Xerjoff is an Italian house that names its collections like museum wings: 1861, Oud Stars, Spotlight. The prices match the names. On Xerjoff's own European store, 50 mL of Alexandria II is €325 and 100 mL of Naxos is €245.
We make impressions of a lot of Xerjoff. These are the five to start with: what the original smells like, who it's for, and what ours is. Two of them, Italica and Mefisto Gentiluomo, technically come from Casamorati, a second line Xerjoff sells under the same roof. They belong here anyway.
What an impression is
An impression rebuilds the part of a fragrance your nose actually locks onto. It isn't the formula. Nobody outside the house has that.
Ours are blended at extrait strength, so expect a slower opening and a long wear.
Naxos
The original: Part of Xerjoff's 1861 collection, named for the year Italy was unified. Naxos is the Sicily bottle. Lemon, bergamot, lavender and frankincense open it. Honey, jasmine sambac, cinnamon and cashmere sit in the heart, over tobacco leaf, vanilla and tonka.
Honest take: Honey and tobacco is the whole story, and the lavender and lemon up top are what keep it from smelling like a pipe shop. The honey is thick and a little animal. If you don't like honey, this isn't your way into the house.
Of every Xerjoff, it's the one people search for most when they find us. It earns that. Wear it when it's cold; in August it's a lot.
Our version — Sugarlands: Bergamot, lemon and lavender, then honey, jasmine sambac, cinnamon and cashmere, then tobacco leaf, vanilla and tonka.
Alexandria II
The original: From Xerjoff's Oud Stars line. Apple, cinnamon, lavender and rosewood open it. Rose, lily of the valley and cedar make up the heart, and the base is Laotian oud, sandalwood, amber, vanilla and musk.
Honest take: This is oud for people who think they don't like oud. The apple and cinnamon read almost like baking for the first few minutes, then the rose and oud come up underneath. It never goes medicinal or barnyard, because the sandalwood and vanilla keep everything smooth.
It's a dressed-up fragrance. Wear it with a jacket.
Our version — Grandfather Mountain: Apple, cinnamon, rosewood and lavender, then rose, cedar and lily of the valley, then Laotian oud, sandalwood, amber, vanilla and musk.
Italica
The original: The first of the two Casamorati bottles. Xerjoff says it was built around the almond paste in southern Italian pastries, and the notes back that up: almond, milk and saffron, then toffee and vanilla, then white musk, cedar and sandalwood.
Honest take: It smells like marzipan with a pinch of saffron, and it doesn't pretend to be anything else. If you've wanted to smell like the inside of an Italian bakery, here it is.
If sweet fragrances aren't your thing, skip it. There's nothing bitter or smoky hiding in the base to rescue you.
Our version — Fort Blackmore: Almond, milk and saffron, then bourbon vanilla and toffee, then sandalwood and white musk.
Mefisto Gentiluomo
The original: The other Casamorati, and not the same fragrance as plain Mefisto. Xerjoff sells this one as a gentleman's cologne and ties the style to Italian barbershops of 1888. Lemon, bergamot, grapefruit and lavender open it. Iris and rose follow, then cedar, musk and amber.
Honest take: A barbershop fragrance in the best sense. The citrus and lavender do the talking at first, and the iris makes it smell like clean powder instead of soap.
Nothing about it is difficult. It's the safest blind buy of the five and the one you can wear to work on a Tuesday. If barbershop is your lane, our barbershop guide has four more.
Our version — Holston: Bergamot, grapefruit, lemon and lavender, then iris and rose, then amber, cedar and musk.
Starlight
The original: From Xerjoff's Spotlight collection. Bergamot and cardamom on top, almond and cinnamon in the heart, amber and cedar underneath.
Honest take: Spice cake. Cardamom first, then cinnamon and almond, and it stays warm and edible all the way down. It's the cheerful one from a house that mostly takes itself seriously. Save it for cold weather.
Our version — Pinwheel's Vista: Bergamot and cardamom, then almond and cinnamon, then amber and cedar. It comes in 30 mL only, plus the travel spray and sample.
Which one should you actually get
You want the one everybody talks about: Sugarlands (Naxos).
You want oud that won't scare anybody: Grandfather Mountain (Alexandria II).
You have a sweet tooth: Fort Blackmore (Italica).
You need something for work: Holston (Mefisto Gentiluomo).
It's December: Pinwheel's Vista (Starlight).
You don't know: All five come as a 2 mL sample for $10. Wear one for a few days before you buy the bottle. Full bottles are $29 for 15 mL and $49 for 30 mL.
The rest of our Xerjoff shelf
We make a few more Xerjoff impressions. Most come as travel sprays only:
Geaux to Hell (Tony Iommi Deified), in 15 mL and 30 mL.
Hazel Creek (Uden), travel spray only.
Chattahoochee (Kobe), travel spray only.
Norris (40 Knots), travel spray only.
Sinking Creek (Torino21), travel spray only.
Maison Appalachia is an independent fragrance house. Our fragrances are inspired by the originals we name and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by those houses.