Epic Man by Amouage

A purely oriental aroma, with a green and spicy opening that gives way to a sweet, elegant, resinous dry-down (not cloying), with myrrh and oud as the stars, lasting all day. Ideal between early autumn and mid-spring. I rate it in the Top 10 of my collection with a triple 10/10 for scent, intensity, and longevity.

Amouage Epic Man is woody, spicy, and balsamic. The opening is woody and musky, a bit dirty in an oud way. A few minutes later that dirtiness fades but it remains woody with patchouli and spices like pink pepper and saffron. It also has balsamic elements like myrrh, but the scent does not change anymore. The scenarios are special or formal situations, office work, preferably autumn and winter. With me it had good longevity of over 8 hours and good presence in the trail. The scent is interesting and I recommend trying it if you like woody and spicy fragrances, but I do not recommend buying it blind because it is not cheap; better to be sure you like it.

At the first spray I couldn’t believe what it smelled like; it was love at first sight. What masculinity, what power; it is one of the few fragrances with which you feel like a man of power, an Arab sultan. That is why I think it is not for everyone: if you are shy or introverted, it is not for you. But if you want to stand out or give a sensation of wealth, Epic Man is your fragrance. Jazz club date or party at an embassy? Do you want to receive compliments and smell strong? Epic Man is for you. I could praise it for hours. The scent is spectacular, although if you repel Arab culture or smells of myrrh, frankincense, and saffron, this is not your perfume. Honey is not made for the ass’s mouth. Longevity of over 8 hours; I have a coat that still smells of Epic Man a week later. Extremely high projection, guaranteed compliments for over 6 hours. Do not look for versatility: it is for special occasions and cold winter nights. Summary: PERFUMÓN.

Incredible, it smells like a powerful person, a powerful sultan; the longevity is brutal. You pay a designer, obviously, 300€ just to say it has a very oriental air at first: oud, sweet frankincenses from the maceration of oils. What fascinates me most is its dry-down; after about 3 hours you notice something floral, surely neroli, a hidden floral. And in its final dry-down, that note of castoreum is brilliant; I imagine a beaver just as it is but dressed in a suit, tie, and very clean. This fragrance is brutal.

It is not bad, but it is in the vein of Polo Green, costing much more; clearly in this case you pay for the brand name.

Epic Man is, in my opinion, one of the best fragrances from the brand and very little talked about in the shadow of Interlude, Jubilation XXV, or Reflection Man. It has a fresh and spicy part of nutmeg and cardamom, which with the pepper and myrtle gives a sensation of a robust, soapy classic cologne, which with the resins and leather gives a sensation of tremendous quality. It is super pleasant, ideal for temperate climates and much more usable than others from the brand, where you are forced to use them more in the cold. It has other notes that give many nuances between fresh and woody, but it never goes out of its perfect balance. I have given it a few turns to understand it better, but it seems to me a proper stinker worth the time to get to know, analyse, and enjoy. I see it as more masculine than feminine, performance slightly inferior to the common Amouage, but still very good, for temperate climates (perfect for spring and autumn) and I think this is one that justifies its price, or at least I would pay for it. Note: 8.5/10.

Excellent Epic Man. I tried it several times last winter and it passed me by unnoticed. They say it’s for cold weather, but it’s misclassified; it suits other seasons too. How good is it! In semi-warm conditions (15-28 degrees), its behaviour is sublime. The opening might discomfort the novice: resinous, balsamic, spiced, with pepper and a medicinal, rough oud. The journey begins there. Myrtle appears, and with cardamomo, it recalls masala tea but fresher and more balsamic. After three hours, the elements settle: myrtle takes centre stage with myrrh and incense, while underneath, the sandalwood-cedar-geranium combo emerges, not forgetting the musk-castoreum blend that adds a clean, sexual touch, like old-fashioned soap. It takes on a quasi-Mediterranean character, with myrtle evoking memories of Aqua di Giò; I can see myself admiring the sea from a mountain. It maintains projection with a trail that spreads like a gangster’s Thompson, and unexpectedly, it pleases and delights. It’s an olfactory battle where you are the spectator. By five hours, with elegant trails, notes reminiscent of Amouage Dia arrive. It fades slowly until 8-10 hours before lingering on the skin for even longer. A worthy successor to the saga. It may not be for everyone, so I recommend trying it on your skin and waiting for the development. BON VOYAGE.

I bought a decant because the reviews were good, but the truth is I expected more for the price. On my nose, it smells good, with green notes, woods, incense, and that background pepper, although it has a soapy touch that could be the musk. I’m not going to buy the full bottle because it’s not something that breaks the bank, but if you like it, try a decant like me and perhaps you’ll fall in love.

I’ve had it for a short while and it reminds me 90% of TSAR by Van Cleef. I can’t believe there is a niche fragrance with so much similarity after so many years, just like what happened with Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water. I like it a lot because I used to wear TSAR. Epic has a distinct opening and an interesting evolution; by the hour, a pleasant oud appears mixed with green notes. It is an old-school perfume, distinguished and with a lot of presence, although I don’t recommend it for under 30s. Ideal for daily use. Scent 8/10, Trail 8/10, Longevity 9/10, Projection 8.5/10.

I tested it on 15th June 2019. It’s good, with a strong opening that in 30 minutes becomes very fresh in an oriental style. It has moderate trail and projection. I like it, but it doesn’t fill my expectations; my favourite from the house remains JUBILATION XXV.

Neither do I like it nor do I dislike it. It starts incensey and spiced with standout pink pepper. In the heart phase, the resinous and slightly smoky character of myrtle appears, with a woody base of oud and sandalwood, with brushstrokes of leather. It is a woody-spiced oriental with a green touch. It reminds me of Jubilation, but this one is drier and less fruity. It is masculine, with great performance, and quality ingredients. For autumn and winter, more for night than for day. Very long-lasting longevity and heavy trail.

Epic Man hooks me: it’s a high-quality incense, spiced, and woody oriental, exactly what I love and which fits perfectly with its siblings Interlude and Jubilation from the same house. Upon application, the spiced incense is so intense it almost gets lost among the spices, with cardamom and saffron standing out at first. Gradually, the spices fade in intensity and the incense takes centre stage, but it’s no longer alone; myrrh becomes noticeable, turning the fragrance into a resinous balm that is sweet, smoky, highly spiced, with a slight woody touch—elegant and exotic. Over time, the woody notes gain prominence, but they never dominate because that spice and that incense smoke are always present; it’s an exotic, dense, smoky woody aroma that touches on oriental opulence, simply beautiful. Performance is very good, lasting over nine hours on skin with a moderate sillage; it’s intense at first but feels moderate for most of the time. It’s suited to cold or mild climates and for evening wear, though this depends on personal taste. As I said, olfactorily it’s excellent, but it shares many similarities with Interlude and Jubilation, so if you already own one of them, this could be dispensable. However, if not, it’s magnificent. It’s of very high quality, although the price is prohibitive for the average person, but if that doesn’t bother you, it’s highly recommended.

I have tried all the masculine fragrances from Amouage, except Ciel and the recent releases. I am fascinated by their richness, exoticism, and longevity. But as my favourites, I settle for two or three at most: Epic Man, Jubilation XXV, and/or Interlude Man or Memoir Man. Epic Man surprises with its opulence; that blend of spices and resins gives it great relief. It doesn’t seem suitable for daily wear or warm climates. Longevity is above average, and the sillage is slightly more moderate than others from the house. What a great oriental fragrance! Scent: 8, Originality: 7, Longevity: 9, Sillage: 7, Versatility: 6, Overall Rating: 7.4.

Amouage is a niche house from Oman, founded in 1983 by the Sultan to recreate the millennial Arab perfumery. For those who do not know them, they make very complex, elaborate, and oriental fragrances, moving away from the Western trend, although there are some like Reflection Man that are more Western. I have tried the vast majority of the masculine scents and the truth is that the quality is impeccable. Whether they are liked or not is subjective, but it is impossible to deny the quality. They are perfumes with great character and facets. What surprises most about Epic Man is its opulent and serious aroma; it is one of those perfumes that denotes maturity. Although I am young and I love it. There is a notable amount of spices, woods, and resins that provide consistency. The most perceived notes are saffron, nutmeg, myrrh, patchouli, oud wood, and musk. Its longevity stands out, although projection and sillage were somewhat restrained, perhaps due to my skin. The ‘relief’ it has is striking; Amouage perfumes have many ‘layers’. Those accustomed to more ‘flat’ fragrances might find it excessive, but it is a matter of getting to know this type of perfumery. It does not seem suitable for daily wear or all seasons.

I comment that this review is about the ‘new version’, with magnetic cap and a full 100ml bottle. It seemed to me an interesting fragrance regarding its olfactory notes, but little more, to be honest. It is a green fragrance, with a somewhat undefined note that seems like patchouli, with something more that I cannot distinguish, perhaps myrtle or geranium; maybe some spice is also detectable, all over a fairly notable but not very dense incense base. Little more. I do not smell absolutely any Oud, nor myrrh, nor many of the things it is supposed to carry. Does it smell good? For my taste, yes and quite so, but it is nothing really impactful or excellent, although it is an original or uncommon scent. Years ago I wore the ‘vintage’ version well, and speaking from memory and going back a long way, it was not a bomb, but I remember it was more potent. I see it as suitable for office or daily use, with a duration of 4-5 hours, perhaps a bit more if we seek the fragrance hard, and with a discreet sillage at all times. With different notes and olfactory development, Memoir Man and Jubilation XXV (the one I like most for its scent, perhaps) have caused me similar sensations, also in their ‘current’ versions. I stick with Interlude, absolutely and without any doubt.