single Malt so wearable and inviting. The projection is confident without being aggressive, and the longevity is impressive—lingering for hours without fading into something generic. What makes this fragrance stand out is its versatility. It’s refined enough for formal occasions, yet comforting enough for everyday wear. It doesn’t scream for attention, but it definitely leaves an impression. It’s the kind of scent that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together—polished, composed, and quietly powerful. It’s a shame it’s been discontinued, as it’s become a rare gem on the aftermarket. But for those lucky enough to own a bottle, it’s a signature scent that whispers sophistication and indulgence. A true 10 out of 10.

Single Malt by By Kilian accomplishes excellently the balance between sweet and boozy, evoking just enough syrupy, honeyish sweetness simultaneously with aspects of whiskey and scotch. I'm not even an aficionado of scotch or whiskey, but much like coffee before I drank it, I enjoy their aromas and notes, and they come through in Single Malt. Projection is certainly strong for several hours in but beyond that it's not a beast all day / all night. It reminds me of Herod by Parfums de Marly in its pure sweetness most of all, actually, despite the notion that Herod is linked to tobacco and Single Malt is linked to booze; the type of sweetness strikes me as similar. Single Malt is the only By Kilian I've given much consideration to buying, as I've usually found that their fragrances are more comparably done elsewhere (Intoxicated is replicated in the A*Men line, Back to Black is not quite as good as other sweet tobaccos like Herod or TV) but in this case, I find Single Malt unique enough to merit real consideration at its considerable ($295 for 50ml) price point. Peculiarly, it's an exclusive to the London boutique but seems available online all the same (unlike the Le Labo, Tom Ford exclusives). 9 out of 10

Wow! Just WOW!! And did I mention.... WOW!!! I will start by admitting that I am typically drawn to whiskey / woody / tobacco type scents. So this one is right up my alley. It has been awhile since I looked at this house and it was time to explore and rediscover some of their scents. Last weekend I stopped in the a Saks store and obtained some samples to try out. So far this has been the shining star. SM is a very classy, elegant and sexy fragrance. It does capture the essence of a good single malt scotch. I regularly attend whiskey tasting in my area and enjoy sampling a variety of single malts. One of the things I enjoy doing is to hold the whiskey glass under my nose and breath in through my mouth. That pulls all of the flavors of the drink into my nose. The scent I get from this fragrance very much reminds me of some of the single malt whiskies I have sampled over the years. I get great projection and longevity on my skin. Throughout the day I kept getting delicious whiffs. I can see this one in either casual or dress clothes. Bottom line: If you like whiskey / malt scents, you need to try this one. If you like this scent, try a whiskey tasting.

This truly is a remarkable scent, in both its evolution and its uncanny resemblance to fine whiskey. Kilian clearly explores his roots in this scent, and hits the nail right into the whiskey barrel, so to speak. Though hard to find in stores, I was able to visit the kilian botique in New York and finally smell this! The opening is VERY “boozy” as some have described. It instantly conjures an image of a fine whiskey being opened for the first time, breathing life into the room it is occupying. The plum dances across one’s senses, both sweet and intoxicating. After, the wheat takes life and gives a dry and hoppy note to the fragrance. The base notes are woody and rich, but there is always a touch of whiskey throughout the fragrance’s evolution. This is definitely a niche scent, and not for everybody. However, it is certainly a unique fragrance that will get you noticed and complimented. Overall Scent: 8.5/10 Sillage: 9.0/10 (one of the best for the house of Kilian) Longevity: 8.5/10 Adjectives: refined, mature, tasteful, rich, classy

Boozy Northern Night (Sidonie Lancesseur, 2015) Bottle Design: Carré Basset Scentrack The Last Shadow Puppets – My Mistakes Were Made For You Single Malt opens with a strong plum note which reminds me of plum compote or plum brandy. The Tolu balsam is definitely partly responsible for this extremely fruity opening. Beneath this plum note there is a darker grainy wheat note, sticky resinous and smoky notes. As composition progresses dark vanilla, moist tobacco and oak/cedar wood maturation notes are more pronounced. The composition is very compact and linear, but never overpowering. Single Malt is not a reinterpretation of peaty Islay whiskies. It does not possess the medicinal peaty kick of Islay single malts, as smelt in Profumum Roma Fumidus. Single Malt reminds me more of Johnnie Walker Black blended whisky with an extremely balanced composition of fruity Speyside malts, touch of smoke and strong vanilla finish of ex-bourbon cask maturation. Rating: 9/10

Starts out really boozy with a quite strong whiff of alcohol. Sweet, fruity notes of plum and malt. The vanilla in this is not overly sweet and balances well. Reminds me of my all time favorite Apple Brandy, and allthough less pronounced than AB, Single Malt is a very pleasant encounter. Like AB it ́s an instant hit with everybody who comes close to my wrist or neck. Sits close to the skin and not very loud. Maybe is this the key to its attraction. I, for one, wear perfumes for myself, more than to turn heads and leave traces of scent walking through a room. However it could have a far better longevity. Eventually Single Malt gets lovely oak-like notes, I really love this concept of bringing out the aroma of the oak barrels used for whisky, rum or cognac. This way it becomes a lot more than just a sweet gourmand like TM ́s Pure Malt etc. Another lovely by master nose Sidonie Lancesseur! 8/10

it IS indeed similar to 'apple brandy', but the differences become apparent a few hours in... they both start off boozy, deep, royal and majestic. After a few hours, apple brandy kinda remains linear (still LOVE it to death, though), whereas single malt developes and becomes a bit more woody-smoky. whatever incense in present certainly comes to the fore and kinda dominates the booziness. it's a balsamic (rich resin, benzoin-like) smoky boozy concoction. i need to try this a few more times, definitely, but from what i've experienced so far, i like it. can't smell it too much from my wrist (sillage is kinda low for a kilian scent), but it's not a linear scent. *tried alongside apple brandy...

I've never tried the original of this, but someone locally where I live made a dupe of Single Malt (other dupes spot on) and let me tell you it's one of the best perfumes I have ever smelled. Words can't describe. I was so sad to find out the original has been discontinued. Is it even possible to find a better perfume for fall than this. Bring it back! Planning to snag a sample of the original before it disappears forever.

Single Malt By Kilian is a plum basex, very boozy fragrance. Once sprayed, you will be able to immediately pick out the strong and distinctive scent of whiskey, although it is not listed. This fragrance is not mass appealing, as with most niche fragrances. However, it certainly is one of my favourites, alongside Apple Brandy. Longevity: 9.5/10 Sillage: 5.5/10 Projection: 6/10 Smell: 9.5/10 Price: 3/10 Overall: 8.5/10

Ow my lord..... A blind buy for me and so glad I did! A boozy malty spicy top that's to die for, yummy. Mid reminds me of apple brandy, the dry down is a nice spicy caramel like scent. Lasts ages, projection is ok but I would like it to be better. At last a Masculine fragrance from By Kilian, I cant stop smelling it from the bottle lol Only gripe is the price (for full presentation).

You can find a very close dupe of this fragrance (for much cheaper) in the Dua fragrances catalogue (Spiritus Dei). A very boozy whiskey fragrance with a strong wheat note. The plum and vanilla sweeten it and pull it in the feminine direction but not too much. It's easily a unisex fragrance in my opinion. If you love boozy scents i think this is a must have.

This is a gorgeous boozy plum. I don't know why the whiskey note isn't listed, but it's very noticeable. I don't feel that this leans too masculine and happily wear it. Straight unisex in my opinion. Just lovely. I couldn't stop smelling my wrist. It doesn't smell like them, but is in a similar vein of Tobacco Vanille, Herod, and Plum in Cognac

Where is the Malt? It should be renamed to Single Plum! If you want a Malty fragrance check out Pure Malt by TM. That said, it's still a very nice fragrance, if you ignore the price. Longevity? Life of a mayfly. I don't think I'll even bother checking out Apple Brandy.

This is heavenly. Warm, plummy, vanillac and woody. It has a baked fruit quality to it. Love at first sniff. It's a shame it's being discontinued. This is just beautiful. It leans maybe a hair masculine but it's soft at the same time

Sweet juicy plums macerated in whiskey. I love to layer with a woody vanilla to mellow out the booze. Rubs shoulders with OG Apple Brandy but more wearable for me. So glad I was able to find a bottle. Now off to purchase a refill!

Smells like Apple Brandy in the drydown. Get a heavy hit of plum on the initial spray and as it dries down it becomes this seductive sweet, woody, and fruit scent. Reminds me a bit of Baraonda, but Baraonda is much more boozy.

This is intoxicating, I like it about as much as Angel's Share, which is pretty crazy because I think Angel's Share is the most beautiful fragrance ever created - It's a total and complete masterpiece, and this one is close.

this reminds me of the huge parties I used to go to as a kid, where my family members are drinking booze and having a great time. quite nostalgic and surprisingly extremely wearable, despite it being extremely sweet.