Comparing "F" Batches of SMW

A Montage Using A.I. Generated Imagery
(Except for the Bottle)

The new generation of Creed fragrances now come with batch codes starting with an "F" followed by numerals. Unlike previous codes, these are harder to decipher, and none of the online cosmetic code checkers have been updated to read them. When I tried plugging one in, I got an error message. Recently, I received my second bottle of Silver Mountain Water, a 100 ml size, and noticed the batch code differs from my 50 ml bottle, which still has about an ounce left. There's a notable difference in scent and performance between the two bottles, as Creed still engages in batch variation.

I suspect the 50 ml bottle is from an older batch. The code is F000160, and when it was new, it had a CK One vibe—fresh florals with a hazy green tea effect that lingered into the drydown, about twenty minutes after application. However, longevity was poor, lasting just ninety minutes to two hours, and the scent's complexity was muted. After about nine months of maceration, the fragrance has become more piquant and defined, with better longevity (around eight hours) and clearer note separation. Now, I can distinctly smell citrus, blackcurrant, petitgrain, a hint of rose, green tea, sandalwood, and musk. No ambergris, though. It seems Creed no longer includes it in SMW, but there’s a subtle hint of Ambroxan, though at a much lower dose than in Armaf's Club de Nuit Sillage.

The 100 ml bottle was a better deal because it had been used a couple of times, prompting the seller to knock seventy-five dollars off the price, bringing the total to $219—a fantastic deal for a non-tester bottle. The code is F000399, and I’m guessing this is a more recent batch, as I’ve read that the newer batches are stronger and fuller-bodied. Indeed, from the first spray (without priming the atomizer), I noticed a difference. This batch is richer, clearer, and a bit more floral. The citrus and metallic notes are louder, the blackcurrant is more prominent, the tea and petitgrain are subtler but more enduring, and the white musks provide impressive longevity—easily ten hours or more. Still no ambergris, though.

This might seem like a minor detail, but for those that are interested in the newer batches of Creed but doubt their tenacity, I want to reassure you, at least when it comes to SMW. I can't speak for other Creed fragrances yet, but with two different "F" batches, my experience has been positive. I have mixed feelings about the loss of the ambergris note. On one hand, it’s a bit disappointing, as it removes some of the classic Creed feel. On the other, the ambergris could sometimes be overwhelming in older Creeds. My vintage bottle of Fleurissimo, for example, has continued to macerate since I first used it in nineteen years, and now that new air has entered the bottle, it has become dominated by an intensely salty ambergris, which gives it a beached flower scent.

It's a great smell, and I'm happy to have it. But Silver Mountain Water is one of those delicate Creed freshies, meant to be subtle and relaxing, not in-your-face. So the absence of extra-salty ambergris isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If I want that, I can look to Royal Water instead, which is likely the most ambergris-forward of the nineties Millesimes. Royal Water is ambergris from the first spray to the final afterglow twelve hours later, and it works because the citrus and aromatics are arranged to complement its salinity. So if you’re considering an "F" batch of SMW, rest assured—everything’s fine.