Reviews of Spice and Wood by Creed
The best fragrance I ever smelled.
Classically composed with opening, mid and dry down that changes and is an experience.
Opening is bright, sparkling apple with a zip. Classy and beautiful like an apple spice meets champagne sparkle.
The mid has a more mellow apple and slight sweetness. The clove and angelica root are really wonderful players at this mid-stage.
The dry down smells like a warm baked apple meets outdoor campfire as the birchwood takes the stage and the apple is no longer crisp and zippy, but rather has a cinnamon touch.
This fragrance is a masterpiece and everything that perfumery is about as an art. No modern fragrance at the mall counters is in the same category as this wonderful perfume. This is what the fragrance hobby is all about. This has to be experienced before you can understand.
Classically composed with opening, mid and dry down that changes and is an experience.
Opening is bright, sparkling apple with a zip. Classy and beautiful like an apple spice meets champagne sparkle.
The mid has a more mellow apple and slight sweetness. The clove and angelica root are really wonderful players at this mid-stage.
The dry down smells like a warm baked apple meets outdoor campfire as the birchwood takes the stage and the apple is no longer crisp and zippy, but rather has a cinnamon touch.
This fragrance is a masterpiece and everything that perfumery is about as an art. No modern fragrance at the mall counters is in the same category as this wonderful perfume. This is what the fragrance hobby is all about. This has to be experienced before you can understand.
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Spice and Wood smells great. There is no denying this. Amazing apple opening. Fresh citrus and wood. Maybe some white florals?? Extremely fresh and uplifting. The problem I have is that this is just all too quiet. Amazing while it lasts but becomes a skin scent within the hour. I own a large decant which I am more than happy with.
The Les Royales Exclusifs collections represents the top shelf of an already expensive and exclusive brand that literally prides itself as being such. Taking the concept of Veblen goods and conspicuous consumption to one of the furthest degrees imaginable one can perhaps take a perfume brand that isn't bespoke per-client, Creed had outdone itself when introducing the collection, particularly on the heels of then-recent successes that allowed the house to jack up prices exponentially in a short order, giving social class distance between themselves and their niche perfume peers. Stroking the egos of the nouveau riche with affected marketing ploys and old money alike with claims of royal pedigree, Creed is good at teasing the money out of billionaires and the white collar pseudo-rich, so the idea of a range that's even more elevated than their already ridiculously-priced standard line isn't all that incredulous, although most of what is in that range doesn't really smell more elevated. Creed Sublime Vanille (2009) would be the first in this upper-ten series, followed by Creed Spice & Wood (2010), then a rehash of Original Colonge/Pure White Cologne (2011), and the introduction of Jardin d'Amalfi (2011), White Flowers (2011), and relative silence until White Amber (2017) finally came along. Of all those, Creed Spice & Wood gets the most talk, and I can sort of see why, since this mostly feels like something that could have also been released in the main line as the next big male pillar for the house too, but strangely wasn't.
The first thing to realize here is this came out the same year as Creed Aventus (2010), the fragrance that took the place of Green Irish Tweed (1985) as the flagship scent for the house and would further go on to be the defining moment for the brand, establishing it's "high-end mass-appeal" style going forward and causing the house to vault literally everything not that (including all the more classically-designed eau de toilette range). Spice & Wood by comparison feels a bit more of a "let's play catch up" with the benchmarks making the rounds in the men's niche and designer market at the time like L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu (2004) and Terre d'Hermès (2006). Creed utilizes a very sharp airy woody chypre structure similar in many respects to the work in Timbuktu here in Spice & Wood, but infuses a bit of the old "Royal French Perfumer" hullabaloo into the mix to make it feel higher-end. The opening has lemon, bergamot, and a dry crisp green apple note we would see again in Creed Vetiver Geranium (2014) from the Acqua Originale line. Beyond this, we get a very Hermès-like transparency, with a dry patchouli heart free from the usual heft of full natural patchouli, but the arrangement is different since the focus is on birch tar, pepper, pimento, and angelica root rather than anything mineralic. a hint of clove creeps in but before long a familiar Creed house ambergris note is joined by oakmoss and Iso E Super. The birch and ambergris mixed with the apple top draw parallels to Aventus, but this is nowhere near as sweet. Wear time is about 8 hours but Spice & Wood wears rather light, making it best in warmer weather casual or office situations spring through fall.
For me, this sorta presages the thing Dolce & Gabanna K (2019) would do for men with it's combination of bergamot, dry blood orange, and pimento over ambroxan, but tosses in some apple and dry spices to give the Creed a bit of autumnal feel. Part of me feels like this may also have been considered by Olivier as one of the formulas from Jean-Christophe Herault used for Aventus, with what ended up in that bottle winning out instead for being just a bit more youth-friendly and mass-appeal, since it was clear after 2010 that Creed was trying to move back into "mature rich men" scents like Bois du Portugal (1987), and Creed Himalaya (2002), as those captured the hearts of their target demographic the same way Green Irish Tweed, while all the fresher and more youthful fare ended up lauded by online fragrance enthusiast who bought their bottles on the gray market at a cut rate. Spice & Wood honestly would have been another such example had it been dubbed Aventus and shipped out to counters in place of what we ended up getting, but it was likely spared that fate and shipped out as a fancy Les Royals Exclusifs fragrance, because Creed was likely looking for a blockbuster to pump up the value of his brand for eventual sale. As a mature cousin to Aventus that borrows elements from woody masculines like Terre d'Hermès, Spice & Wood is a winner to me, but whether or not it informed the creation of D&G's K doesn't make much of a difference, since at $575 for 7ml (or nearly a grand for a 250ml flacon), Spice & Wood is only worth considering if it's a deep love or if you have deep pockets, especially due to its light performance. Thumbs up.
The first thing to realize here is this came out the same year as Creed Aventus (2010), the fragrance that took the place of Green Irish Tweed (1985) as the flagship scent for the house and would further go on to be the defining moment for the brand, establishing it's "high-end mass-appeal" style going forward and causing the house to vault literally everything not that (including all the more classically-designed eau de toilette range). Spice & Wood by comparison feels a bit more of a "let's play catch up" with the benchmarks making the rounds in the men's niche and designer market at the time like L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu (2004) and Terre d'Hermès (2006). Creed utilizes a very sharp airy woody chypre structure similar in many respects to the work in Timbuktu here in Spice & Wood, but infuses a bit of the old "Royal French Perfumer" hullabaloo into the mix to make it feel higher-end. The opening has lemon, bergamot, and a dry crisp green apple note we would see again in Creed Vetiver Geranium (2014) from the Acqua Originale line. Beyond this, we get a very Hermès-like transparency, with a dry patchouli heart free from the usual heft of full natural patchouli, but the arrangement is different since the focus is on birch tar, pepper, pimento, and angelica root rather than anything mineralic. a hint of clove creeps in but before long a familiar Creed house ambergris note is joined by oakmoss and Iso E Super. The birch and ambergris mixed with the apple top draw parallels to Aventus, but this is nowhere near as sweet. Wear time is about 8 hours but Spice & Wood wears rather light, making it best in warmer weather casual or office situations spring through fall.
For me, this sorta presages the thing Dolce & Gabanna K (2019) would do for men with it's combination of bergamot, dry blood orange, and pimento over ambroxan, but tosses in some apple and dry spices to give the Creed a bit of autumnal feel. Part of me feels like this may also have been considered by Olivier as one of the formulas from Jean-Christophe Herault used for Aventus, with what ended up in that bottle winning out instead for being just a bit more youth-friendly and mass-appeal, since it was clear after 2010 that Creed was trying to move back into "mature rich men" scents like Bois du Portugal (1987), and Creed Himalaya (2002), as those captured the hearts of their target demographic the same way Green Irish Tweed, while all the fresher and more youthful fare ended up lauded by online fragrance enthusiast who bought their bottles on the gray market at a cut rate. Spice & Wood honestly would have been another such example had it been dubbed Aventus and shipped out to counters in place of what we ended up getting, but it was likely spared that fate and shipped out as a fancy Les Royals Exclusifs fragrance, because Creed was likely looking for a blockbuster to pump up the value of his brand for eventual sale. As a mature cousin to Aventus that borrows elements from woody masculines like Terre d'Hermès, Spice & Wood is a winner to me, but whether or not it informed the creation of D&G's K doesn't make much of a difference, since at $575 for 7ml (or nearly a grand for a 250ml flacon), Spice & Wood is only worth considering if it's a deep love or if you have deep pockets, especially due to its light performance. Thumbs up.
The good: A fresh woody/citrusy opening, like a high quality cologne. From there, more warmth and some mild spice and cedar wood, in a pencil shaving, slightly dusty way. Nice balance and transparency. Good performance.
The bad: It's price. This smells classy, balanced and natural, but conceptually there's nothing groundbreaking and it's not particularly exciting.
The final: Reminiscent of a cross between the best of some the Lalique's for men (Lion, White) and Cartier's Déclaration. For those who can afford it, I could see how this can be a signature scent.
The bad: It's price. This smells classy, balanced and natural, but conceptually there's nothing groundbreaking and it's not particularly exciting.
The final: Reminiscent of a cross between the best of some the Lalique's for men (Lion, White) and Cartier's Déclaration. For those who can afford it, I could see how this can be a signature scent.
My Number 1 fragrance for many years, Spice and Wood presents a fantastic, realistic apple note over alluring, spicy notes of cedar and birch. What makes Spice and Wood so impressive and enjoyable to me is the crisp clarity with which it conveys these accords and the warm, almost sensual touch that accents its woods. I find the performance to be fine: 6 to 8 hours with good projection. This one doesn't scream, but it has a nice presence and its projection is appropriately calibrated for this style of scent. Due to its crispness, Spice and Wood is fairly versatile, and can be worn all year around without a problem. It's elegant but extremely comfortable, classy and rich without the slightest pretense. If you're a fan of Aventus, Terre d'Hermes, and masculine woods in general, it's definitely worth checking out Spice and Wood. Creed's best offering, in my opinion. Final rating: 10/10.
Very nice.
Indeed wood with spices and a citrusy /apple opening.
What is done well is that this is a wood fragrance than does not scream wood which is often 'wooden' and overpowering and can make you feel you are in a freshly sandpapered sauna.
Masculine, powerful yet subtle. A great statement. Lovely from start to finish unlike Creed Viking which has that challenging opening but then settles to pure poetry.
Horrifically expensive but then it would have to be as it would outsell most of Creed's other connoisseur's offerings -which does not by inference give them mass appeal.
It is a distant cousin of Frederic Malle's excellent French Lover which has more pazaz and as such is less subtle but dare I say it may seem too austere for cold days. This one works.
Fragrance: 8/10
Projection: 7.5/10
Longevity: 6.5/10
Indeed wood with spices and a citrusy /apple opening.
What is done well is that this is a wood fragrance than does not scream wood which is often 'wooden' and overpowering and can make you feel you are in a freshly sandpapered sauna.
Masculine, powerful yet subtle. A great statement. Lovely from start to finish unlike Creed Viking which has that challenging opening but then settles to pure poetry.
Horrifically expensive but then it would have to be as it would outsell most of Creed's other connoisseur's offerings -which does not by inference give them mass appeal.
It is a distant cousin of Frederic Malle's excellent French Lover which has more pazaz and as such is less subtle but dare I say it may seem too austere for cold days. This one works.
Fragrance: 8/10
Projection: 7.5/10
Longevity: 6.5/10
Creed's Spice and Wood is the second to be released in the Royal Exclusives line.
I've always found Spice and Wood to be a very pleasant, wearable, and distinctive scent to wear casually. Holding the Pochet glass decanter is an experience in itself; as for the fragrance, Spice and Wood has such a respectable collection of notes to titillate the mature olfactory palate.
Spray-on starts with a citrus-fruit combo that leads into the spicy-herbal mix of angelica, clove, pepper, and patchouli, blending with starchy birch bark and cedarwood, and floral-sweet iris plus earthy smoky oakmoss touched with a slight muskiness. The potion is bright, aromatic, animated with life within and pleasing without.
Spice and Wood is masculine, classy and balanced. Highly recommended!
I've always found Spice and Wood to be a very pleasant, wearable, and distinctive scent to wear casually. Holding the Pochet glass decanter is an experience in itself; as for the fragrance, Spice and Wood has such a respectable collection of notes to titillate the mature olfactory palate.
Spray-on starts with a citrus-fruit combo that leads into the spicy-herbal mix of angelica, clove, pepper, and patchouli, blending with starchy birch bark and cedarwood, and floral-sweet iris plus earthy smoky oakmoss touched with a slight muskiness. The potion is bright, aromatic, animated with life within and pleasing without.
Spice and Wood is masculine, classy and balanced. Highly recommended!
This is a golden boy for creed and I tend to like alot of creeds but this one just comes off pretty boring. Its name is accurate though. It has little spice and a whole heap of cedar. For the money it commands I just dont think it's worth it. If you want a similar smell that is more complex and just overall better you can get royal oud for cheaper. 6 outta 10
I like it a lot. I wouldn't buy a full bottle of this though. I have a generous amount of a sample to last awhile. It is a masculine, on the sweeter side. Spicy wood, for sure. There is a touch of apple and citrus. Wisps of angelica and iris. Mainly, it is all cedar, on my skin. Sugary cedar.
Just nice......and it ain't no Bois du Portugal. Later. Of late I've reached for this more often than I would readily admit. While BDP screeches a Cacophony of bitter peel and Spices it coalesces into a rather aristocratic tweed Jacket together with a pair of Cordovan Oxfords.
Spice and Wood opens with a gentle,soft, Waxy Green Sandal.
Pepper and Clove rise through sweetened lightly by Apple to a startling layered Cedar.
It carries through to a elegance similar to Bois Noir while missing the Apple pie Potpourri of Egoiste.
This Creed, it surely resonated suavely enough, that I had to, close my eyes, lay down the plastic and pray that my limit would be extended.
Of course, now, the Prada's I had to have, to replace the clunky Alden's.
If you are a Young'un, Spice and Wood could very well be your BdP or better, Bois Noir.
Spice and Wood opens with a gentle,soft, Waxy Green Sandal.
Pepper and Clove rise through sweetened lightly by Apple to a startling layered Cedar.
It carries through to a elegance similar to Bois Noir while missing the Apple pie Potpourri of Egoiste.
This Creed, it surely resonated suavely enough, that I had to, close my eyes, lay down the plastic and pray that my limit would be extended.
Of course, now, the Prada's I had to have, to replace the clunky Alden's.
If you are a Young'un, Spice and Wood could very well be your BdP or better, Bois Noir.
This Creed is about cedar. Sharp, spicy cedar and apple. The Iris gives it a waxy plastic scent. It isn't a homerun like Aventus, GIT, or Royal Oud, but it is wearable. Trouble is Creed charges as much for this good frag as it does for its Great frags. Not worth the price
Spice and Wood, unlike other modern Creeds, appears more natural smelling with a burst of peppery translucent apples tinged with lemon, and moving quickly to a mid phase of spiced woods with a dose of cedar. There is angelica, but no galbanum. The dry down is soft woods, with a musky element and a faint sweetness.
Among woody fragrances by Creed, Spice and Wood, while having an absurd price, comes across as less substantial than Bois du Portugal or Royal Oud, and is surprisingly fleeting, becoming a skin scent within an hour and lasting all of four hours. Malle's French Lover is a more interesting woody scent of similar profile, albeit more green.
2.5/5
Among woody fragrances by Creed, Spice and Wood, while having an absurd price, comes across as less substantial than Bois du Portugal or Royal Oud, and is surprisingly fleeting, becoming a skin scent within an hour and lasting all of four hours. Malle's French Lover is a more interesting woody scent of similar profile, albeit more green.
2.5/5
The wonderful opening of sweet and spicy wood notes is mature but not dated. Smells sophisticated, luxurious and completely masculine.
Seems most appropriate for work or formal events where you need to reinforce your confidence and respectability with others. Surely the man who wears this has everything in order.
Projection is acceptable and longevity lasts all work day.
Seems most appropriate for work or formal events where you need to reinforce your confidence and respectability with others. Surely the man who wears this has everything in order.
Projection is acceptable and longevity lasts all work day.
I laughed out loud when I first got a whiff of this. It literally smells like some spicy wood! It's not really my style, but I can appreciate it for the quality. It's very masculine- almost too masculine- and is probably most ideal for formal suit and tie occasions. Similar to Aventus, sure, but I would say without the sex appeal and versatility. Glad I only got a small decant of this- that price tag is just... stupid!
After wearing this a few times I've gone from loving it to being disappointed. After the dry down it just turns into the same Creed base you smell in several of their other (and less expensive) fragrances.
It's not a bad fragrance so I'm giving it a neutral, but it definitely isn't with the price point they have it at.
It's not a bad fragrance so I'm giving it a neutral, but it definitely isn't with the price point they have it at.
Stardate 20161026:
This is one of the few Creeds that I like. It is a nice synthetic fragrance that has the Creed signature base (kinda like Aventus Base).
There is some spice but gets drowned in the synthetic fruit.
I would recommend it if you have the moolah.
This is one of the few Creeds that I like. It is a nice synthetic fragrance that has the Creed signature base (kinda like Aventus Base).
There is some spice but gets drowned in the synthetic fruit.
I would recommend it if you have the moolah.
Something about this reminds me of urine.
Imagine walking through a woods in the autumn, its chilly and you can smell the fir trees, you go for a wee against a tree and you ate cloves and pepper with your meal last night, the wee has that musky smell mixed with the soft aroma of the spices and the sharp acidic citrus like note. As the urine hits the tree it mixes with the woody smell of fir and oakmoss and the smell gently wafts up to your nose. It lasts for about 20 seconds until you pull your fly up and wander off, not noticable to anyone else except you because of your immediate vicinity.
Thats the smell of it, and thats how long it lasts.
Imagine walking through a woods in the autumn, its chilly and you can smell the fir trees, you go for a wee against a tree and you ate cloves and pepper with your meal last night, the wee has that musky smell mixed with the soft aroma of the spices and the sharp acidic citrus like note. As the urine hits the tree it mixes with the woody smell of fir and oakmoss and the smell gently wafts up to your nose. It lasts for about 20 seconds until you pull your fly up and wander off, not noticable to anyone else except you because of your immediate vicinity.
Thats the smell of it, and thats how long it lasts.
Creed Spice and Wood is aptly named, as I get mainly clove, pepper, and (most notably) cedar out of it. It's not a heavy cedar in the vein of By Kilian Straight to Heaven, but rather a cedar that's welcome in by citrus and then acts as a soft counterweight to the spices in the mix. I don't detect some of the other notes in the mix, like patchouli, that are just playing second fiddle the main assortment.
Spice and Wood falls into the category of notes that are not exceptional in and of themselves but rather are part of a smooth blend. I don't get much in the way of projection or longevity for this, so it'd be a little lacking as a winter staple. And it certainly doesn't score high marks in terms of uniqueness. While it's not generic or cheap, it does feel familiar, much like Green Irish Tweed can. Frankly, it reminds me slightly of Banana Republic Black Walnut due a similar woody/citrus pairing, though Black Walnut relies on tobacco where Spice and Wood relies on cedar.
For me, Spice and Wood started out a like, not a love, so I assumed I'd probably not opt for the 30ml for $250 let alone 250ml for $745, but I eventually started to love it decided it was worthwhile and went full bottle after learning of an upcoming Creed price hike. It's ultimately easy to see why this is so popular---it's unassuming and classic, and a great blend.
8 out of 10
Spice and Wood falls into the category of notes that are not exceptional in and of themselves but rather are part of a smooth blend. I don't get much in the way of projection or longevity for this, so it'd be a little lacking as a winter staple. And it certainly doesn't score high marks in terms of uniqueness. While it's not generic or cheap, it does feel familiar, much like Green Irish Tweed can. Frankly, it reminds me slightly of Banana Republic Black Walnut due a similar woody/citrus pairing, though Black Walnut relies on tobacco where Spice and Wood relies on cedar.
For me, Spice and Wood started out a like, not a love, so I assumed I'd probably not opt for the 30ml for $250 let alone 250ml for $745, but I eventually started to love it decided it was worthwhile and went full bottle after learning of an upcoming Creed price hike. It's ultimately easy to see why this is so popular---it's unassuming and classic, and a great blend.
8 out of 10
Creed Spice and Wood is a must have scent in my collection. The price is too high as others have said, and I would like to see this fragrance available in the standard Creed formats of 2.5 oz. and 4oz. to make it more affordable. I took the plunge and purchased the 8.4oz. spray decanter, and this scent is very pleasing to my nose. It smells like cedar wood and pepper to me and I love the combination. I know there are other things going on, like the clove and the birch wood as well, but the cedar and pepper hang in pretty well throughout for me. I wore it last week and put my coat on today and could still smell it...what a great scent! I love having this in my rotation. A true classic as far as I'm concerned.
Upon initial spray I thought it smelled similar to Lalique White. After 5 minutes it went in a different direction (even though I like Lalique White). Basically like the name says...Spice and Woods. Nice fragrance? Yes. Worth the price tag? I don't think so. It is a hell a fragrance though. One drawback is Creed doesn't have a 4oz bottle of this gem. Have a nice sized decant to hold me down. 8.5/10
A pleasant, genteel scent that offends nobody, from its soft apple and iris-inflected bergamot tops right down to the faintly minty(?) woodsy-musky drydown.
Spice and Wood? Make that "Nice one, Dude." I rather like it but the price ain't good.
Spice and Wood? Make that "Nice one, Dude." I rather like it but the price ain't good.
A decent outing by Creed, bringing to mind a cheery english wood with the scent of birch sap in the air and a nearby apple orchard.
Well composed spices (primarily cloves and pepper) enhanced with a strident dose of Iso E Super bring to mind hot mulled cider, occasionally threatening to resemble the inside of vintage McDonalds apple pies.
Slightly let down by longevity and disassembly into the dusty fuzz of bare Iso E. A touch of oak moss in the base would have worked wonders here.
Still, give me this over the aggressively chemical Green Irish Tweed any day.
Well composed spices (primarily cloves and pepper) enhanced with a strident dose of Iso E Super bring to mind hot mulled cider, occasionally threatening to resemble the inside of vintage McDonalds apple pies.
Slightly let down by longevity and disassembly into the dusty fuzz of bare Iso E. A touch of oak moss in the base would have worked wonders here.
Still, give me this over the aggressively chemical Green Irish Tweed any day.
S&W is a one of the most masculine of the Creed line and a really excellent fragrance. Yes, the price is a big issue for most, but I'd gladly purchase a decant, as I think this is great Creed trademark fragrance.
S&W strikes me as a more mature Creed effort, and I would place it alongside Tabarome and Bois du Portugal in terms of whom it would appeal to. It's old school classy, gentlemanly, versatile and easy to wear. Reminds of my grandfather's cedar lined wardrobe, with hints of his various aftershaves and balms from the 20's and 30's. It's almost a hollow wood spice scent, that has a very fresh element to it. I truly like it and give this a definite Thumbs Up.
S&W strikes me as a more mature Creed effort, and I would place it alongside Tabarome and Bois du Portugal in terms of whom it would appeal to. It's old school classy, gentlemanly, versatile and easy to wear. Reminds of my grandfather's cedar lined wardrobe, with hints of his various aftershaves and balms from the 20's and 30's. It's almost a hollow wood spice scent, that has a very fresh element to it. I truly like it and give this a definite Thumbs Up.