Viking
Creed (2017)

I suppose it was Creed's attempt to provide another more masculine offering like Bois du Portugal, Spice and Wood, Baie de Genievre, or Vintage Tabarome. This one I felt didn't quite get there. I got some citrus in the opening that quickly yielded to the peppers and mint providing spices and freshness respectively. I picked on some of the florals and spices that added some additional depth. The base would be rounded off with ambergris, musk and wood notes. This probably could be worn year round, office and causal occasions would be fine. If wanted to reach for a classic from Creed, this wouldn't be one of them.

I was expecting to write off Viking, but that changed after going through a small decant. The bottle, box, and the blurb all seem to be at odds with the scent itself: Viking is far more of a throwback to the classic masculine Creeds from the 80s. Viking opens with a fresh-spicy accord of mint and pepper, almost having the vibe of a sophisticated aftershave. The cool freshness gradually recedes to make way for a dry down that is warm and woody, without any synthetic harshness. In the base I detect hints of lavender and patchouli, but everything blended in; individual notes are hard to discern, and there's still a touch of the initial freshness, resulting in a suave and agreeable accord.

Stylistically I find this very much in the vein of fresh, aromatic, woody oriental compositions such as Heritage or Old Spice - or Creed's own Baie de Genievre or Bois du Portugal, with a bit of a modernization, especially the first hour or so. This perhaps also makes Viking a bit more versatile. In terms of scent profile it is actually very close to Villoresi's Piper Nigrum, including the dry down. Piper Nigrum is more assertive and unique, while Viking will likely appeal to those looking for something similar but "easier to wear".

A few things are worth mentioning here. Creed's retail pricing (in N. America, particularly) is out of whack, but that's a different debate. What I find admirable in Viking is that the base isn't cheap, synthetic and there aren't any obvious compromises. The dry down hangs around on skin, with the overall longevity about a good six hours or so. With so many designer and niche companies making overly synthetic scents, it's nice to come across something in this classic style that's well executed.

3.5/5

I am surprised every reviewer mentions mint as dominating or one of the dominating notes. I don’t get that at all. Straight opposite - I’d rather say Viking has some warming factor instead of a cooling factor.

It reminds me sort of a combination of Guerlain Heritage with Old Spice (100% in a good way) and a pinch of metallic tinge from Chanel’s Platinum Egoiste. Very 90’ish. I must admit I like it. The more I wear it the more I like it.

Viking opens with soft bergamot laced with a hint of pink pepper before quickly transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart the perfume turns fiery hot spicy, as slightly sweet cinnamon and chili pepper combine into a "red hots candy" accord that becomes the focus, with thin dulled rose, vague mint, and dry sandalwood rising from the base in support. During the late dry-down the "red hots candy" accord recedes as the sandalwood remains, now in a more focal role as sharp woody vetiver joins it as co-star through the finish. Projection is good to very good, and longevity excellent at over 12 hours on skin.

Ah the wonderful house of Creed. While for most part I can ignore the house and not miss much, every once and a while when on vacation in Las Vegas I force myself to visit the Creed store to see if there is anything within the past few years I may have missed out on. This time I received the full court press sales pitch, including asking what my favorite three movies were (who cares?!?), expounding on the 4000+ year house history (oh brother), Cleopatra's Creed preferences (you knew her personally, eh?), only the finest ingredients used (sure, OK), and how Creed perfects formulation consistency by only going to the same select group of ingredient suppliers (this one almost made me cynically chuckle due to all the batch inconsistency arguments online - not that I believe any of it). Whatever, the sales experience was just as lengthy and ridiculous as the length of the Pinocchio's nose the sales person displayed after rambling through it. Sigh... Onward to the perfumes sampled. Most of what I sniffed last week had me wanting to escape the store as soon as possible, but a few of the more recent releases impressed enough for me to endure, and Viking was one, having me leave the store with a spray sample vial to try later on skin.

Viking actually grows on you over time. The perfume is a nice combination of fresh, and fiery hot spicy/woody. It isn't listed in the perfume notes, but cinnamon definitely plays a strong role in the perfume's heart, as does red chili pepper. The dull thin rose and vague natural mint used are more in subtle support to the primary spicy woody profile, giving the perfume that fresh, wearable dimension one expects from Creed. By the late dry-down the vetiver and sandalwood really take over and the result is quite pleasant. The perfume on the whole is actually appealing, but I can't help thinking that the key components driving most of its development have been done before... Oh yeah, the dulled rose infused red hots spicy/woody aspect can be found in Costes by Olivia Giacobetti released in 2004, for example. I own that one already but haven't worn it in years... I guess Viking's profile isn't as new or innovative as I hoped. The bottom line is the $495 per 100ml bottle Viking is a pleasant smelling perfume that channels key aspects of superior, far less expensive previous releases like Costes, and Padparadscha by Satellite, earning it a "good" to "very good" 3 to 3.5 stars out of 5 rating but an avoid recommendation as its superior predecessors can be had for far less (sans the sales pitch).

TLDR: Excellent (4.5/5). A well blended, high quality exploration of the interplay between warm and cool scents. Deserves more praise than it receives.

I find myself in nearly complete agreement with Buysblind's comments below. Viking is very good. The more time I spend with it, the more I like it and the more subtle bright spots I find in the composition.

The mint in this fragrance is exceptional. It smells green and natural, like it is fresh from a garden. I am on an extreme vintage fragrance kick at the moment, so that may explain why the base of Viking seems so great to me. Or perhaps it just really is great. The patchouli and vetiver interplay in the final phase of the scent, accented with the camphor note from the lavandin, is complex and is a neat echo of the mint and cinnamon in the early phases. Strong thumbs up for me.

As a revisit review - I have grown to truly appreciate Viking and added another decant to enjoy for awhile. I consider Viking bottle worthy in the same way I do other Creeds which means I have no intention of paying the current inflated price model for Creed.
I really pick up on the mid notes and find this to be a barbershop-y elevated minty and peppery creation along with some geranium and rose. In a way it is Bois de Portugal with mint. It is really well blended and suits a professional man as a great business choice either office or boardroom. I know there is some debate over whether Viking comes across with warmth or as a cooler scent. I smell Viking as cooler due to the mint and feel like it works fine for warmer weather. It has virtually no sweetness to it which is very appealing and has a bit of brisk freshness which many will like. This is a true grower of a fragrance, maybe not a great blind buy (nothing this pricey is a blind buy - sample and enjoy first!) and is back in my office rotation for awhile. Thumbs up.