Royal Oud Creed 2011

Probably the only Creed that deserves its pricetag today, and even that is debatable. Royal Oud smells of opulence. Creed prefers to present their fragrances to customers by way of visuals as opposed to note breakdowns, and most Creed reps worth their salt will position this one as smelling like the inside of a Persian palace. Wood, spices, leather. You get the picture. And this is one of the few fragrances that doesn’t fall short of that visual. I first smelled this one back in 2017, and only bought a bottle this year. I had a small decant I worked my way through in 2018, but hadn’t smelled it since. This fragrance was genuinely on my mind for 4 years before I pulled the trigger.

I think it’s a little too formal leaning for my liking. Royal Delight is my go-to fragrance for when I’m suited up, so Royal Oud has a rather odd place in my collection. Still, I reach for it often enough. Woody/oriental fragrances are right up my wheelhouse, and Royal Oud is no exception.

Decent silage and projection, but this fragrance wasn’t made for the “14 SPRAYS MINIMUM” crowd anyway. If you subscribe to the notion that a good fragrance should be discovered and not announced, Royal Oud will be a great pick for you.