Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week we’ll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of men’s fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning man’s style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent. This week, we’re looking at the best Xerjoff fragrances for men.
Italian luxury brand Xerjoff isn’t very well known in Australia. Agence de Parfum only signed on as a local distributor for the brand last year, welcoming it to the online retailer’s solid staple alongside Xerjoff’s very reliable Casamorati collection. I don’t have access to any sales numbers to tell you whether or not it’s been a success so far, but I have tested several of the brand’s expressions and have a good enough idea of what this relatively young label, which was founded in 2004 by Sergio Mom and Dominique Salvo, is capable of.
And it’s quite a lot.
Much like brands such as Roja Parfums and Amouage, there’s a certain high-society aesthetic to Xerjoff that justifies the price tags. The ingredients Xerjoff uses are incredibly high quality and clearly worked in such a way to nail the metrics of longevity and projection, which are the two things you’d want from a luxury perfume brand. The brand’s perfumes wear ridiculously well and last for a long time. As such, the several Xerjoff perfumes I use are typically reserved for special occasions.
These are the Xerjoff fragrances that have impressed me the most so far, whether I own a full bottle or have tested it out. Note that as always I’ve included fragrances that are both marketed towards men and are unquestionably masculine, ones that are pushed as unisex, and some that are typically for women but could also be pulled off by men.
Note that the most obvious choice, Richwood, has been left off this list because I wanted to highlight a few others I feel are more underrated. Xerjoff Richwood is, however, an absolute scene-stealer.
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Best Xerjoff Fragrances For Men
Tony Iommi Monkey Special
This one’s my personal favourite, created in collaboration with Black Sabbath’s legendary guitarist. I’m still a bit confused as to why the guitarist from a hardy English rock band has come together with an Italian luxury perfumer, but I’m glad the partnership went down nonetheless. Perfumer Chris Maurice apparently wanted to bring to life the “monolithic riffs” of Black Sabbath by using a lot of spice and bringing it all together with notes like Bulgarian rose, rum, caramel, vanilla and ambergris.
Top Notes: Rum, passionfruit, bergamot, geranium
Middle Notes: Cinnamon, leather, Singapore patchouli, Bulgarian rose
Base Notes: Caramel, sandalwood, vanilla, labdanum, tonka bean, musk, ambergris
Uden Overdose
Uden Overdose may be the single best expression of the brand to date outside of Richwood. While the opening, all bergamot and lemon, is nothing entirely unique, the top’s image of sailing the Mediterranean is much more vivid than you’d usually get from a lesser perfume. This reiterates Xerjoff’s stamp of quality right before opening up into something more complex with thyme, ginger, tobacco flower and coumarin. By the time the profile drips down into the heavy amber and vanilla base, you get that high degree of nuance that perfectly communicates Xerjoff’s commitment to partisanship. It’s perfect.
Top notes: Bergamot, lemon
Heart notes: Thyme, tobacco flower, coumarin, ginger
Base notes: Amber, musk, vanilla, coffee
Golden Dallah
If you thought that subtle coffee nuance in Uden Overdose bought an impressive angle to the base, wait till you get a whiff of Golden Dallah. The woody and earthy fragrance was crafted as a dedication to Arabic coffee culture, leaning towards the darker and spicier notes to present a fragrance that could easily be mistaken for an Amouage. The spices on the opening are a nice preview, but after an hour or two you’ll really find this opens up with a burst of coffee blended with incense, amber, rose and a very subtle Cambodian oud. The nutty finish caps it all off quite nicely, turning into a strong gourmand scent.
Top notes: Exotic spices
Heart notes: Incense, coffee, Cambodian oud, amber, rose
Base notes: Hazelnut, cacao, tonka bean
Torino22
Torino22 is the newest fragrance on this list, created by the Italian brand to commemorate the ongoing partnership between the Nitto ATP Finals and the city of Turin, where Xerjoff was founded. This isn’t the first tennis-themed fragrance I’ve tried (Penhaligon’s Racquets is still an absolute show-stealer if you like citrus bombs) and it’s a bit muskier than I would have expected. That’s a good thing, though, presenting a nice, complex profile that opens with bergamot and eucalyptus before brightening up with clary sage and then dimming the lights with musk and dry wood.
Top notes: Bergmot, saffron, eucalyptus
Heart notes: Clary safe, mate, Guaiac wood
Base notes: Musk, dry woods
Alexandria II
Alexandria II is often referenced as one of the best unisex perfumes from Xerjoff. And it’s not hard to see why when even on paper this thing is largely impressive. The glowing liquid inside the regal bottle perfectly reflects the profile, which starts with this heavenly billow of lavender and rosewood before bringing in some cinnamon and apple for something a bit gourmand. Rose and Lily of the Valley keep things fresh before the heavy base of oud, sandalwood, vanilla and musk come in.
Top notes: Rosewood, lavender, apple, cinnamon
Heart notes: Rose, Lily of the Valley, Cedarwood
Base notes: Oud, sandalwood, vanilla, musk
