Aramis Devin by Aramis

So dense and green, less leather than classic Aramis but finer and more masculine. Smells like a cousin to Kouros or Halston Z-14 thanks to that herbal facet that hits you right in the face; you’ll either love it or hate it. It’s a niche fragrance with no compromises, concrete and solid. Not a hidden gem, but sometimes it comes in handy. Still in stock at a ridiculous price, ideal only for adults. Great performance and sillage, try it before it disappears, even before Aramis 900.

Exquisite. I bought it blindly seeing Devin online; the price was irresistible. Reviews were polarized by longevity or whether it smelled ‘animalistic,’ but the facts are different: it opens like an aldehydic mist with galbanum and moss, nothing aggressive. It balances with creamy citrus and a base of labdanum, clove, and jasmine that gives it creaminess, plus a hint of cinnamon and caraway spice. The leather is soft, playing with cedar, while pine blends with the dominant moss. Warm patchouli and intense musk, no civet or castor. It sits softly on the skin, not a projection bomb, but the quality is sublime. If you like Bijan, Givenchy Gentleman, or Zino, you’ll adore it. Compared to Yagatan (rougher) and Z-14 (spicier), it’s a very happy purchase.

Another spectacular Aramis. Upon smelling it, I thought of Obsession for Women, then a herbal galbanum, wild, cut grass but warm, not citrusy. The drydown is extraordinary and longevity is good, without being a beast. If this is how Aliage smells, I’ll love it. An incredible quality Aramis fragrance, very different from what’s sold today.

Aramis Devin Country: a wild, rough, vintage chypre with lots of character. Not for teenagers, but for seasoned noses seeking lost gems. A vintage, exotic, and potent aroma that hits you like a frying pan: love or hate. It brings back memories of Kouros, Creed Aventus, Jacques Bogart, and Aramis Havana. Complex, rare, and unique for mature users. Ingredients like galbanum, caraway, amber, and patchouli require knowing how to handle them. It’s an EDC but performs like an EDP. Rating 10.

Scent: very good. Projection and longevity: good. Quality: very good. Blind buy: yes, 7/10. Another great Aramis fragrance. Note: it’s a cologne, so longevity and projection are short, but it’s worth having this classic at home.

Devin is another milestone in my life… My father received it as a gift in the 80s; it’s not an easy scent, and it took me a long time to truly understand it. One day he came home from work, stepped out of the car, and I caught the smell of this ‘iconic’ old-school Aramis. Its imprint is herbaceous beyond compare—intense, dark, bitter like an autumn forest at dusk with a brutal full moon rising on the horizon… the scene leaves you chilled, overwhelmed by a sense of solitude. You’re alone on the mountain, but after that bitter, almost fateful sip, you see the beauty of the place; everything resets, and that dark forest embraces and adopts you. Devin isn’t for the weak-minded, weak-willed, or lacking in character. It’s a tough, overwhelming, and supremely elegant fragrance—the kind a magnate would wear. My father, who was a university professor, wore it so well. Every time I see this listing on Fragrantica, I remember my father using it. It was the last perfume he wore; after retiring, he never used it again like he did during his working life. I’ve seen it still in stock, but the presentation isn’t the same, and I almost guarantee the scent and performance aren’t what they used to be. I’ve seen the vintage packaging for around $135 USD. I hope conditions allow us to recover the aroma that best represents my father’s kind yet serious character.

Curious; upon smelling it, I thought of Guerlain Habit Rouge, but it’s not my favorite. It’s a ‘gasoline’ type fragrance, rustic and intrusive; not nauseating but not pleasant either, it smells rancid. It could pass as an old women’s perfume, as mentioned in forums with Aliage. Definitely won’t be my favorite from the house and likely the one I hate the most. Pass.