40 Knots

40 Knots has easily secured it's spot in my top 5 all time frags. It's not about a given moment, it's about the journey. Beautifully simple in every stage of its lifespan, it morphs between all these drastically different spaces: On first spray, you are greeted by an aromatic minerality and almost marine like salinity over a dusty cinnamon with some mild citric acidity. This is the first phase. 30 minutes in, the second phase starts, I get some honey, with the most phenomenally rich amber accord, the minerality fades, and a beautiful oak note develops. As powdery facets start to emerge that go so well with the wood and amber. I get a citronella background note as well. This phase typically lasts about an hour and a half on my skin. The final phase is a rich dense sweet honey, with more amber richness, the lighter notes all fade away gradually giving way to a full bodied amber with some rich frankincense and light incense smoke. Warm spices come into play as well, nutmeg and myrrh. This will gradually fade over the course of the next 6-7 hours. What a journey! I'd love to see the closely guarded accords that Xerjoff packed into this one and has never made public. 40 Knots is a bouquet of ecstasy! A wonderful odyssey that changes so much from start to finish unlike anything nelse in my collection. There are frags I own that prefer, but none of them can deliver such a unique raw experience as 40 Knots. Longevity is excellent at an easy 10 hours on skin, it lasts much longer on clothes but it doesn't change the same way, it kind of just lingers in between the first and second phase and gradually fades. This fragrance can be used in any season and any setting, but I would go easy on the sprays in a professional setting. Completely unisex in the opening and middle, the dry down is definitely more masculine in my opinion. The last component that makes this fragrance so great is that it is phenomenal for layering purposes. The long loved rich base goes great with everything from gourmands to citrus freshies. I highly recommend Naxos, Uden, and Torino 21. If you check the page for 40 knots on Parfumo, they have some incredible layering suggestions. This is a 10/10 fragrance and while no individual phase of its life would land it in my top 3 frags, the entire package and all of its components lands it in my top 5.

This is another perfume that is changed my brain chemistry , the notes are not my usual taste but i like to challenge myself and usually i am swayed when the perfumer makes something beautiful and palatable even in notes i dont like. so i got a 10ml decant for myself. This one is a trip , the prominent note changes everytime i smell it but there seems to be kind of three distinct phases , at first theres a lot of black pepper to me , spice heavy and not sweet ,also smokey incense which is probably the amber and something like a sharp wood like fresh chopped tree or like pine ,feels manly and clean , strongly reminds me of viktor rolf spice bomb mens line DNA. Then it becomes a full blown ambery baby powder , strong powder smell that particular familiar one and it’s clean and creamy , heavy but not too much its good . after that suddenly becomes very sweet , soft baby vanilla , milky ambery powdery somewhat like a calcium chew tablet ? little bit of nuttiness note like the kind of vibe a chocolate gourmand arabic perfume has but without the oud and also a hint of incense again , if i smell it up close its quite gourmand but if i smell at a distance, wafting about me only then there is some salty windy sea breeze feeling Not sure if its a summer frag per se but it’s definitely light compared to frags with the same vibe which tends to be heavier and instantly becomes a winter only , but this one..... maybe you can get away with it as a daily year round (if you want everyone to think you're absolutely loaded old money style) For me personally unfortunately while i am really loving smelling it , just not on myself , considering my usual fresh floral spice love , this one doesn’t sit well on me . however it would be irresistible on someone else.

The 40 Knots has never struck me as a fragrance about the sea itself, but about the moment just before it. Its resinous, dense, almost oily opening evokes the awakening of a grand yacht: engines freshly ignited, warm metal, varnished wood, sun-heated leather, and a subtle trace of oil and diesel mingling with the salt air. Rather than embracing the familiar freshness of marine fragrances, it captures the weight, substance, and restrained power that precede movement. Perhaps that is precisely the meaning behind its name. Forty knots is not merely a measure of speed, but a symbol of the mechanical force required to achieve it. Before the wind takes over, there is an immense, silent engine working beneath the deck. The fragrance expresses that hidden energy through resins, polished woods, and a mineral accord that, without relying on oud, conveys warmth, depth, and engineering elegance. As it evolves, the engines seem to fade into the distance. The initial density gradually gives way to a salty breeze, illuminated by clean musks and a delicate rosy hue that feels less like a flower than a change in light. The woods soften, the salt begins to resemble sun-kissed skin after a day at sea, and the fragrance shifts from a sense of propulsion to one of quiet sophistication. This is what makes 40 Knots so distinctive. Rather than portraying the ocean, it tells the story of a voyage—from the silent power of departure to the effortless elegance of cruising in open waters. More than a marine fragrance, it is an olfactory interpretation of luxury, craftsmanship, and the atmosphere that surrounds life at sea.

MASTERPIECE !! For the first time, I feel incapable of describing a fragrance or explaining its notes properly. Xerjoff 40 Knots, for me, is an extremely luxurious perfume. You either love it intensely or dislike it completely. I am among those who fell deeply in love with it after several experiences, even though my first impression wasn’t very convincing. But with full wear day after day, I became addicted to it. If I try to describe it accurately, I feel like I wouldn’t do it justice, or I might not be entirely truthful, because this perfume changes every time you smell it. Sometimes it has a salty, marine character; other times, it comes across as woody. Occasionally, a side note emerges that might seem fruity... perhaps a light hint of honey; sometimes it gives a distinct amber feel, and at other times, it leans toward a powdery facet. Honestly, it’s a perfume that has puzzled me a lot, and it’s difficult to give it a precise, consistent description. What I can say with confidence is that it is one of the most luxurious fragrances you can ever smell—a truly remarkable scent. It feels like it was made to enjoy its beauty as it is, without exhausting yourself trying to analyze every single note. It can be worn in most seasons, except during extremely high heat. It’s wonderful on summer nights and excellent in spring and autumn. In winter, however, there are other fragrances that might perform even better in those conditions.

This is a very interesting and unique blue marine fragrance. Lots of people say that this is not a marine scent but to me it is one that is done very differently from every other marine. To me the scent profile of this is marine scentric with lots of other scent profiles wrapped around it. In the opening I get a very thick powdery sweetness that is reminding me of honey, accompanied with a spice. I also get a slight shower gel freshness but not in the ambroxan way that most designer blues go, its very airy clean smelling. As the fragrance continues to dry this shower gel freshness turns almost sour, slightly shar, very powdery, and then salty. At this point the sweetness from the opening is blending really nicely with this sharp salty sea air accord. Then the base notes of a beatiful thick powdery amber and cedarwood note that also blends with the mid and creates a soft rose water smell that is extremely woody and sparkly at the same time. The scent of this is really hard to describe, but to me it is one of the most perfect all year round signature scents that has the versatility of designer blue fragrances while being very unique. To me you can probably skip bleu de chanel l'exclusif and go for this, they don't smell the same but they serve very similar purposes to me and the price is much better on this. 9/10

First - this is probably the best and most unique Xerjoff fragrance. Second - this is ABSOLUTELY a marine aquatic fragrance. I’ll be honest the first time I smelled this I didn’t think much of it. A year later I tested it again and something clicked (a reminder not to give up on a fragrance after initial testing as you may come around to enjoy it) True story - right where I live I was running by the East River in Manhattan, which is not actually a “river” and is just a waterway that’s connected to the Atlantic Ocean, and I swear on everything holy I kept getting whiffs of what smelled very very similar to 40 Knots - from the sea breeze. A salty and aromatic marine smell that was unmistakably from the ocean water that flows into the East River. No joke, it was truly incredible. For anyone saying this is not a marine fragrance you are sadly mistaken. It does not smell like your traditional blue or aquatic fragrance like some kind of Aqua di Gio variant or Davidoff Cool Water - this is the real thing and about as closely replicates the smell of being out at sea with the salty wind blowing around you as you can get in a fragrance. Spicy, woody, powdery, aquatic amber. This is suchhhh a ridiculously amazing fragrance. An easy 10/10 that will always be in my collection.

When I first tried 40 Knots by Xerjoff, I thought it was a gorgeous fragrance. It immediately gave me the impression of arriving at the beach on a breezy day, the moment when you first step onto the sand and catch that salty ocean air. The scent comes across very clean and refreshing. As it settles, I pick up a light saltiness mixed with soft woody notes that create that coastal atmosphere. It’s easy to imagine wearing something like this year-round. If you live somewhere cold and gray during the fall or winter months, a few sprays could easily transport your mind to a sunnier place. That said, after spending more time with it I realized the fragrance felt quite linear on my skin, and the scent profile started to feel repetitive over time. The performance is undeniably strong, I regularly got well over 10 hours of wear—but because the scent stayed largely the same throughout, it eventually became a bit tiring for me. In the end, I decided to trade my bottle. It’s still a beautifully made fragrance and I understand why many people love it, but it didn’t quite align with what I look for in my collection. Scent: 8/10 | Longevity: 9/10 | Projection: 8/10 | Overall: 7/10

Looking at the reviews, I think the mistake is viewing niche perfumes as either women's or men's fragrances. A person has the right to smell what they love. Putting beautiful scents into specific categories as either women's or men's is, in my opinion, very wrong. As for the review, I'd like to start by telling you a story: I was born and raised in a Mediterranean village, and in the summers and springs, after swimming in the sea, we would come out around the afternoon and start sleeping on our wooden balcony. At that time, a breeze, which we call 'meltem' in our region, would blow from the sea. This perfume resembles that breeze so much, I can't even describe it. From the moment I sprayed it, I relived my childhood again and again. This made me very emotional and created a special bond with this perfume. I tried to describe the perfume like this: there's definitely not too much salt, and the beautiful freshness of the cedar really opens up your lungs. The performance is very strong, and the sillage is very strong, so this is definitely a 10 out of 10 niche perfume. Also, it doesn't resemble cola or anything like that. That's a very amateurish review.

Whatt?? I really wanted to blind buy this but u bought 2 ml sample. I said i want this this people is lying about baby powder. Well they’re not lying 😅 let me describe Ok ok ok. I wrote this about 4 month ago and i did not submit the coment let me explain That was my reaction when i first smellt it and i bought 2ml sample it was bad for me i got only baby wipes amd powder nothing else, then after everyday i smelled my sample in the first few days its nothing changes in my nose but i smells my sample again and again and again everytime i opened my sample i fall in love more and more till i l got my last drop on my sample and applied on my hand, oh that was amazing i was immediately planning to buy full bottle and i bought it now i have it for 5 months. now in my opinion its the best from xerjoff. I have naxos and erba gold and 40 knots now but i Had torino 21 and Opera they are all amazing but now i’m sure 40 knots is the best. The part i’m in love also is the perfomance its Realllly beast mode it keep projecting like crazy For 4 hours and more and it last on clothes for many many days and i got like 14 hours more on skin. I hope it helps

Such an interesting one! Being a massive fan of Ambre Nuit and knowing of the similarities, I felt relatively comfortable with a blind buy. I’m happy to say that it was successful. It opens beautifully with that characteristic ambergris salty, marine scent, with some floral and green notes up the top. This is not a calone/fishy perfume at all, thankfully. The opening is quite similar to Amber Nuit, but it’s less rosey and spicy. As it starts to dry down, it really starts to get more into an ambery/woody direction. There’s definitely some Myrrh and olibanum in the base, which makes it quite interesting. But it stays relatively airy, with the green/floral notes maintaining a slightly ozonic vibe (maybe there’s violet leaves in it?), which combined with the ambergris give the marine experience to the fragrance. I think this is a versatile scent that can be worn all-year round, but it’s definitely not a summer freshie by any means. Performance it’s excellent, and I recommend going easy on the sprays during hot days. I think it’s perfectly unissex, but I understand why some people feel like it has a more masculine profile.

This perfume smells totally different from the name the color and the notes listed in here. Opening: It smells like an overdose of woods, especially cedar wood with an overdose of musks and chalk, i feel there is an Iris accord, i also smell the salt and a very subtle Vanilla. Middlenote: there is this contrast of a beautiful vanilla and the salt that starts to fade away, ambers starts to come out with always a hints of precious woods on the backround. Dried down: in the dried down and i see nobody talked about it there is osmanthus, for those who do not know the note it is a very herbal incense delicate that reminds me of the incense in most of Amouge creations. What do i think about this one ? Genius, Fantastic creation from what i've reviewed about Xerjoff this is the best by far. This smells like class, sophisticated, delicate. Everybody will love this and the fun part is that it's so unique nobody will ever smell something like this if we are talking about the general public. Far Far greater than Naxos in my opinion. Mark 10/10

A luxurious marine fragrance centered around soft, refined salty sea notes. Woody accords, especially cedar, add depth and a smooth elegant warmth. A subtle green backdrop enhances the feeling of freshness and clean air. Not sharp or citrusy, but calm, balanced, and quietly sophisticated. It evokes the atmosphere of yachts and understated coastal luxury. Ideal for warm weather and those seeking a refined clean scent. Offers very good longevity with a smooth, noticeable yet non-intrusive projection. عطر بحري فاخر يتمحور حول ملوحة البحر الناعمة بأسلوب أنيق وغير تقليدي. تظهر نوتات الخشب، خصوصًا الأرز، لتمنحه عمقًا دافئًا ولمسة راقية. ترافقه خلفية خضراء خفيفة تضيف إحساسًا بالنقاء والهواء المنعش. الرائحة ليست حمضية أو حادة، بل هادئة ومتماسكة بطابع فاخر. يعكس أجواء اليخوت والرفاهية الهادئة بعيدًا عن العطور البحرية المعتادة. مناسب للأجواء الصيفية وللباحثين عن نظافة أنيقة بنكهة مميزة. ثباته جيد جدًا مع فوحان ناعم وواضح بدون إزعاج.

I haven't smelled every fragrance in the world, but in my three years of enthusiastically sniffing expensive scented liquid, I don't think there's a single fragrance that matches 40 Knots in terms of cumulative quality and wearability. Somehow, this fragrance manages to be just dense enough to last all day without being cloying in warmer weather. It's this peculiar mixture of powdery amber, freshness, and a touch of sweetness. The result is a supremely versatile, fresh, elegant, easy to wear, do-it-all fragrance that somehow can be had for less than you'd pay for a bottle of Bleu de Chanel (if you know wear to look). The only scents I like more are bold, elegant evening scents (Demachy's Dior Homme Parfum, The Moon, Carlisle). When it comes to daytime, this is king. I will never not have a bottle of 40 Knots. It is a masterpiece.

Oh my, what a beauty! Don't judge it by the opening. It's fresh and salty, very marine and feels kind of odd to be honest. I was put off by the opening to the point I wanted to wash it off but out of curiosity I let it sit on my skin and after an hour it blossomed into something else. I got tar wood aroma that is resinous and slightly tart, yet sweet at the same time. Is that spruce resin??? I bet it is. So gorgeous and inoffensive. Lasting power is all day and then some. It's definitely top 3 of JTC releases. I get more and more drawn to it the longer I wear it. At this point I think it's not for the summer, but yet again, I've just discovered this range last week in the dead of fall so my opinion on this one can still change. For now, I love it and will be getting a big bottle in the nearest future. 10/10!

incredible. there's something about this that I just really enjoy. it opens with a saltwater note and just the right amount of sweetness and dries down with some woody notes. but the way it dries down is so interesting, it almost dances in and out of notes as time passes, one minute its salty and fresh and the next its clean and woody and it will go back and forth for hours like this it's very enjoyable. the performance decent and it lasts a good 6-8 hours. I saw one review saying it smells almost like baby wipes, and I can see why someone would use that comparison, but in a good way. when I smell this, it really does make me think about being on a boat out in the sea in the sun. there's a reason 40 Knots is one of the more popular releases from the house of Xerjoff.

very beautiful, salty marine twist on the ambre nuit dna. this is the type of "inspiration" fragrance i like. this is how a fragrance reinterpretation should be done. Ambre Nuit & 40 Knots both slightly spicey, very woody ambers but 40 knots has a more youthful marine layer with saltiness on top, while ambre nuit has this mature, soft, elegant citrus + rose combo. Both equally beautiful and very nicely blended with ambre nuit being the slightly more sophisticated one and 40 knots the more sporty one. One could argue that ambre nuit is the more mature one for a little older demographic aswell but i love both equally and give a SLIGHT edge to ambre nuit and i'm 29. Both 10/10 for me personally. Beautiful creation by Xerjoff.

What a stunning fragrance. I have whizzed through my sample, so a trip to Harrods for a full bottle is next on the agenda. This smells like a beautifully kept marina, with manicured greenery, and the sea wafting at you in a gentle breeze. Sea salt, marine and woody are the notes and that perfectly sums this fragrance up, all magnificently blended, with green notes coming in as well. This is a unique fragrance, at least I have never smelt another green, marine scent like this one, there is nothing I don't like about it. Longevity is superb too, at least 2-3 hours good projection, then it settles to a bubble for hours and a skin scent for at least 9-10 hours. An exceptional fragrance from a quality house....

OMFG This is AMAZING Ok first of all the presentation on this is a tad overboard but I'll take it. The bottle is beautiful and heeeeeeavy. The cap is the same. The fragrance opens with a short, sharp slap in the face with some salty blue blasts. As it dries down the amber comes out to the front but keeps enough of that open to make it almost effervescent off the skin. Has a Roja Enigma sort of vibe and it's really nice. Longevity is until your kids graduate college. Actually this lasts about 7-10 hrs on my skin but in the heat it's just astounding how good it smells. Get a decant, try it out and THEN pull the trigger on this. Absolutely recommend this one - 9.5/10

40 Knots by Xerjoff: everything they say and then some! The composition is simple, but masterfully well crafted. The woody notes are slightly spiced, and together with the marine notes, they transform into a refreshing, spiced/aromatic composition with a very soft, warmer/ambery base. It is extremely sophisticated, nothing too casual. In the summer, I see it making more sense in air-conditioned environments, very airy spaces, or afternoon-to-evening transitions. Other than that, it is a perfect signature scent for all other seasons. The drydown features the JTC collection's own DNA along with the main profile of the fragrance: woody, aromatic, marine.

Aquatic fragrances always smell cheap to my nose (Erolfa, Sel Marin etc.) so I was hesitant when a friend sent me a sample of this perfume. It being Xerjoff however, you can always expect the ingredients to be top notch, even in their 'cheaper' series. 40 Knots is so much more than an aquatic fragrance. It's creamy, slightly spicy, rich, yet always manages to stay bright and fresh, making it the perfect summer scent for those who prefer winter fragrances. A very delicate balance between natural and synthetic ingredients. This fragrance screams quality. When you wear this you feel rich, confident and fresh. An absolute winner. My summer signature.