Viking Cologne
Creed (2021)

One of the better releases of the new Creed age, Viking Cologne is an aromatic fougere that works really well in warmer weather or climates.

First of all, its name is a little misleading. It should be seen as a completely new scent; the association with the 2017 release "Viking" (also by Creed) is nothing more than a recycled name.

Viking Cologne is a much fresher take on the the former. As the name suggests it's more of a 'cologne' scent. That implies freshness, citrus notes and with boat loads of lavender. However, instead of oakmoss, the dry down sports a frankincense accord. Whether or not note comes across as an authentic incense is up to the individual. To my nose, the composition starts off very aromatic and fresh, it moves to the base relatively quickly, but makes for a muted woody base, delicately spiked with some aromatic herbs. Fortunately, it does this with zero sweetness, which to me is a major advantage.

Lovers of the more traditional fougeres, scents like Ralph Lauren's Safari for Men (1995) and Terre d'Hermes (2006) will fall over backwards for Viking Cologne. Conversely, those who liked the original Viking may be in for disappointment with Viking Cologne.

While I can see some similarities to the original Viking, this version feels less barbershoppy and has a lighter overall feel. As Speedracer mentioned, the performance is also weaker than the original. It does smell high quality, but personally, I don't think it's worth the price tag.

Anyone used to and /or who likes Viking will be disconcerted by this offering at first sniff.
It's like being offered the froth of a pint of beer and calling it the cologne,
Its fizzy, pleasant but lacks soul and backbone. You want to sip deeper into the body of the fragrance. Ah that would be the original then,

Yet. Yet. Free your mind young Luke. The secret of this is that it creates a comfy fresh green minty aura wafting up to your nose for a couple of hours becoming fainter still then staying for quite a long time as skin scent which you won't be aware of but those leaning in close to you will pick up and compliment you on.
This really has nothing to do with what VIking is all about and is really a nice cologne. Just call it Creed Cologne. It would probably be better received without the expectations of the power complexity and smoothness of the original.
So this is a considered like but NOT for the price. That said what else does this? For just over half the price there is Trussardi's Uomo EdP limited edition which is a bit stronger although still quite gentle but is outclassed by this.
Therefore this is for those very hot sweaty days and I am hunting for a discount.

Viking Cologne is an interesting entry to Creed's fairly new emphasis on flankers. Although Aventus Cologne was a "fresher" take on Aventus, Viking Cologne reminds me little of the original Viking release. To me, Viking Cologne leans heavily into the 90s vibe while also using notes that have been recently retreaded in the post-blue genre of the 2020s such as sage and lavender.

On the opening, I get fresh and fairly long-lasting citrus notes that are quickly joined by pink pepper and a hint of lavender. From here, Viking Cologne transitions to a scent more reminiscent of the 90s. I smell dry floral notes, sage and rosemary. The closest scent memory I have to these middle and basenotes are something akin to Chanel's Platinum Egoiste. I get slightly woody notes in the dry down but none of the advertised sandalwood.

The obvious issue with this release is its hideous pricing. Although Viking Cologne is a really nice fragrance, it's not nice for the price, which is why it gets a Neutral rating from me. Given Viking's mixed reception, Viking Cologne may hit discounters sooner than later. That said, there are still so many better underrated Creed options floating around on discounters (e.g. Himalaya, Royal Mayfair). Viking Cologne is not at all a bad fragrance but I don't think it's worth the price. To me, it's not at all a daring fragrance. I think folks looking for a clean and fresh 90s-esque fragrance would be much better served by the likes of Platinum Egoiste.

Viking DNA
This lovable red-haired boy
Can still string a bow

Viking Cologne by Creed (2021) feels like an inevitability at this point, rather than something new and exciting. Ever since the success of the unlikely Aventus Cologne (2019) and the sale of Creed to Blackrock later the following year, everyone had vibes that this brand was about to get hit with all the corporate bloat and cold, calculated accountant and marketing data-based design-by-numbers that afflicts the once-prestigious designer market. Well, it looks like we were partially right, because here comes another flanker in only two years time that althought not serving to extend the nonexistent hype for the original Creed Viking (2017), does serve a similar purpose in keeping the line fresh in the minds of a trend-focused buyer. Viking Cologne has little of the DNA found in Viking, but this was true of Aventus Cologne as well, and at least like Aventus Cologne, Viking Cologne actually smells pretty good by itself. Right away it should be said that this is not actually a cologne, but still an eau de parfum made in a fresher "cologne-like" style, and having performance that more reflects the eau de parfum nature than anything else. Anyone who says this is weak probably has anosmia from being a serial oversprayer.

Viking Cologne opens with more herbs and citruses than Viking, and has the mint from the original Viking expunged to be replaced with things like rosemary and sage. Bergamot and lemon hang out with pink pepper again, but so does manadarin, making things a bit sweeter into the mid, where lavandin and geranium once again reside. No rose in Viking Cologne to be found, and no jasmine either, with the dandy components replaced by more spices like nutmeg and returning allspice sans the clove. Sufficiently greener than Viking and less plush, this cologne variant strives to be closer to an old Creed favorite called Baie de Genièvre (1982), not because it has juniper in it, but because it shares some tonal similarities. Patchouli and vetiver form the heart of the dry down here, and there is no more fougère structure either, as these two notes hang out alone with a bigger slug of Creed ambroxan-assisted house ambergris, and more cedar oil. Sandalwood is also absent so no creaminess, but you do get a nice punchy olibanum note to compliment the vetiver smoke. Wear time is long but just shy of 10 hours, although projection and sillage do not crank quite like original Viking, with an almost chypre-like structure feeling better for warmer weather as intended by the style.

Viking Cologne doesn't feel particularly youthful, and reminds me an awful lot of the discontinued Cartier Roaster Sport (2009), especially with how it has mandarin orange sitting over herbs and patchouli with a puff of cedar in the base. Viking Cologne is a Hell of a lot more complex than Roaster Sport, but at least until stocks run out on the discontinued Cartier, is also a lot more expensive too. People who didn't like Viking may not really be on board here with this cologne flanker, because it still feels marketed to mature tastes mostly stuck romanticizing the late 80's and early 90's, much like Viking proper. Seems between the Creed Aventus (2010) and Creed Viking lines, the brand is trying to carve up it's millennial/gen-z and boomer/gen-x markets into separate camps, then lob flankers at them under one of these two brands. If this is so, I wonder what is to become of all the others like Royal Mayfair (2015), Royal Oud (2011), Himalaya (2002), Tabaróme Millésime (2000), and any number of lesser-selling male-market Creeds that sorta stick to the shadows while these two stay in focus? Either way, this is very nice, but not nice for the price, so you know how to play the discounter waiting game if you really want a bottle bad enough. Thumbs up