Black Citrus

This has been properly named, since it's a heavy and dark citrus frag centered on birch tar (aka impression of bitter leather) supported by a strong bergamot (mostly in the opening). The drydown is pretty linear, with the bergamot who fades out (but is still present to keep things fresh), and the birch tar who takes the lead. That, coupled with violet, mate and cardamom (and probably also a hint of smoky vetiver) nearly gives a bitter green tobacco feeling, strongly reminding me of a fragrance I love: Monsillage Aviation Club. I can tell some patchouli is there as well, but as a supporting note only. On my skin, performance is great with heavy projection in the first hour, moderate projection for the following 3-4 hours, and above average longevity. If you already own the latter, it might be redundant. If not, I'd highly recommend to get one or the other. (underlining that Black Citrus has better performance than Aviation Club, but the latter can be found for great prices on ebay). Spring/Fall days, 25+ (note that love for green bitter notes is required to love this one!)

I am a moderately feminine woman who generally prefers feminine-leaning unisex scents. IMO, this is true unisex, so suitable for any gender presentation. Black citrus, to my nose, captures the smell of opening an Earl Grey tea bag. My non-frag-head husband agrees and finds it "pleasant" on me. This is one of my current favorites, and if you like a compliment-getter, one friend stopped what she was saying midsentence to tell me "you smell SO good!" Longevity is fairly good, 4-6 hours though a very light tea scent clings to the skin for a long time. The sillage smells amazing and is moderate to my view. I personally enjoy how sweat influences this fragrance on me, and look forward to using this in summer. As far as the packaging, that is very well done. I plan to keep this in the rotation. I just wanted to add a counterpoint to all the folks indicating this may not be suitable for women.

Opens up with a distict, extremely fresh citrus which is still oddly warm and bright. Quite unique! As it settles I get more and more oakmossy notes, might be the violet. Then the birch chimes in and all this adds up to a beautifully soothing scent that actually reminds me of Timbuktu. Lovers of Terre d'Hermes and its Eau Tres Fraiche might also find some similarities after drydown. If you can cope with heavier tar there is another related scent in 2015 Le Phénix by Les Bains Guerbois. I've been an avid fan of Timbuktu since its release but would still go for Black Citrus if I had to choose between them, as it holds the same exotic warmth with less tar, cleaner smoke and less sweetness. Amazing longevity, far more than 12 hours.

I agree with MikesPlaza below: this shares some noticeable similarities to Creed's Aventus, but is different enough that you could own both. The 2 most obvious differences are the opening fruit note (Citrus here) and the spicyness. I'm really enjoying the scent and will give it at a 4.5/5 -- could be worth the price if it performs well enough. Note: this is one of those frags that smells a bit different on skin than on paper (where the Citrus and pepperyness seem to last longer) so the same might be true for skin vs clothes (some "weak" scents last for days on clothes).

Bright, juicy tart bergamot, the astringent, hesperidic notes rounded off by a careful dose of violet. Birch and mate give it some substance, the musky notes give it a soft fluffiness. I can see the marketing blurb about rain in London fitting the impression of flowers after a brief summer rain. I don't get cardamom at all. This is not close to Aramis at all imho. I wouldn't have thought of Aventus or Morning Chess if it hadn't been mentioned in the reviews. Clean, musky, slightly floral bergamot with some woody backbone. Perfect masculine daytime fragrance

While Morning Chess is considered to be Vilhelms Parfumeries take on Aventus, it is obvious that Black Citrus also is heavily inspired by the former. Black Citrus opens with a really fresh and juicy bergamot and dries down dark, woody, smokey and slightly herbal. The heavy birch/patchouly base is very reminiscent of smokier Aventus-batches, but its still very much its own scent. All in all its a lovely and very high quality fragrance.

Who unboxed my new bottle of the great great Black Citrus by Vilhelm Parfumerie. Who in my over crowded house had pleasure of being the first person to spray the bottle for the first time and experience what a unisex masculine leaning Aventus type a fragrance should be. The good news is that it will not be hard to find them because they are going to be smelling noticeably incredible good for at least the next 12+ hours.

The description on this fragrance really sold me: It's inspired by "a snapshot of London after a rainshower, when the city scent is filtered through a cool veil of water." How cool and mysterious does that sound? It has topnotes of bergamot and cardamom, middle notes of violet and mate leaf heart, and bottom notes of birch and patchouli.

Smells like a smoky (it's the birch) citrus fragrance supported by the accords of earthy, wet forest. Some would describe this as an earthy Aventus. I like this one. Also: Reformulations have started. I went to a Scent Bar in Downtown LA, and the fragrance has been completed neutered. No scratchy smoky citrus. No earthy dry-down.

Very nice indeed. Recommended to me by the Liberty London Beauty team. Nothing about it reminds of London after a rain storm but its fresh and welcoming scent. More masculine than feminine. The scent lingers well into the day. I love the Vilhelm Parfumerie brand. Black Citrus is up there as one of its best

OMG!!!!. this is freaking awesome!!!: I have tried all the collection and Morning Chess and this one are the best in my humble opinion. This is so fresh, but intriguing at the same time. It is so smooth and well blended....

I love the scent for this fragrance, such a good spring and summer vibe. Love!!!!!

A smoky citrus high quality scent, best of the best

First impression: On my dry skin, all I got was a super strong citrus and citrus rine for a while. Afterwards I start getting a dark tea and some birtch, patch, and a black tea leather vibe. I wouldn't call this a leather fragrance, it's more like Le Labo Noir 29 than leather. I'm impressed with its staying power without smelling like aroma chemicals. Interesting dark citrus just as advertised. In the ballpark of Noir 29 and Morning Chess combined, but I rate N29 higher because it has much more depth, and is a bit more interesting. ------------------------------------------------- Scent 7.5/10 Performance 7.5/10

It opens up peppery and green, with a strong astringent note of blackcurrant leaves. It’s opening reminds me of Frederic Malle’s Rose et Cuir in its green intensity (although Rose Et Cuir is greener and devoid of patchouli). It is crisp and fresh. Somewhere deep in there is an animalistic note, but you really have to look for it. It’s not a perfume you will get complimented on, and it’s not a first date perfume as it is not very sensual. It would be great for an office setting as it is interesting, fresh, and inobtrusive. I don’t believe in gendering perfumes, but this one if distinctly unisex.

Of the Vilhelm scents I tried this is one of the few I was pleasantly surprised by. A clean, sharp scent, not much more to add. Feels great to wear when you want to feel put together, ready, and pleasant, but not sweet. It’s not worth the price tag IMO, BUT then I’m also not a citrus or “fresh” scent enjoyer, and considering that I do like it. Not the most original thing ever, but good! I see why some people who enjoy very fem scents might not like this, but I also wholeheartedly disagree.

First blast of spicy dark green, a ticklish punch of cardamom, then velvety herbaceous mate. Very nice.. it's woody and earthy yet cool and a touch fruity as well. This should be the new normal for a man who wants to smell clean and spicy but not like everyone else. The drydown really features that leafy mate note and shares it with an almost soapy patchouli. Masculine and would suit all weather.

This must be called "Poets of Berlin" instead of actual one. You are getting a pretty beautiful citrus, but not a fresh-happy "sunny day" type, it's dark, even cold, like in forgotten laboratory, I guess Camus and Sartre would love to wear this fregrance..if you know what I mean. Not for a blid buy, but great artistic fregrance, if you love dark and depressive scents

I wanted a lighter citrus that lasted longer and could be an evening wear and I picked this one up. I'm still living with it, but I got the smaller travel size as I think it'll be one that can be worn flexibly. Even though it fades fast, that just opens me up to putting on some of the other faint ones, as I'm not super jazzed about wearing the same scent all day.

To me this is straight up Mens Aramis. Absolutely no difference what so ever. Definitely gonna be for guys 35 and older and in no way would I say this is unisex. Wouldn’t want any woman I was around smelling like this. Way to manly for a woman but any older guy could rock this. Save you money and just pick up a bottle of Aramis at the discounted stores

Quick bergamot opening that is quite reminiscent of aventus (comparing side by side with my bottle) which lasts 5 minutes before becoming a beautiful lightly smoked clean tea scent. very clean and inoffensive. I might have to pick up a full bottle, im rarely not in the mood for this. Source: official sample decant

I liked this, but don’t love it. I get very little citrus, lots of woodyness, a little violet, and at fist smell an earthy scent like wet potting soil. Not unpleasant, just unexpected. There is a hint of lime after dry down, but mostly an almost sandalwood smell, although I didn’t see that listed in the notes.

I really like this perfume. It has a citrusy yet sweet smell that gets better as it settles on the skin. Downside: not very longlasting. People's skin pH might change the scent of perfumes so whatever works for someone may not work for someone else. Best is to try. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 6/10 Sillage: 8/10

This is actually very nice! Super happy fragrance, floral and a bit herbal on a base of white wood( not birch tar) very refreshing and uplifting, still not 210€ for this juice..come on

I have mixed emotions about this one. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. Like a fresh cucumber or like a moss. I wouldn't recommend a blind buy for this scent.

Nice but a bit heavy on me, would prefer to smell it on a boyfriend. The birch note is interesting, reminds me of walking into a woodworking shop!

Too smokey for me, because I'm not a smoke lover. Otherwise an interesting mix with a very realistic, edible citrus.

smells gresat but is too masculine for me - giving to my brother for sure

A poor man’s Creed Spice and Wood: cheaper, simpler, more youthful. Nothing bad about being a poor man’s Creed S&W since it has been sadomasochistically priced for 3rd-generation’s wealth and tech billionaires. Well blended, airy and velvety freshness; It has no sharp edges to it. The drydown is earthier but remains velvety. I’m not sure if thats good or bad. It’s kind of non-descript to me as far as drydown goes. Performance on my skin is not great. Too airy too velvety, somewhat fleeting. I love this citrus aromatic spicy type. But this one lacks something. It either needs a better drydown, or a better projection.

I did a side-by-side comparison of Black Citrus and Morning Chess and found both have the same flaw. While the opening is nice, they quickly dry down to something pretty unremarkable and indistinct. Within a few hours Black Citrus on paper had the same rather lifeless character I'm normally used to finding on a test strip after a full day or two. The best thing I can say is that it's quite pleasant for the short period of time it lasts.

Opens beautifully. Bright and clean, as if sun rays start to cut through heavy rain clouds. Easy to wear, truly beautiful. But the uplifting phase only last for about 20 minutes. At least on my skin, what I get after the promising start is a linear patchouli-birch that won’t let go until they disappear and take with them the whole scent. I will see how it behaves outside.

More floral than citrusy as it dries down. A green/citrus/floral scent with a dark twist? Longevity is excellent at 10 hours and this is a 4 Season scent so could easily be the right persons signature scent but that person ain't me. No way is it unisex as it screams macho manly.

If you know how orange peel smells like - then u've already tasted this perfume ;) Middle to base are much more pleasant and nice, the beginning is a disaster :)

Nope, not a bad scent. Just not my cup of tea; thing is I can respect this but I get a ‘pine-y’ aroma that gets right into my head switches on my headache button. It’s jarring and green, no that’s not right It’s FU**ING GREEN, I can’t do green scents. But it’sa weird fresh wood green it just irks me. I get the artistry being this I can definitely respect the talent of the perfumer, but it’s just not my slice of cake. 5/10 Edit: The dry down is very reminiscent of Antaeus I adore Antaeus Soo for that I’m going to improve the score 6/10 Edit: 02/07/2022: Thought I liked it. Edit: 14/11/2022: Wore it today, hate it. 4/10

Why oh why do small niche perfume houses like Vilhelm even try ?. Over and over again, similar creations just miss the mark and prove to be an absolute waste of time and money. Out of approx. 20 samples of late, this one from Vilhelm is easily one of the worst I have ever come across. Abrasive and unsettling in my wearings, a cheap and no where near completed effort coming at a hefty price tag. This scent from Vilhelm is purely for sheepish followers of small nice perfume houses feeling special about blindly adoring the obscure.

It's what it says on the bottle; a dark citrus. However the actual scent itself really reminded me of cheap men's body spray. Maybe I'm missing something, but the week I tried this scent I felt like I was being followed by a sweaty, over-bodysprayed gym bros armpit. Yuck.

Kind of glad this one was a weak performer because it was almost offensive. Not a fan of the citrusy/licorice smell at first, and then it just dries down to something really generic. Not for me, don't see how anyone would really love this one.

What is this nonsense? It opens with an interesting burst of citrus mixed with a darker patchouli/ oak-moss, then as if in a flash, the citrus vanishes and you're left with a cheap smelling, old school barbershop scent. A scrubber.

The bergamot is completely lost in this concoction. Very strongly green aromatic, which my brain reads as sage. I do sense a tiny bit of violet.

This is not good. Generic duty free airport vibes

Now this is an unexpected and joyful surprise. Black Citrus is exactly what it says: a fresh, warm weather citrus fragrance reimagined for wear after dark. Sharp, even sour bergamot and lime intermix with smokey birch nearly as soon as the fragrance hits the skin. It smells familiar, but with a unique twist. The birch seems much more prominent than the citrus, and as you get into the mid and dry down, totally overtakes the fragrance. You’re left with an ashen woody/leather scent that has a stern, serious character accented by citrus sparkling in the background. In some ways, I’m reminded of Acqua di Gio Profumo. Not in terms of actual scent, but in having something very fresh and familiar turned dark and given an incredible amount of depth. Black Citrus is darker than Profumo, certainly, and feels more naturally at home in the night. It’s almost like it could be an Acqua di Gio for Vampires flanker. All in all, a very cool fall evening citrus scent. As Halloween approaches, Black Citrus would fit in perfectly with any and all festivities in a warmer climate. The more I smell it, the more I want to smell it more. That’s a sure sign of success.

Bitter bergamot and violet leaf, wrapped around smoky birch with dark patchouli nuances. The opening is fresh, bitter and green. A little spicy, with an herbal violet leaf thats the heart of the scent, ultimately drying down to a patchouli and birch concatenation. The patchouli is the dirty elegant smelling kind, and the birch is smoky/dark but lifts the entire scent to a bright and gloomy interesting frequency. Overall this feels like a darker and smokier Narciso Rodriguez For Him. Well composed, but not recommended nor suited for those that dislike vegetal fragrances.

Ugh, I love this smell but the top notes disappear almost instantly (to my novice nose, anyway). The remaining patchouli reminds me of my father's hair brush - which I guess might be the suggestion of leather being referred to. I couldn't possibly afford a bottle of this given how much I just want to smell the first 5 minutes of it forever. It's quite complex, and i get that kaleidoscope effect of notes hitting you in quick succession.

Lovely scent - deep dark bergamot unlike no other - I disagree with the voted note table in that it is bergamot and patchouli that assault you (not that it is a patchouli bomb) and the birch and mate (very dry) help bind the gap between top and bottom making this quite seemless. The middle notes begin to dominate after an hour so I’m not sure if what’s left is what I like as it smells like just spices but wow! What an opening!

Wow! This is fabulous! I get a blood orange vibe on the opening, then spritzy lime and violet. Then it's warm and woody. Love the cool green note that contrasts the warmth. Birch perhaps? The cardamon goes nicely with the patchouli here. NR bleu noir is also a favourite of mine that uses cardamon well. Getting a note of bitter white grapefruit on the drydown too. May treat myself to a bottle!

I hated this so much that I washed it off as soon as I got home. I really wanted to like it given the dark gothy vibe it promised. I dont know if it was the cardamom or the bitter tea that I find so offensive. My mother said it smelled like floor cleaner at the opening and cheap Aqua Velva on the dry down. Double yuck!

Was bamboozled by the name and the promise of the opening, which did have a citrus feel, hoping for something like a citrus perfume for nostalgic goths. Instead it fades immediately and all I get is powdery violet and something astringent that I pick up in more niche perfumes occasionally. It's a pass for me.

I was really hoping for one of those fragrances that, like its name, was a contradiction of terms. Like Fat electrician or Akro Ink. This is not that. It is a very astringent citrus and herbaceous dark twisty green. Definitely more of a strong and appealing daytime male-leaning scent.

This is fun! a mix if the modern Aventus vibe (about 15-20%) and your masculine sweaty uncle who smells nice when he sweats. Classy but easy to wear, remains fun, performs excellently. Different enough from Aventus and its clone for people like me who loathes smelling generic.

Someone below me called this poor mans aventus... lol mecca selling this for $450 so definitely not a poor mans aventus. No poor man can afford this, but it does smell like aventus anyway so right about that