Aqua Gold

#659 In my "Tour de Fragrance" Got this as a sprayette sample. As others have noted this is reminiscent of the Dior Eau Sauvage EDT. A tad less sour. Maybe a tad less old school. I much prefer the Parfum version of Eau Sauvage, which is maybe even more old school, but a better performer. This scent lacks the screechy bergamot note of the Eau Sauvage. So Aqua Gold has that in its favor. Unlike many other Montale scents this is a moderate scent that's safe for the car pool, elevator, office. I suspect if you have many other Montale scents on the shelf you may find the potency of this scent a bit disappointing, but unlike their more beastly options, this is acceptable business wear exactly because it's just not that strong and heavy. You could class this as a citrus freshie for daytime wear in warm weather. Wouldn't be a date night scent for me. I like it, but I'm not moved to own a full bottle (or in this case, cannister).

If you have tried Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum 2017, this is close, BUT, this is lighter (scent profile) and a little more musky. It lets in more air, allows you to cool a little more, and a little less resins are present. So they took out a little resin, added more white musk and cedar. You will smell clean, cool, fresh, and light. I think this is the cleanest smelling Montale ever. For a fragrance of this fresh profile it lasts longer than I thought it would. A solid wear for five hours, and potentially a skin scent for eight, but it will evaporate in high heat, but it will push off stronger in the high temperature too. I know Pierre Montale is aiming to create a fresh scent, but I would have added a tiny bit of fresh green vetiver in the mid, maybe in the base. Do I love it? Yes, do I wear it, absolutely. This has become a staple for me in hot weather.

Aqua Gold is a standout in the Montale line up (as is Fougeres Marine). Why? Most Montale whilst lauded often have a common generic base and often poor performance (though many disagree, I say this is because of limited experience). This is an exception (as is Fougeres Marine). Here they have not cut cost on quality of oils, instead leaving a super oily concentration. The concoction powers away all day not at a super loud volume but a throbbing bass that just won’t be turned off. For me this is (whilst all the notes are there) a dark fleshy pulp of lavender on dark moss with a hint of leather. Some white florals - a touch and a l slight citric airiness courtesy of the citrus and Neroli. A touch of wood to give it a bit of broader texture. Amazing - if you want a dark brooding masculine lavender this is it!

I find this to be refreshing and above average. In the vain of Gendarme EDP and Montale Fougeres Marine. I disagree with the Citrus as a dominant vote or description though I agree largely with Picknenders description. For me this is a smooth musky crushed lavender assisted with white florals on top of a strip of faint leather. It’s brightness and airiness is buoyed by a syrupy oily sweet lemon as a base like the other ingredients are floating on the leather in a bowl of it. All the other notes are complimentary. Pleasant and natural, whilst not particularly ground breaking (not that it needs to be) it is remarkably well done. I struggled to justify it when I already have Fougeres Marine which is weaker but nice and refreshing in summer but I’ve come to realise I now prefer this...

This completely took me by surprise. For a fresh citrus fragrance, this is stunning. More than your citrus/musk fragrance. Open very bright and citrusy with the orange blossom and jasmine peaking around the corner. As the citrus calm down, the orange blossom/jasmine combo come forth making one of the best fresh citrus DNAs I’ve smelled. As it continues to sit on my skin, the wood note adds great depth overall. Superb! Longevity is above average...which is huge for a fresh citrus DNA. Projection is above average as well. Great for spring/summer and could be pulled off in fall. Heck, I wore it today in 40 degree weather and love it. I got this in a sample pack and had never heard of it. So lucky/happy it came as extra. Picking up a bottle as spring comes around. Highly recommend!

As a fan of Montale fragrances, I was excited to try this. Initially it’s a fresh citrusy blast with notes of lavender and drying down to a woody leather, but honestly it isn’t as big of a “WOW” factor as I was expecting. Over all a nice, albeit mundane, “safe” warm weather scent. A pass for me as it’s just not unique enough for me.

Got this in a sample set and the quality is impeccable if you like Rojas Oceania but cheaper and without the cleaning product like note buy this.It may be less complex but it smells much smoother and more inviting.Awesome all year round scent which is underrated and far more sophisticated than your average blue fragrance Xx

Finally a nicely done great Montale. Really fresh zingy citrusy long lasting fragrance, imagine creed spice and wood mixed with cedro di taormina and more playfulness with a ton of lasting power

Very very unique.. Hard to believe that it's a montale.. Can be said It's like Dior sauvage extreme with a Aquatic 🌊 minty paste note! cool type of vibe mature drydown! Superb performance!

A very good and masculine fresh scent from Montale that isn’t generic at all. The opening is a bit harsh but give it about 15-20 minutes. Tons of compliments, smells rich

Wow wow. This is just amazing. Listen just blind buy it

Montale’s take on an herbal-citrus aromatic fougere. 1. Opens with a loud herbal citrus the first hour. 2. Transitions into a natural smelling mint and lavender accord; which I don’t see mint listed. A combination of the notes perhaps. This next phase sticks with you for several more hours. 3. Eventually dries to a floral musk. 4. An 8 hour life-cycle for this fragrance. As is often the case with Montale fragrances, the marketing and branding miss the mark with Aqua Gold. With the bottle having a palm tree, you’d be expecting a tropical, coconut, suntan lotion fragrance. It’s anything but. Not even close. What it is, however, is potent. My first time wearing Aqua Gold in public I sprayed it heavily; thinking it would be like so many other citrus fragrances that burn off quickly. Seeing my colleagues covering their noses and eyes watering as I walked by made me completely embarrassed. Be careful with this one. Lesson learned. It is rare to find herbal citrus fragrances that last longer than 4 hours. If you love these types of aromatic fragrances; I highly recommend Montale’s Aqua Gold. Rating 8.5/10

This is a nice tweener fragrance. In between niche and designer. It has a grassy citrus that is anchored by musk and leather. It’s very aromatic and pleasing to the nose. It’s not unique - and frankly, I find that it resembles hugo reversed. With that said, I find this to be appealing - and for $60 on eBay, makes for an easy decision. It would imagine it would be hard to not like this - as it’s generally safe - and while it does have a bit of an edge to it, it’s not going to be a polarizing scent that many montale’s seem to be. Had I paid full retail, I’d be disappointed. At $60, it’s a good deal. Give it a shot! Edit... On second thought, this may be one of the worst performing colognes that I own. Strange, as montale/mancera typically takes multiple washes to remove. This one gives me 2 hours - generously - with 5 sprays. On clothing, on skin - same story. Be prepared to overspray or carry a decant.

I'm basing this review off of one wear from a sample. To me it smells like a niche Hugo by Hugo Boss. It has that sweet, slight apple, pine/fir smell. I guess this is from a combination of the jasmine, lavender and leather. I can smell a tinge of barbershop in the deep background, but would not classify this as old school. Smells like the mid 90's to me (maybe that's old school now). I've had it on for about 6 hours and it still has some projection. I would have never guessed this was a Montale if I smelled it blindly. If I didn't already have Hugo I'd probably buy this. I still may. I feel like this can suit all ages and almost any occasion.

For me this smells like a combination of dior homme 2020 with ADG profomo. It's a masculine, modern take on a more throwback style. I haven't tried Eau sauvage so I can't comment on it. It's a solid fragrance, probably one of the more masculine fragrances from that house and I don't regret buying. BUT for this scent profile I prefer dior homme even though this lasts longer. There's just something about that dior homme 2020 that's just perfect even with the lackluster projection. Season for me would be early spring or late fall. Overall it gets a solid like from me.

WOW, THIS IS STRONG! I gave this a few sprays a couple of days ago because it was nice out and this stuff is POTENT! I personally didn't like the opening but my sister said she liked it when she smelled it. This stuff filled up my girlfriend's house, you could smell it from everywhere. I would recommend this for the cooler, windy days of summer and no more than 3-4 sprays (1 on each wrist and one on the neck). I got about 5 compliments my first time wearing it although I wasn't necessarily in love with it myself.

Upon opening it hits you with a blast of juicy citrus, very pleasing to the nose. There are light woods interwoven with lavender. The musk is in the base but albeit light. I get no leather. It’s a pleasant freshie but not a monster. In the dry down in reminds me of Mancera Wave Musk...not exact but has that vibe. It’s a skin scent after an hour.

Ultra potent attention-grabbing fresh scent. Quite acidic and musky, I perceive also some cypress which makes it smell richer and more decadent. This is for the man who wants a laud freshie revised in a nichy way. It's not noble or gentle by any means, but rather muscular and assertive.

Underrated fragrance. Unique, the closest I can describe this is spicy citrus, it reminds me a little of Dior Homme Sport, but in niche form.

A mature fragrance that I like... but not on myself (30 y.o). On my dad however, it works very well!

smooth smell, i really liked it, but performance is normal

I bought it as a bling buy like a few other Montales (5) and it’s the only I am not happy with - cause it doesn’t perform. It’s doesn’t feel to have the Montale DNA. Longevity and sillage are disappointing. Not sure if it’s just a matter of a batch, but the smell goes away in 2-3h max. Although, it’s a genuine fragrance from Montale’s Own website. I like the smell though.

Disappointment. Was expecting more floral and citrus scent, but all i got was wood. Not for me and dont even like the smell.

This smells like a generic designer freshie along the lines of Aqua Amara or Vince Camuto Solare. Hard pass for me.

Montale Aqua Gold is a citrus woods. Upon first spray, the fragrance has an incredibly strong resemblance to Acqua di Parma's Cedro di Taormina. It has the exact same aquatic woodsy cedar, splashed with stingy citruses and subtle grainy aspects. Montale's formula however also has this distinctly feminine glaze on top of it. I could best describe this glaze as a subtle, powdery essence, with a distinctly feminine sweetness and tang to it. Despite this quality, the oversoul from Cedro di Taormina is still very dominant, and distinctly masculine. By these qualities, I would guess the reference here is that Aqua Gold is supposed to be the embodiment of one of those really butch female bodybuilders. The ones that are really big and almost overly muscular, with distinctive masculine aspects to their body. On the otherside, I guess the reference could cascade into some kind of, "Real Housewives of Italians"; the concept of a woman who's very feminine, yet distinctly strong and bossy. Yeah‒one for her. As for the fragrance, Aqua Gold is a neat twist on Cedro di Taormina's formula, but I still find it so similar that it's totally redundant to the original fragrance. I also think the bend from masculine to feminine here is so incredibly strong‒that it's uncomfortable. It just has one foot in each door so strongly, that the identity is constantly taking you in two different directions. Not something I can get down with unfortunately, and I would be surprised to find a woman that doesn't feel the same as well.

This is a less synthetic version of a designer freshie. In the drydown there is a minty note that is pleasant. It's a step up from your Varvatos Artisans of the world, and can be found by reliable ebay sellers for $65. This fragrance feels "lighter" than it's designer counterparts, and can be worn on a warm summer day easily. I can picture someone wearing all white wearing this at an outside restaurant with those huge leaf fans circulating above. Easy peasy. For the price on the grey market, it's a no-brainer if you're a fan of Montale, and are looking for a signature summer fragrance.

Aqua Gold is very citrus heavy aquatic ozonic scent to my nose. Reminds me of CK eternity summer which i have (i can't remember the year of the CK release) which is also very citrusy aquatic in fact very similar to Aqua Gold. Very fresh frag suitable for hot weather/climate. However the other notes especially the leather, lavender & musk which are stated is almost non existent to my nose. Longevity is good up to 8+ hours on me but projection is weak closer to your body and sillage is also soft. Quite generic to me. I am not saying this is bad but just ok.

Sigh... I thought, 'a lavendar-citrus freshie from Montale?! It has to be great'... I read and re-read the notes pyramid and thought that with the intensity and punchiness of Pierre Montale at the helm, I'm going to love this. Nope. Pineapple, coconut. That's all I'm getting from this. I realize that neither of those are in the description but some combination of notes here is saying "fruity" to me and I hate it. I tried and tried again but I can't un-smell the pineapple. Gross.

In scorching heat, this works just perfectly. Almost like a prickly heat powder, gives you that feel. The lavender is the star here; the citrus freshness is sharp but fleeting, but the lavender screams throughout. Definitely a noticeable fragrance, personally been noticed multiple times wearing this. For the summer, this one is a good dumb reach casual scent; it packs character. One of the better Montales out there for sure.

Does not really remind me of Acqua di Parma's Cedro. Instead reminds me a lot of Creed Millesime Imperial, Sean John Unforgivable, and Bond No. 9 Wall Street. It's in the same realm of salted, slightly ozonic watermelon and citrus. It's an interesting scent to be sure but I'm still unsure if I love it, especially as I prefer Unforgivable in this scent family. 3.5/5

Smells very nice in the opening, but that soon fades. About 10 min later if transitions into a synthetic, plastic, flowery smell with a hint of woods... at this point it lasts for hours without changing. If you’re looking for a fresh offering from Montale, I’d suggest Aoud Forest, it’s much brighter and more pleasant over all. 2/10

One of the better ones in the Montale line up. Top 3 as a man. Awesome. This one is powerful, fresh and lasting. It Will be in my summer rotation. I received good feed back. I will buy a bottle , especially now that Aqua Di Parmas Cedro Taomorna is discontinued, shame on them. Its worthy of a blind buy.

Loved the scent on scent strip, but wasn’t as happy with the scent once applied, and didn’t have as good of performance. Still happy to have it and wear it sometime. Smells fruity fresh floral clean, almost like a high quality axe body spray, but sadly with this one I feel like axe performs better :(

A slightly simplified, easier to like contemporary version of Dior Eau Sauvage (not Dior Sauvage!!!). If you like the idea of Dior Eau Sauvage but find it to austere, try this one, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Smelled familiar. Couldn’t place my nose on it. Well, after several days I realize this has a similar scent profile as Creed Viking. If the price of Viking gets you down. This would be a great alternative.

A Nice Refreshing Blend of Musks and citruses with a hint of Ginger to my nose, would make a nice summer scent fairly light though not a typical Montale power house!

To me, this one have a very vintage vibe. Something like the first Dior Eau Souvage edt, Rochas Homme etc. Not bad but old school barbershop aroma.

Fresh, herbal, citric and woody, no oud in this one. Soft sillage, very masculine. I would love to smell this scent in a healthy and handsome man.

on me it smells like rancid fruit