Spice and Wood

I count myself lucky to have experienced this fragrance, thanks to knowing a great friend. I could tell you it smells refined and expensive, or that it carries the elegance of a five-star hotel where a bellboy glides forward with a gold cart and treats you as if you belong among the elite. All of those things are true, but none of them help you, the reader, understand what this actually smells like or what kind of man brings it to life. Describing scent is easy. Describing character is harder. To explain that, I need to tell you about my old friend James. James was always a character slightly out of step with the modern world. My office friends and I would rotate through the same rotation of shirts and ties for dinners or events, but James arrived as if he had stepped out of another era. A camel overcoat draped perfectly over his shoulders, leather gloves snug against the chill, a scarf folded just so, and slim wool trousers that suggested careful tailoring rather than fleeting trends. Heck, sometimes he even wore a fedora too. We would jokingly call him "Don Draper" or even "John Constantine," depending on the mood. But James never cared. He moved with a calm assurance that made our teasing feel like background noise. Whenever he approached our table, this was the scent that followed him. Not loudly, not insistently. It drifted in like the presence of a man who knows exactly who he is. Smooth, calm, and unmistakably masculine. Some might call it an older gentleman’s fragrance, but the truth is simpler. It belongs to someone who does not ask permission to be himself, someone who dresses for no audience and seeks no approval, someone who understands that confidence is not volume but posture. The fragrance stays close and that feels intentional. Nothing about it tries to command the room. It has the same poise as James. You notice him not because he demands attention but because his presence settles into the space with quiet authority. You sense his vibe before he speaks. A well-dressed man moving through cool air with purpose, untouched by the rush of the world around him. Subtle sweetness. No trendy vanilla. Nothing flashy. Just cultivated taste and steady confidence. Sure, I could describe the notes, a hint of bright citrus, warm clove, pepper, cedar, vetiver, with a trace of moss, but that does not capture it. This fragrance is less about ingredients and more about the character it embodies, the quiet power of a man who needs no audience. For someone like James, this is THE fragrance. It is effortless, assured, quiet, yet impossible to ignore. The right man wears it, and everything else falls into place. I will end up purchasing this fragrance, but I will never be able to pull it off quite like him. Every time this scent drifts by, it brings him back to me, as if he’s right there in the room. I miss you, James.

Utilizing both refined and elegant notes from Europe as well as enigmatic and exotic smells of the Far East, CREED's 'Spice and Wood' is a rare and exceptional composition. The fragrant journey opens with Italian bergamot, lemon, and prestigious Court Pendu Plat apples. These famed apples come from an extremely old French cultivar, dating back to the early 17th century and were likely cultivated at one time by the Romans. The harmonious trio of top notes are mouthwatering and expertly well balanced, being both sweet and sour in tonality. Following the lively opening comes a spicy and permeating heart of desert peppers, angelic root, oil of clove, patchouli and white birch. The vegetal desert peppers and angelic root provide a verdant compliment to the fruit filled top notes. Clove oil's medicinal scent is warm and spicy, offering a faintly sweet Oriental tone with facets of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Rendering smokiness and woody qualities, patchouli and white birch complete the heart of the composition. As the scent dries on the skin, one is greeted by a strong permeation of cedar wood from Egypt. Cedar is beautifully paired with a nuanced and powdery Egyptian iris note, the two of which compliment each other well in their earthiness. Oakmoss and musk further aid in lending a dry smokiness mixed with an antiqued leather scent to the base of this extravagant fragrance. 'Spice and Wood' is a robust and masculine composition whose architecture is expertly arranged. It is seamlessly blended and goes through several transitions on the skin as it dries. One can immediately denote the high quality of ingredients utilized as well their natural (versus highly synthetic) quality. Together this elevates the cologne to a supreme level, one reserved for the most discerning of tastes. I completely fell in love with CREED's 'Spice and Wood' upon first smelling it several years ago. It continues to remain as one of my top fragrances for men due to its unabashed masculinity as well as its elegant refinement. The more temperate weather of autumn along with the crisp air of winter serve this fragrance well. I personally prefer to reach for this scent to wear during formal events or special occasions, reserving it sparingly. Both longevity and sillage are above average for this "eau de parfum". If you have not yet had an opportunity to experience this fragrance masterpiece for yourself, please do yourself a favor and seek out the unforgettable 'Spice and Wood' to try today. Read my complete review at my personal fragrance blog

I love Spice and Wood but in my opinion but will be a massive turn-off for many people for the following reasons: 1. Poor sillage 2. Top-tier pricing 3. Easily makes one go "nose blind" within 3 hours. Creed Spice and Wood seems to have little to no synthetic ingredients. This results in the sillage on me is below average. This also results in a very steep retail asking price as well. Oddly, the longevity is about 7 hours. I learned I go "nose blind" after about 3 hours but people that are about 8 inches away can still smell me up to 7 hours after application and immediately ask what I'm wearing. This is a heavenly, classic scent. An expertly blended balance of fruits, woods, and spices that seems to be more geared to smell like money. It's very elegant, a tad luxurious, and full of nature's ingredients (no ambroxan allowed here, lol). It's also not intense. Virtually nobody will be offended or have their nose singed by any harsh or singular overpowering olfactory notes. I would describe the proper use of Spice and Woods as where you have to be very confident and/or be in situations where you will be in close proximity, then presumingly followed by skin-to-skin contact late into the evening in order for this fragrance to be enjoyed to its fullest. If this is not for the typical dressy event or office party. Otherwise, Spice and Woods is mostly a long-lasting skin scent that cannot be enjoyed. The packaging is super-premium. Spice and Wood come in decant bottles only. You have to purchase your own atomizer. Assuming you are purchasing this high-status fragrance out of their already expensive offerings you'd probably only want to purchase their "high-status" Creed-brand deluxe atomizers wrapped in custom Italian leather (an additional $200.00 USD). Overall, I find this to be one of the best offerings from Creed but seems the target clientele are individuals making well over 6 figures annually. So that also means it's also not for me. However, if you can afford it I highly, highly recommend it.

I won't go into a lengthy description, because you know it's about spice and woods. What I can add in particular is; the opening is very fresh and tart, mostly a beautiful green apple and bergamot, with a fresh green spiciness, from Angelica. The cloves give in a bit of darkness and depth. The citrus top notes hold for over 1/2 hour, then the exquisite heart accords begin to come to the fore. The spiciness is not so much from pepper, but the Angelica, and cloves. Some people say this doesn't smell special. You really have to dig. There are beautiful extraordinary fragrance accords, but they are subtle. I think the Angelica and Iris notes are the piquant notes, that make this special, and worth the heafty price. I love this kind of exclusive fragrance, because the quality is in the notes and old fashioned great blending. I tried Xerjoff Naxos, a very expensive frag, and it uses a lot of synthetic aldehydes to produce a cheap wow factor. Spice and Wood does it the natural way. For a rather fresh fragrance, the longevity holds on very well. The longevity is better than I remember it. Maybe they have improved it! A few comparisons: This is like Frederic Mall French Lover, but fresher and better for Summer. This is also very much like Creed Vetiver- Geranium. It has the green apple, geranium spice, and Vetiver. Spice and Wood has much better longevity, and depth, but overall scent is very close. This is also close to Roja fragrance, Oligarch. Just a note about the 75 ml bottle; it is fantastic, and better than the pictures. It looks like real gold leaf trim. The bottle glass, is worth $50 by itself, and it's quite decorative. This will be my top 2 Summer fragrances, along with MFK Lumier Noir Pour Homme. Rating: 9.5/10 God bless. John 3:16

Batch variations for Spice and Wood do exist, which explains many of the varying viewpoints on seasonality and sweetness here. In my experience, the softer, apple-forward batches (from what years I have no clue) have a somewhat disappointing yet acceptable performance; and these are also the batches that smell absolutely divine. When people say Spice and Wood smells balanced, these are the batches they're referring to. The opening greets you with the best apple note I've ever encountered. Many folks here say it's a green apple, which would connote a sour and tart profile, but it absolutely is not that. I get something closer to a fuji apple -- an photorealistic vigor that persists through the rest of the fragrance's superbly uplifting wear. No faux-fruity candy-sweetness to be found here. You must resist the urge to huff the olfactory dopamine bomb you just applied to your wrist. Other batches lack that fruity balance. My bottle hails from 2020, and while its performance is positively nuclear (two sprays is plenty), the fruity dimensions are difficult to discern while the pepper and clove are more amplified, making for a sharper and headier wear. The bottle I recently sampled at Saks Fifth Avenue performance also fit this latter description, except its performance was also somewhat lacking. But I expect several months/years of sitting around to macerate could solve this. Ultimately, my advice to the community is to know which aspects of Spice & Wood you prefer and how much you value performance. Do your research and talk with the seller before you pull the trigger on a bottle online. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice some performance if it gets me the olfactory perfection that only Spice and Wood can achieve.

I received my official sample..... Make sure to read thoroughly to fully understand where I am coming from. Disclaimer: I suck at determining notes so don't hold me to it. I was very skeptic when I first sprayed. I expected a very "old man" smell. Lets just say I was surprised....in a good way. Immediately I smelled all the citruses listed, but mainly apples. My initial thought was, "This is very similar to Viking".... with the bold fragrant citruses! A few minutes later I get apples and birch. Now, at this point, the thoughts that came into my mind was, "WOW" this reminds me of Aventus. I thought I was straight up nuts, so I had to look up others' reviews. A couple people mentioned Aventus so I know I am not too, too crazy. A few minutes after the Aventus stage, I keep smelling Terre d'Hermes....but not quite as dry and dull. This is quite the adventurous ride for me as I LOVE Viking & Aventus. The dry down is EXACTLY what the name suggests. The reason why I love it is because its not extremely dry. The fruits save it. I get fruits, birch and cedar. Its just enough balance to make it appropriate for almost all ages. Unfortunately I am a little stuffed up, so in all fairness, I won't comment on Sillage and Longevity. OVERALL: - Smell - 9/10 - Quality 10/10 The quality is absolutely gorgeous. This is masculine all the way. I can honestly say this is Creed Viking, Creed Aventus, and Terre d'Hermes all mixed in one....but don't hold me to it!

If there were a "perfect Creed" for the Fall/Winter season, this would be it. The scent evokes the autumn harvest, and the notes throughout reflect the emphasis on warm apple, fragrant woods, cloves and rose at the center. It is a perfect autumn/winter day scent, very nicely toned and not overpowering. It's also very universal -- amazingly, it's the Creed in my collection that I've found stolen by my wife on more than a few occasions, and it wears particularly well on her in the cooler weather when it can open up in the contrast of cool air and warm skin. Describing this in words is like describing a New England home at Thanksgiving, the smell of burning woods, mild spices, distinct clove, and warmed apples. The presence of musk at the dry-down is not powdery and barely rates a mention. The rose in the heart notes is an excellent transition, linking the apple to clove and pepper to the fragrant woods in seamless fashion. Whether it's worth the price tag is a subjective decision. For me, I found it to be distinct, enjoyable, and impressive enough that the decision on the 250ml was more than justified. More than that, it's also in how others enjoy the scent without it being simply "loud". This annouces its presence without shouting it, and others who've smelled it around me have asked and taken interest. So judging based on myself and others...this was an instant hit. One word: Exquisite.

Creed Spice and Wood is aptly named, as I get mainly clove, pepper, and (most notably) cedar out of it. It's not a heavy cedar in the vein of By Kilian Straight to Heaven, but rather a cedar that's welcome in by citrus and then acts as a soft counterweight to the spices in the mix. I don't detect some of the other notes in the mix, like patchouli, that are just playing second fiddle the main assortment. Spice and Wood falls into the category of notes that are not exceptional in and of themselves but rather are part of a smooth blend. I don't get much in the way of projection or longevity for this, so it'd be a little lacking as a winter staple. And it certainly doesn't score high marks in terms of uniqueness. While it's not generic or cheap, it does feel familiar, much like Green Irish Tweed can. Frankly, it reminds me slightly of Banana Republic Black Walnut due a similar woody/citrus pairing, though Black Walnut relies on tobacco where Spice and Wood relies on cedar. For me, Spice and Wood started out a like, not a love, so I assumed I'd probably not opt for the 30ml for $250 let alone 250ml for $745, but I eventually started to love it decided it was worthwhile and went full bottle after learning of an upcoming Creed price hike. It's ultimately easy to see why this is so popular---it's unassuming and classic, and a great blend. 8 out of 10

I'll be wearing this fragrance on my wedding. The only perfect 10/10 that I've smelled in my fragrance journey. There's a word that sums up this fragrance better than anything else: Balanced. There's no sudden transition between polar opposite top and base notes. Instead, we get a very seamless transition from the first spray to the far dry down. The blend of woods they have at the heart is there from start to finish, and the only difference is the notes that surround them as time evolves. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING that I've smelled so far in my years of being into this hobby is as balanced as Spice and Wood. It's like all of the notes living together in peace and harmony. No note is trying to push others to the side in a battle to become the most prominent note. You have the woody cedar, sweet apple, green angelica, fresh lemon, spicy pepper, delicate musk, smokey birch, and classy oakmoss. Like friends in a campfire, they surround and give life to the masterpiece that is Creed Spice and Wood. Projection and sillage are perfect for this type of fragrance. I don't want people on the other side of the room to smell me when I'm wearing this. I like this as an intriguing fragrance with an invitation to move closer. Longevity is a consistent 8-12 hours.

This and Royal Oud, to this day are my 2 favorite fragrances ever and i've smelt around 700-800 fragrances. The performance isn't actually bad, it's just that you would expect more power from something so expensive but you need to understand that you are paying for the quality level of the sophistication this fragrance delivers, not the projection. This isn't hedonistic, tobacco vanille, nouveau riche money. This is sophisticated, elegant, old money level of rich. This is a - rich and made it in life gentleman - type fragrance, blended to perfection with a blessing and a curse called natural ingredients, that will usually lie uneasy due to ungrateful wearers complaining about performance. Reality is it DOES last, it just doesnt project heavy but it actually shouldn't. Nothing reeks worse than an eccentricly loud fragrance, that begs for attention, if you're trying to be classy and elegant. Also saw someone below, talking down on this while praising montale intense pepper. It's an insult to any nose out there, to compare this fragrance to any montale ever. You still have time to delete that comment my friend. 11/10 fragrance but only for those who are ready to pay with projection for true olfactive quality.

Fresh spicey opening with the amazing apple which reminds me of aventus opening. The spices could remind you of viking but this is way more better. It’s blended better smoother and more versatile... but... the performance is so weak. I don’t care much about projection but it does not stay even as a skinscent it stays maximum 2.5 hours on me. So I’m selling my bottle unfortunately. The quality is another level but performance sucks on these.. Edit: this smells like aventus for her in the drydown! My wife came across me today and I said heyy why do you wear my cologne?? She said what? I said yes spice and wood from creed that gold bottle.. she said I don’t wear your perfumes it’s aventus for her.. I did not believe her so I sprayed both on my wrist. Aventus for her definitely 100x stronger but, in the drydown of spice and wood which came pretty quick was exactly aventus for her! Just buy aventus for her and a small decant of viking layer them and you have this but 10x stronger. Amazing scent but after al these perfumes from creed I think they really rip you off.. specially with these royal line.

It smells like the name. Cedar wood with spices. But it also has a certain freshness to it with the green apple and lemon which makes it wearable all year except maybe the high summer heat. No fragrance is worth that price tag in my opinion, but if i had to choose one in that price range i would buy, it would be this for sure. Not a strong projecting scent, it's rather a pleasant one that leaves a weak trail. A signature worthy masculine scent with a rugged edge. Great for masculine men that doesn't like the typical fragrance smell that projects heavily, and people around you wouldn't think you wear a fragrance. It's rather a smooth, yet rugged man scent. This just leaves a masculine aura around you that gives a feeling of a polite mature man with knowledge. I picture men like Russel Growe, Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Dean Morgan when i think of Spice and Wood. The projection sucks. It stays in your personal space, but that's what i like and people who prefer that would like the performance on this too.

Beautiful fragrance... it dances. I'm fortunate to have a Creed counter in my local department store where I often treat myself to a little spritz or two. I usually gravitate towards the obvious Creed fragrances, but I'm being adventurous these days. I'm so glad I tried Spice and Wood. I tried it on card and on my wrist... it does smell different on card, not as deep or as interesting. I loved it enough to buy a 10ml sample. Not a full bottle... I'm not made of money. I want to describe the scent, but it's difficult. I won't do it justice, but here goes; The opening is grapefruit, sour but also sweet, like sour lemon candy. This fades slowly leaving the same smell you get when opening a new box of colouring pencils. Of course the scent is more interesting than how I've explained, but I hope I've given you an idea. I think I'm getting 4 hours longevity, but it might be more. Difficult to tell. I'd obviously like it to be 8 hours plus. It's certainly worth buying a sample. Thanks for reading.

Purchase this as a x mass gift for my self, scent is amazing, very classy and expensive, mature. The balanced of every note on this frag really well blended, well this is about the scent. Now talking about the performance, longevity is weak same like the projection. Already notice it while sniffing on a store before i purchased. The high Price is the other thing to consider. I Still purchased 75 ml bottled event i know the performance and projection is weak is because i really impressed with the scent, for me the scent is special that fit for special moment. Not safe for blind buy, and i think this is the fragrance that only worth it to buy one time only in my life, for repurchase oh hell no. I Love the scent very amazing the only thing i like from the spice and wood and ignored the performance, projection and Price. Cmon creed if the performance and projection is really good with the same price i would love to purchased it again, If still same thats a big No

Update: After one year of wearing this, I will say I really love the scent but also this is extremely overpriced for many reasons. 1- Bad performance. 2- Bad sillage. 3- Their 250 ml bottles have no atomizer ( weird, we are in 2020 why they can not add atomizer ). 4-The juice inside the 75ml bottles cost less than 60$ for sure, it's so irritating that they can not increase the concentration to extrait parfum like many outstanding niche companies and above all of that they charge over $500 for 75ml, very bad. I really think anyone interested in this should never pay $500 instead you look up on eBay for a tester or just find a clone of it, but never give the money to those companies who treat customers very bad like creed do. Sorry if this long complain but that because I feel bad me or anyone pay for something like S&W not worth the money. We as a customers deserve the best because we are the ones who made them rich and arrogant.

Ahhh!!! I finally pin pointed it. Alpha Damascone. The latest formulations of Spice and Wood have a harsher and more detectable aroma chemical profile which goes to spoil the whole experience of the fragrance. I have a recent 75ml bottle and to the best of my memory I can recall that back in the years (2012-2016) there was a beautiful fruity and black peppery opening followed by light floral and of course, woods. The bitterness of angelica root kept the fragrance classy and mature yet pleasant and joyful. Again the usual dilemma of quality compromised because one or the other (IFRA or simply the brand's greed in saving money and overcharging). We will never know. But what I do know is that I will steer away from Creed as the inconsistency is embarrassing and the value of the niche quality has been lost long time ago. Good longevity 7+hours And lovely projection/sillage Not a compliment getter in my experience.

My Number 1 fragrance of all-time, Spice and Wood presents a fantastic, realistic apple note over alluring, spicy notes of cedar and birch. What makes Spice and Wood so impressive and enjoyable to me is the crisp clarity with which it conveys these accords and the warm, almost sensual touch that accents its woods. I find the performance to be fine: 6 to 8 hours with good projection. This one doesn't scream, but it has a nice presence and its projection is appropriately calibrated for this style of scent. Due to its crispness, Spice and Wood is fairly versatile, and can be worn all year around without a problem. It's elegant but extremely comfortable, classy and rich without the slightest pretense. If you're a fan of Aventus, Terre d'Hermes, and masculine woods in general, it's definitely worth checking out Spice and Wood. Creed's best offering, in my opinion. Final rating: 10/10.

@Liz70 although i respect anyone wearing any type of fragrance, i do think it's wrong to state that this fragrance exudes feminine elegance when it's composed with a lot of masculine-typical notes like birch, pepper, oakmoss and cedar. I personally don't see this on a woman but then again, i never smelled it on one so i might be wrong but this fragrance has masculinity written all over it. Saying this has feminine elegance to it, is like saying gentle fluidity gold had a very bold masculine energy to it, which is a unisex scent but very obviously catered towards females, with even a masculine counterpart in fluidity silver. As i said, i always respect people wearing whatever they like and i think it's ok to like female scents as a man and masculine scents as a woman but we gotta be real with the reviews and not tell ourselves and others that something is what it isn't.

Caught this one by surprise a couple days ago! I honestly thought this was only available in France, but I guess I was wrong. Looking at all the Creed frags in the store, I noticed about 4-5 of them with no exotic colorful label/bottle like the rest have. I was looking at the Royal Exclusive collection. With all the others like sublime vanille, pure white cologne, etc. I immediately sprayed this on my forearm and could right away get whiffs of spice and wood. Exactly like it is. I find this scent is very true to the name. It reminds me of an old abandoned forest, and in the distance, a burnt out fire, but without the smoke scent. Just the burning wood smell. Price point, not a chance would I buy a bottle of this. Longevity was Meh, lasted a few hours, became a skin scent then vanished. However regardless, still an overall great scent, just not worth the price!

For those who would consider French Lover as an alternative to this wonderful fragrance, well just do yourself a favour, and don't do it. Everything that's wrong in FL is great in S&W. I'm not the person who cares about notes, ingredients, i'm after the result. Do i like it, or not? Do i enjoy wear it? How does it make me feel? Well imagine a cloudy chilly autumn early afternoon. The skies are grey, you put your brown boots on, with your black jeans, black roll neck jumper, and your tom ford jacket from spectre. Your seamaster 300 master co-ax watch on the brown leather strap and then apply this fragrance. You will feel confident, masculine, happy, different from the crowds. And know you are proud to own this masterpiece. I have 3 in my collection currently, selling one of them, 75/74ml - full presentation - 2016 batch - UK only - PM if you're after one