5 Best Kilian Perfumes: Tops from an A-List Perfumer in 2024

If you’re interested in Kilian Men’s colognes, then I know that I can skip a lot of the basics with you. After all, Kilian’s killer eaux de parfum aren’t for the uninitiated. You need to know your stuff to even be considering picking up a fragrance from the incredibly deluxe brand.

Since one of the grandsons of Kilian Hennessy (i.e., the H in LVMH) started the perfume company in 2007, the Kilian brand has slowly but surely been adding great fragrances to its collection. To date, there are 10 different Kilian fragrances on the market.

In this article, we’re going to dive into the five best Kilian perfumes for men. I hope that this narrower list can help you make a choice about which of their fragrances is best for you.

There isn’t really any reason not to get right into it, is there?

Key Takeaways

I’ve been a huge fan of Kilian for more than a decade now, so I didn’t even need to do any research for this article. I know each and every one of their fragrances intimately and, as a result, this list was set from the start. But, you can rest assured that I know what I’m talking about here, since I’ve been thinking about it for a really long time.

Overall, Vodka on the Rocks is my pick for the best Kilian men’s cologne that they’ve released so far. It’s a deeply compelling and deeply addicting scent that contains perfectly balanced notes of pink rose, sandalwood, cardamon, and lily of the valley. That all adds up to a heady mixture that doesn’t skimp on either the sweet or the musky notes.

I’d also highlight both the Black Phantom by Kilian, my pick for the best luxury option from a luxury brand, and the Back To Black Aphrodisiac by Kilian, which is one of the most seductive colognes I’ve ever worn.

Why it’s great: Vodka on the Rocks by Kilian for Men is one of my all-time favorite colognes by any brand, so it was a no-brainer to go at the top of this list of the best Kilian perfumes.

Like many other things in life, balance is the golden rule for fragrances. Vodka on the Rocks is one of the most exquisitely balanced colognes I’ve ever had the pleasure to smell, with its complementary aromatic top notes (Coriander, Aldehydes, and Cardamom) and heavy base layer of oakmoss and sandalwood.

Who is this for? I can’t really think of anyone who wouldn’t feel great wearing this scent.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: It’s tough for me to make a criticism of this product, since I’m obviously biased, but I do sometimes find myself wishing that its top notes stayed prominent for a little bit longer.

Top Notes: Coriander, Aldehydes and Cardamom | Middle Notes: Rhubarb, Lily-of-the-Valley and Pink Rose | Base Notes: Ambroxan, Oakmoss and Sandalwood | Type: Eau de Parfum

Why it’s great: Although it’s impossible to find a ‘budget-friendly’ Kilian perfume, you can often find bottles of Parfum Moonlight in Heaven by Kilian for a bit of a better price than many of their other fragrances. And that’s not because it’s an inferior scent or anything; it’s actually quite a nice unisex perfume that’s led by citrusy and spicy notes of grapefruit, lemon, and pink pepper.

Who is this for? This is a great way to get a feel of what Kilian perfumes are like, especially if you can find a travel set somewhere.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: The perfume is very much a unisex product, so some men may find it too sweet to wear even if they can appreciate how good it smells.

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Lemon and Pink Pepper | Middle Notes: Mango, Coconut and Rice | Base Notes: Vetiver and Tonka Bean | Type: Eau de Parfum

Why it’s great: Black Phantom by Kilian is a really boozy cologne that hits you right in the face with a strong rum top note. The story doesn’t end there, though. It has a really interesting contrast in the base notes, playing the sweet scents of caramel and sugarcane off against Sandalwood and Vetiver.

Who is this for? This is another unisex scent from Kilian that can work for both men and women because of how finely balanced it is, containing both traditionally masculine scents and those that you’d usually find in women’s perfumes.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: This is a really sophisticated perfume, and it’s one that comes at quite a cost. It’s in the luxury spot on this list because it’s expensive even by Kilian’s standards.

Top Notes: Rum | Middle Notes: Dark Chocolate, Coffee, Almond, and Heliotrope | Base Notes: Caramel, Sugar Cane, Sandalwood and Vetiver | Type: Eau de Parfum

Why it’s great: The next Kilian perfume I want to take a look at is Back To Black Aphrodisiac by Kilian, which is part of its “The Smokes” line. As the name suggests, these perfumes are heavy on the scents of tobacco, incense, and other smoky notes.

Who is this for? I’d recommend this Kilian men’s cologne to someone who wants to cultivate a mysterious and smoky aura.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: If you’re not a fan of smoky or tobacco-led perfumes, then you’ll definitely want to check out some of the other options on this list.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Saffron, Nutmeg, Cardamom, and Coriander | Middle Notes: Chamomile, Olibanum, and Honey | Base Notes: Oak, Tobacco, Patchouli, Almond, and Vanilla | Type: Eau de Parfum

Why it’s great: And, finally, we have Kilian Intoxicated for Unisex as the last entry on our list of the best Kilian perfumes for men. This is a scent that has a strong coffeehouse vibe to it but with the added spicy notes of cardamom and nutmeg. It’s not especially sweet or musky, which means that it’s a really flexible cologne that you can get a lot of use out of.

Who is this for? This is a great everyday wear. You don’t really need to think about it because it will fit in basically everywhere.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: The top note of cardamom definitely steals the show and is really recognizable, so unless you like the scent, you might want to get a cologne that has a few different top notes mixed together.

Top Notes: Cardamom | Middle Notes: Nutmeg and Cinnamon | Base Notes: Coffee, Caramel, Vanilla, and Mocha | Type: Eau de Parfum

Buying Considerations for The Best Kilian Perfumes

Smell

There’s a lot of variation even within the small sample that made our list of the top Kilian men’s cologne. That’s a great thing because it means that you get a lot of choice in what scents you’d like to wear when you put on your new cologne from Kilian. A couple of the products are explicitly for men, but many of them are unisex perfumes.

Unisex colognes can sometimes be controversial. Personally, I love the types of sweeter scents that you can access with a great unisex perfume, but I also love the hyper-masculine smells that you can sometimes get with scents that are explicitly for men. I guess that, for men, it depends on my mood, but there aren’t really any wrong answers here. Go with what you like.

Season

You already know that you should be changing up your cologne game according to the season, so I’m sure that your question is which are the best Kilian perfumes for the different times of the year. Well, if you’re looking for a spring or summer cologne, I’d definitely recommend Parfum Moonlight in Heaven by Kilian. It has prominent top notes of Grapefruit, Pink pepper, and Lemon that give it a sweet and sickly summer vibe.

But those of you who are in the market for a winter cologne should consider Vodka on the Rocks by Kilian for Men. Its prominent use of musky scents like sandalwood, oak moss, and coriander makes it a great winter or fall cologne.

Longevity

When I’m reviewing colognes for men, I usually have a section about the difference between the different types of cologne. But that’s not relevant here since Kilian produces  only eaux de parfum—which stands at the top of the cologne hierarchy. Instead, I’m going to note that some of the perfumes on this list have a longer lifespan than others, such as the Back To Black Aphrodisiac by Kilian. On the other hand, Parfum Moonlight in Heaven by Kilian, with its lighter and more subtle notes, won’t stay noticeable for as long.

How We Chose

Whenever we’re selecting colognes for a list like this one, we always take our role as tastemakers very seriously. Colognes are a mysterious kind of product, with their qualities and drawbacks hidden within small glass bottles.

Much like judging the quality of fine wine (or apropos Kilian, cognac), you do need to know something to have an opinion. Therefore, we pay the most attention to honestly evaluating the quality of perfumes in order to make sure that you have all the information you need to make an informed choice.

However, we also pay attention to the same four criteria that we use for every product review here on FashionBeans.

Company reputation: We’re always highly aware of whether a brand has a track record of producing excellent quality products. Luckily, with Kilian, it wasn’t even a question because they have one of the best reputations out there.

Customer reviews: We also always pay a lot of attention to what real customers say about a product when we’re reviewing it.

Price: I don’t like overpaying for products that don’t live up to their hype or their price tag. But, as I’ve made clear a couple of times throughout this article, I’m of the opinion that Kilian more than meets that standard.

Transparency: Finally, we always verify that any company we tell our readers is worth buying from is open and honest about important matters like where they get their materials from and what their return policy is like.

Why Trust Us?

There’s no shortage of nous on the subject of men’s colognes on the editorial team of FashionBeans. Let’s just say that if you add our years of experience up, there are enough of them to have learned to drive, started drinking legally, and even have had a divorce or two. As a result, we’re extremely confident in our ability to cut the wheat from the chaff and deliver you the best advice about colognes that you can find on the net.

We followed our usual process in the creation of this list of the best Kilian perfumes, which involves each editor making a personal shortlist of their favorite products in the category we’re reviewing. Then, we have a general meeting to iron out what should and shouldn’t make the list. After some spirited discussion, we’ll usually arrive at a collection of products we can all be proud of.

Final Verdict 

Our overall pick for the best Kilian perfume for him out of their entire lineup is Vodka on the Rocks. It’s a standout fragrance from a standout brand, so you can’t really go wrong with ordering a bottle for yourself. This is one list where all of the other options are also outstanding, so I wouldn’t judge you for making a different choice.