Xeryus (1986)
by Givenchy

Xeryus is a solid, quality, 80's aromatic fougere. It won't break any vintage lover's top 10 but is very pleasant nevertheless. It sits squarely with the Drakkar Noir, Smalto, Nobile, Tsar, Duc, etc...

Nose clearing, bracing opening blast of artemisia and grapefruit toning progressively toward a really classy dark soapy dry down which is my favourite part.
For those maybe familiar with the genre, not as dark and smoky as Smalto but much darker than Nobile, much less sweet and floral than Tsar, closest maybe to vintage Drakkar.

However good Xeryus and all of those are, one can only lament the pretty much truly extinct and perfect Nobile.

I'm not sure what the current version is like but I owned a bottle of this back in the early 90's and it was divine. A real grown up and mature scent. Woody & spicy with a slight touch of floral and sweetness. If I could be assured that it is still nearly as good as the original I would most probably buy a newer bottle. Excellent stuff.

I remember receiving Xeryus as a high school graduation gift! I was just beginning to develop a cologne collecting hobby at that time (around 1991), and this scent from Givenchy offered me a scent that I may not have purchased on my own, but nevertheless appreciated.

Xeryus is a nice woody fougere scent that echoes the time period when it came out. It's layered with freshness and spice, as well as an indistince wood-like flair thanks to the cypress. Exudes a sense of charm and confidence, like other well-made fougeres of that era. Clean and long-lasting, never confusing nor cloying.

And then many years after, I discovered and fell in love with Xeryus Rouge, a markedly different direction by Givenchy that has barely any resemblance to this original version, and a flanker that I consider to be one of my all time favorite, never-fail colognes. Can't say that Xeryus original receives a similar accolade from me, but I still give it all due respect as a wearable, thought-provoking scent that is still relevant today after so many years.

A nice clean and soapy men's scent with nice longevity and projection. Nice bergamot note on the top with mingling citrus. Blending with geranium, spices and oakmoss. Has a bit of woods in the dry down. A true winner but I wouldn't blind buy if you haven't experienced this juice before. Enjoy!

I find the top of Xeryus intriguing, but something in the base is not quite my style, too coniferous, perhaps.

Wearing this some more, I get a strong connection to the smell of dryer sheets, in a nice way - top quality dryer sheets. I could almost give this a thumbs up, I'm on the fence.