Vétiver (1948)
by Creed

The unsung vetiver: everyone mourns its passing but it always seems strange to me. Initially it makes me think of Mugler Cologne or Original Vetiver with added soft florals and a cold slab of stone underneath. The florals (rose?) soon start to compete more seriously with the granite slab, and I feel like the green component from that south Indian grassy plant (what's that stuff called again?) gets forgotten about in the fray. It doesn't have the smoothness or moistness of a Gendarme scent, but the inclusion of very clean florals reminds me a bit of that line. I'm not sure what it's trying to accomplish at this point, but being vetivery doesn't seem high on the list. By the late mid notes, the florals have somehow been replaced with leafy herbs, so at least we've returned to the green territory that I was expecting, but it's just too resinous and not grassy enough. Still, it's a perfectly usable green scent as long as you don't need it to smell like the legions of vetiver-specific fragrances.

4th February, 2012.

This is definitely one of the most 'off the beaten path' Creeds (in the sense that very few people own it or discuss it), but make no mistake...Vetiver is one of the most versatile, masculine, classic, and refined of all Creeds. In my opinion, it is not as soapy as the much newer Original Vetiver, and definitely this one is a different fragrance altogether. While the popular Original Vetiver is a very green-oriented fragrance, this Vetiver is much less green, but extremely well-blended and rounded. Perhaps more interestingly, it is firmly rooted in the style of a mossy/chypre fragrance, although from the listed notes this may come as a surprise. As others have mentioned, neither of Creed's vetiver fragrances are heavily reliant on the ingredient of vetiver itself. This makes the names somewhat misleading. Nonetheless, this is a wonderfully clean and uplifting scent, with a barbershop-esque quality to it. It hearkens back to a time long past, and it is certainly one of the most versatile Creeds in terms of the number of different occasions it could be utilized for. In fact, it could be argued that this Vetiver ties with GIT as being perhaps the most versatile of all Creeds. Never overbearing, and classically debonair in a subtle and unassuming way. It is no wonder that this was a favorite of JFK!

30th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 5th June, 2011.)

I bought Vetiver 2 weeks ago.......what can I say!?! The best Vetiver ever!!
Love this scent! Very fresh and clean!
In my top five!

4th April, 2011.

Very soapy vetiver which is nice till the middle and it falls apart mustily. OV is by far fresher and a better vetiver from Creed.

17th July, 2010.

This one is superior to the new vetiver Creed has and it is cheaper. What more can you ask for. This is the vetiver to end all vetivers. Very fresh, clean and mature scent. Cannot go wrong for everyday wear.

25th April, 2010. (Last Edited: 20th May, 2010.)

One of the classic male Creeds. Vastly better than the soi-disant Original Vetiver of more recent days. There is a chypre aspect to this that makes me suspect some mossy stuff in the base note that doesn't get listed in the usual pyramids one sees. I like to wear this in bright weather, even if it's cool out. It's the kind of coldish scent that seems to thrive in its own element. Smooth, debonair, yet rather unassuming — no need to try to impress, and no worries that one isn't making a good impression, if you know what I mean...

11th March, 2010.