Emperor Maximus Extrait Parfums Vintage Extrait

Maximus Extrait smells similar to Napoleon, they are like cousins. Fresh and masculine, fruits and woods, a touch of birch which gives the 'smoky' feel. Exceptional performance throughout. Strength in longevity. Of a robust and regal quality.

You probably won't just stumble upon Emperor Maximus Extrait, but rather seek possible alternatives to Aventus. What does it have to do with?

First, let's talk about the fragrance house. ParfumsVintage is a perfume brand that, at least from my perception, has mainly become known for their advertised quality Aventus imitations of various Aventus batches. They only ship from the USA, which means that importing comes with high shipping costs and taxes. However, they frequently have a discount code, allowing you to save at least part of the taxes (35% off the total price).

Now to Emperor Maximus Extrait. On the ParfumsVintage website, it is described as follows:

"Emperor Maximus Extrait available in Extrait for year round indulgence differs from Emperor Extrait with a prolonged opening accord which extend to the mid the woody hearts which features in Emperor Extrait slightly reduced to allow the natural citruses to blossom this composition is perfect for the spring and summer months."

I can't fully agree with the description. For better clarity, the website has a tab with a diagram and classification of the various Aventus interpretations. This is very helpful. There, Emperor Maximus Extrait is listed as one of the most Aventus-like fragrances. I can agree more with the ratio of fruitiness, wood/smoke, and musk/vanilla, which is represented in the diagram, as it appears relatively balanced. In the quote, the scent is described more as fruity fresh with a focus on and extension of the top note. This immediately evokes a specific scent image in my mind of how it should smell. Very fresh, airy, loose, citrusy, and fruity. However, I perceive it differently.

To my nose, it comes very close to a 2014 batch I tested. It smells more like a combination of juniper berry and smoky pineapple. It's difficult to describe, but through my fragrance journey, I have encountered various types of smoke. Here, the smoke is strongly linked to the fruitiness and less to wood/vanilla. There is also a slightly green touch. The overall impression is thus a fresh scent, which, however, cannot be compared to a fresh, airy Aventus. The fragrance has a fresh scent profile, but is characterized by a dense, full smell. When you smell it, you get a full blast of fragrance. I find this very positive because it is not just a whiff of scent, but it has good presence. While Emperor Maximus Extrait has this very pronounced fruity-smoky, slightly green character at the beginning and for about an hour, it gradually transitions to a creamy base. Compared to the 2014 batch, it seems slightly fruitier and sweeter, and the smoke is somewhat less integrated into the other fragrance notes. The 2014 Aventus smells directly a bit creamy and simply better balanced. No single notes dominate. This doesn't necessarily have to be positive or negative, but really depends on personal taste. Emperor Maximus Extrait doesn't try to exactly copy this batch.
You don't need to say much about longevity and sillage. This thing is not a long-lasting monster or anything. Honestly, I wouldn't know how one would achieve that with such a scent profile without overloading the fragrance synthetically. However, it absolutely fulfills its job perfectly. It lasts an average of about 8 hours and is definitely noticeable over time.

Now I would like to comment on the previous assessment. Everyone has their perception, but comparing the scent to Armaf Club de Nuit is absolutely absurd to me. I have gone through many imitations and clones of Aventus, including the entire Armaf line. They are not remotely on the level of Emperor Maximus Extrait in terms of quality. Most dupes, including the Armaf line, smell extremely synthetic to me. This one doesn't even come close, so I don't understand the comparison.

I would recommend the scent itself, but not necessarily blindly. With the time I've spent testing various batches of Aventus, I can't recommend even this one blindly, as Aventus is not the same as Aventus. There are fresh batches that are almost akin to an aquatic scent with slight fruitiness, without a base, up to batches that have a pencil-like smoke. In the end, it comes down to individual taste. Emperor Maximus Extrait falls into a specific category of fruity smokiness. However, if I had to choose between today's batches of Aventus and this one, I would take this one.
Here I know exactly what I'm getting before the purchase. A consistent, high-quality scent, with good longevity, a pleasant yet distinct scent profile, and hardly anyone will be walking around with this fragrance.

I give it a thumbs up. Overall, a very successful fragrance.

Yesterday, I already wrote a comment about the vintage perfume Emperor Maximus (Eau de Parfum). The title of my comment: "Club de Nuit Intense - Smoke = Emperor Maximus". So today, let's talk about the twin of the EdP as an Extrait.

Basically, I can keep this comment very short. Almost everything I wrote about the EdP applies here to the Extrait as well. The overall composition is a bit softer and rounder than the EdP and feels somewhat more luxurious. However, I cannot confirm that this is a completely new fragrance. Longevity and sillage are rather mediocre.

Conclusion: Both are practically the same and only differ in price. So, do you have to pay the extra price for the Extrait? No. In any case, I would only buy the sample from the website first.

Oh, and for those who want to know what I wrote about the Emperor Maximus EdP, it's best to check my profile and look for the comment there :) The impressions I conveyed there can be almost directly transferred to the Extrait. That's all there is to it.