Mefisto is a disappointment. Its plaudits online must be by people who look down on the "bargain" Arabian clones for SMW, because if they'd tried things like Al Wisam Day by Rasasi, Silver Shade by Ajmal, or Club de Nuit Sillage by Armaf, they wouldn't care about Mefisto. You can buy six bottles of AW Day for the price of one Mefisto, and the differences between them are negligible. Mefisto opens with citrus notes that don't really read as citrus, but rather like a metallic-fruity musk. (Silver Shade's bergamot and lime notes smell way more natural.) A floral ensemble of lavender, iris, and rose develops, and carries the scent for a good seven or eight hours, before it fades into a white musk. Again, this is done elsewhere for much less, and Xerjoff's scent is surprisingly loud and synthetic.
The most glaring issue with Mefisto is the red-berry "froot" note in its heart, which all the aforementioned clones share. It's forgivable in something that costs ten bucks an ounce, but raises eyebrows at Xerjoff prices. SMW's blackcurrant note isn't a neon sweetness, but an inky bitterness, and it plays off the sour Creed ambergris base. It's SMW's main appeal. Sadly, Xerjoff's version doesn't even attempt to replicate it, and instead resorts to the same cheap berry chem found in all the other clones. Just another reason to avoid spending Creed money on anything other than a Creed.