It’s been four years since historic Parisian Maison House of Creed launched its fiery Viking fragrance, which at the time was their first men’s Eau de parfum in seven years. Encased in a vibrant red bottle and adorned with a longship, the men’s fragrance aimed to evoke Iceland’s relentless volcanic landscape with a fruity floral profile of citrus accords like bergamot, peppermint; and defining base notes of Indian sandalwood, Haitian vetiver, and Indian, patchouli, and Lavandin Absolute. For 2021, the luxury perfume house has followed an ambitious sequel – the Creed Viking Cologne.
Viking Cologne comes just six months after Creed celebrated the tenth anniversary of their flagship Aventus Eau de parfum with a limited edition bottling.
Marketed as a “free-spirited continuation of the dynamic Viking saga,” this latest Creed Eau de parfum (yes, even despite the name, this is an Eau de parfum) is a contemporary take on a citrus woody aromatic fougère, moving away from the fire of its predecessor and hopping from Iceland to Norway. Specifically, Creed claims that the Viking Cologne draws inspiration from the arctic sun bouncing off azure Norwegian fjords. Roughly, this translates to a lighter, cooler, and less dense perfume – perfectly conceived as a summer fragrance.
Although, seeing as the fougère family of fragrances are typically known for their dominant accords, don’t be surprised if you find the scent a lot more forceful, masculine, and exceedingly expressive than the modest description would suggest.
The Creed Viking Cologne was, in a nod to social distance requirements, launched via a bespoke virtual concert on the brand’s official website earlier this week. Dubbed ‘Valient Sounds,’ the digital music event featured performances from Icelandic artists Junius, Gugusar, Logi Pedro, and Young Karin, alongside the actual launch of the long-awaited fragrance.
The entire profile of the Eau de parfum was created by sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed and his son Erwin Creed. They describe the idea of exploration as their muse, and Norway is the perfect vessel for that. After all, this is a country renowned for some of the most complex topography in the world, from rocky atolls and glacial lakes to thick scrubby forests and shadowy mountaintops.
“The jus of the Viking Cologne has been an obsession for us,” said Erwin Creed. “It is so close to the Creed DNA that we wanted to explore a twist of Viking for summer, where the freshness bursts from the perfume exuding an energising scent which is full of adventure.”
The Nordic influenced perfume Eau de parfum is fashioned as a unisex formula coursing with notes of zingy citrus fruits like lemon and pink pepper, burning down to heart notes of lavender, nutmeg, and rosemary before settling on a woody base of dry sandalwood, patchouli, and earthy vetiver.
Top Notes: bergamot, lemon, mandarin, pink pepper
Heart Notes: geranium, lavender, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Base Notes: sandalwood, frankincense, patchouli, cedarwood, vetiver
Creed Viking Cologne is available in Australia for $439 (100ml) or $339 (50ml).