Reviews of Santal Impérial (1850)
by Creed

Quite old-school, not very strong, with a somewhat limited sillage. This is a very straightforward sandalwood, with a little bergamot in the top and some other woody and coumarin notes in the base, plus the ever-present Creed signature ambergris. Not great on longevity, this scent is nevertheless redolent of aristocracy and conservative notions of style. If you like solid and reliable scents that send a message of (perhaps slightly smug) self-possession and self-regard, this is for you. The other possibility is that you like something very obviously old-fashioned; simple, yet brilliant in its simplicity; and satisfyingly (if fleetingly) beautiful; then this is for you, too. Personally, I think I'll take it on the latter terms.

This frag it great from start to finish, this too has a little tiny bit of a citrus zing about but not near as much as CB. I really like this scent.

I have the same problem as SirSlarty in that I find this fragrance exceedingly light. To even get a notion of its true essence, it must be applied with a heavy hand. Of course, it is one of the few Creed fragrances that is an Eau de Toilette, not an Eau de Parfum. Once you are able to smell it, however, it is quite appealing. It is a sweet sandalwood layered over a super prominent ambergris base. In fact, on me, after about an hour, the sandalwood is completely gone and I can smell nothing but ambergris hovering about an inch above my skin. Now, this might be a problem for some, but I happen to love it. I don't know if I'd fork out the big bucks for this, but I love the sample that I've got and would love to have some more.

Seems light for a sandalwood fragrance but that doesn't make it bad. I like it a lot. It's subtle on me and it takes a while to get accustomed to. I smelled absolutely nothing at first spritz (well, 12 spritzes haha) but as your body heat interacts with it, the scent comes in at full force and turns around and fades away. A perfect scent for a perfect day.

Obviously a stellar “sandalwood” fragrance. Its simplicity is drawn from the fact that sandalwood is one of the few notes that is perfectly competent to stand on its own in a solo-fragrance. In cases like this, it’s the quality of the sandalwood note that determines the quality of the fragrance, and, the sandalwood used in Santal Imperial is excellent from my point of view. It is what I would typify as the soft, creamy, rather than the aromatic variety of sandalwood; it exhibits excellent longevity. I love the aroma of sandalwood so much that I am fully satisfied with a straightforward solo-sandalwood fragrance; however, I realize that others may legitimately expect something more, and in that case Santal Imperial might not satisfy them….

Although I am not an expert on sandalwood, I believe that this is one of the best I’ve found in a generally available alcohol based fragrance. I still prefer Floris Sandalwood but that is no longer readily available, and Creed’s Santal Imperial now takes top honors among the more pure alcohol based sandalwoods I’ve tried. It’s an excellent fragrance…

A lovely and honest rendition of sandalwood with a light vanilla + amber added to the drydown. If you are seeking a pure sandalwood fragrance, this is the one, but if you want a rather more complex and spectacular version --'Santal Noble' is the choice. This fragrance nudges Etro's version down to third favourite though. No longevity or sillage problems either -- I'm slowly changing my mind about Creed's edt's.

Lately for some reason, I've been on a huge Platinum Egoiste kick. The first time I smelled it, I hated it. It turns out, that at the time what I hated was sandalwood. Then one day, I got a bottle of Tam Dao, and it forced me to face sandalwood, and to my surprise it took me about ten minutes to do an about face! I'd always perceived sandalwood's smell as being somewhat like a overheated plastic "ziploc bag." Once I reset the circuits of my nose with my new positive feelings toward sandalwood, I came to like all sorts of scents that I previously dismissed. Platinum Egoiste was a major one.

So what's that got to do with Creed's Santal Imperial? Well, I just noticed for the first time that Santal Imperial reminds me of the stripped down, smoky sandalwood base of Platinum Egoiste, without all of the shiny shaving cream aldehyde topnotes-- and in place of all that is just a hint of transparent freshness and spice. Don't get me wrong, Platinum Egoiste and Santal Imperial are worlds apart, but they do seem to share a similar base of flame tempered sandalwood. There's seriously a lot of smoke going on in Santal Imperial. And there's an almost peppery aspect to this fragrance as well. As I inhale deeper and deeper, there are a lot of different facets- powdery, sweet, rubbery, animalic, dry, toasted. The ambergris house note turns up and gives depth to this pure, mellow fragrance. Almost the soft pink smell of pencil erasers fades in and out.

Not the most modern, versatile, sporty fragrance out there-- but if you're looking for classic, no nonsense sandalwood that smells like a million bucks, make sure to try this one.

A very nice sophisticated scent that works well with my body chemistry. The longevity of this cologne on my skin is quite nice. I definitely recommend this a try.

Santal Imperial is one of the most focused and high quality sandalwood fragrances around. Made for a king a long time ago, this imperial sandalwood still rules the roost.

Opening with a burst of citrus (and bergamot), the woody powdery heart of one of the most authentic sandalwood notes makes an appearance and takes center stage for several hours before melding with tonka beans and ambergris in the base notes to conjure a fantastic rendition of the Creed house note. Santal Imperial's laser-like focus on displaying a quality sandalwood note with minimal distraction by supporting notes is nearly unmatched. Its light and distinguished, and possesses enough virility to satiate any woody desires. Conservative? If you want a moroccan spice rack or ghastly chemical lab notes like burning tires and spermicidal lubes in your spray juices, this might not be for you. The sandalwood note might be less vivid than (Creed) Bois du Santal (another sandalwood powerhouse) and the overall composition less metrosexual than Original Santal, but this is still a must try for sandalwood afficionados.

Rating: 9.0/10.0

A clear and fantastic sandalwood note is the one and only feature here.

It begins with a very nice citrus note which does a fine job of holding my attention while I wait the fifteen minutes it takes for the low-volatility sandal to show its face. When it does, it is sharp, rich and excellent. It projects good, if subtle, sillage and endures extremely well. It then drops seamlessly into a wonderfully comapatible accord of tonka and ambergris. It is serious, warm and never inappropriate.

Overall this is a subtle scent but it does what it says on the tin with class.

Great scent, from a great era for this house. Nice creamy and mildly spicy sandalwood scent that is a nice change of pace from the usual overly dry sandalwood based scents. Funny note, my kids told me I smelled like a Quesadilla while wearing it.

Wow, what a change of pace! Santal Imperial is a very full-bodied yet linear scent- not that that's a bad thing. The sandalwood is heavenly, and the tonka bean and ambergris linger in the background, smoothing any rough edges and keeping the scent warm and dark. There's something magical about this scent, but I must admit, I don't think it's for me- I'm decades too young for such a sophisticated fragrance. Perhaps when I'm older and much more distinguished, I'll own a bottle. Until then, I'll always keep a small sample to remind me of it's uniqueness. By the time I've matured enough, it's likely this scent will be over 200 years old... now there's something to consider.

This is a somewhat boring, but very creamy Sandalwood fragrance. Its very smooth, and very well made, but not terribly interesting. I can easily see the merits of a fragrance such as this one, but don’t really find it interesting enough to purchase a bottle. I much prefer Santal Noble, or even Tam Dao to this fragrance.

When I first smelled this at a boutique, it transported me to a different era. I'm not sure such a fragrance could or would be created these days. Very lush, sensual, and deep, this sandalwood fragrance is a true classic. My only concern is the longevity (it is, after all, an eau de toilette and not a parfum). The fact that the formula is over 150 years old makes owning it a small treasure. Superb!

That something this uplifting and smooth could be created 155 years ago says a lot about this house (assuming the recipe is exactly the same). A smooth and somewhat linear interpretation of this note that is far from my favourite usually. In the hands of Creed, made one of my favorite scents ever. Luscious.
Mattias /Sweden

The sandalwood is subtle and the tonka is wonderfully rich. The ambergris gives this a tingling sensual base. I find this to be a relaxing and elegant fragrance. There is a lot of interplay between the tonka and sandalwood throughout dry down, one becoming dominant followed by a complete reversal. Perfect for autumn.

A perfectly smooth sandalwood-with-spice scent that, although for men, is a fantastic scent on a woman. One of the more vesatile, heavy Creed scents.