9 Best Smelling Alfred Dunhill Colognes For Him [In 2024]

Written By John Carter

There are more than 33 colognes in Dunhill’s collection. Every cologne contains its unique styles and fashion. So in a crowd full of gems, it is tough to sort them out, isn’t it?

Don’t worry! After testing a lot of Dunhill colognes, I made this short list for you guys.

Read till the end. Else you’ll miss your desired gem.

What are the Best Dunhill Colognes for Men?

Alfred Dunhill, AKA Dunhill, is a very famous British luxury brand. They are renowned for menswear, leather accessories, cigarettes, etc. Because of their unique products, they have made a great fanbase. Along with other products, Dunhill is famous for its cologne lineup also.

Eventually, Dunhill started his business in 1893 when he was only 21 years old. In 1934 they released their first cologne. Since then, their scents are widely admired, and some of them are top sellers.

So, here are the top Dunhill Colognes for Men :

Dunhill Icon: The Original Icon

Top notes: Neroli, Bergamot, Black Pepper, Petitgrain.
Middle notes: Black Pepper, cardamom, Lavender, Juniper Berries, Sage.
Base notes: Vetiver, Oakmoss, Agarwood, Leather, Iris.

For me, Dunhill Icon is an extremely luxurious and sophisticated cologne. It’s youthful and versatile. It includes a bright touch of freshness. I got the pure use of neroli, vetiver, lavender, leather, and oud.

Well, the opening is very fresh, smooth, and classy. It starts with bergamot mixed with neroli, which can win your heart easily.

After some time, you’ll start to get some sharp and heavy notes because of the black pepper and the cardamom. Lavender and sage do their performance so well in the middle.

In the drydown, you will get some woody, leathery notes. But don’t think it’s too heavy. It’s kinda fresh wood and leather, which makes this scent more masculine.

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What makes this cologne so unique?

For me, the most incredible feature of the Dunhill Icon is its versatility. It’s so versatile that you can wear it whenever you want and wherever you want. You can even use this as your office cologne.

In my experience, the longevity of this cologne is pretty good.
I got 6hrs of longevity. The projection is not too heavy but very aromatic.

It’ll create a fantastic aroma near you, which will force everyone to give compliments.

When to wear Dunhill icon:

Dunhill Icon is basically a springtime cologne. So you’ll get the best performance from this in summer and fall. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to wear Dunhill Icon in winter.

Why you should buy Dunhill Icon:

  • Very versatile.
  • Huge compliment getter.
  • Affordable.
  • Unique fresh cologne.

Dunhill Desire for a Man: Popular Classic Scent

Top notes: Apple, Lemon, Neroli, Bergamot.
Middle notes: Rose, Teak Wood, Patchouli.
Base notes: vanilla, Musk.

The bottle of this cologne looks like a liquor pot in ruby-red color which matches its woody-oriental composition.

However, Dunhill Desire is citrusy and sweet. It’s an exquisite cologne. Notes here are rich and well blended.

Well, the opening starts with a refreshing burst of apple and citrus. Then, in the middle, you’ll find some flowery and woody notes. Surprisingly, the teak wood in this cologne is unique.

In the end, the vanilla and musk mix with this scent. In a word, the dry-down is heavenly.

On top of that, the longevity of this cologne is excellent. I got 6hrs+. But the projection level is not so fair. Basically, it’s a skin scent. But I can assure you; you’ll get compliments a lot.

When to wear Dunhill Desire for a man:

Dunhill Desire for a man is actually a Winter cologne. But you can wear it in spring and fall as well. However, to get the best performance I’d say to wear it when the weather’s cold.

Why you should buy Dunhill Desire For a man:

  • Unique cologne.
  • Compliments getter.
  • Excellent price value.
  • Nice skin scent.
  • Inoffensive and versatile.

Dunhill Century: Earthy Green Scent

Top notes: Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit, Bergamot.
Middle notes: Neroli, Olibanum, Cardamom.
Base notes: Nagarmotha, Sandalwood, Musk.

The opening of Dunhill Century is earthy with a sharp green garden vibe.

After some time, you’ll get neroli and olibanum. The neroli note stays throughout the end. A bit of sweetness from cardamom made this cologne so perfect.

In the drydown, you’ll find some woody and aromatic notes. It’s tough to categorize this cologne.

In my skin, I got around 4-6hrs of longevity. So the projection level is moderate.

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But remember this:

Before you buy this cologne, I’d like to add something.

For some noses, this cologne is offensive. I don’t think this cologne is similar to other typical green colognes. Some love this cologne, and some hate it. So I will prefer to have a sample before buying the whole bottle.

When to wear Dunhill Century:

Dunhill century is a springtime cologne. You can wear this cologne in summer and fall also. It’s not suitable for Winter, though.
Wherever you wear Dunhill Century, prepare yourself for mixed reactions.

Why you should buy Dunhill Century:

  • Unique scent.
  • Fair pricing.
  • Long-lasting.

Dunhill Icon Racing: Most Popular Icon Cologne

Top notes: Grapefruit, cardamom, Bergamot.
Middle notes: Orange Blossom, Lavender, Pepper.
Base notes: Musk, Guaiac Wood, Vetiver.

Inoffensive, Attractive, Masculine, and Elegant. Honestly, these will be the first words in your mind when you sniff this cologne.

The opening starts with a refreshing sweet burst of grapefruit and bergamot.

After some time, you’ll start to get some flowery scent mixed with fruity notes.

In the drydown, it becomes woody with a perfect mixture of sweet notes. The sweetness is very similar to Invictus EDT.

As if that’s not enough, the longevity of this cologne is totally insane. I really got around 6-8hrs of longevity from this inoffensive summer scent.

The projection level is moderate but very noticeable. It’s effortless to get compliments from this cologne.

When to wear Dunhill Icon Racing:

Dunhill Icon Racing is a summer cologne. However, you can use this in the fall and spring also. It’s totally inoffensive and elegant. You can wear it wherever you want.

Why you should buy Dunhill Icon Racing:

  • Inoffensive and elegant.
  • Memorable cologne.
  • Fair pricing.
  • Compliments getter.
  • Great longevity.

Dunhill Indian Sandalwood: Sweet & Creamy Sandalwood

Top notes: Carrot, Bergamot.
Middle notes: Orris, Moss.
Base notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Nagarmotha.

Dunhill Indian Sandalwood is a very sexy and seductive cologne. It’s from Dunhill’s signature series.

Well, the main feature of this cologne is that it’s like a secret agent. Let me explain, you’ll not find any scent on you, but it’ll pop up suddenly after some minutes repeatedly.

Anyway, the opening is bright and fresh with carrot and bergamot. Then, after some time, orris and moss add some earthy and sweet vibe to this cologne.

But don’t worry, the musk note in the base will balance the sweetness.

In the dry-down, you’ll find a creamy vibe from sandalwood and patchouli. These notes add a masculine tone that you can only get in the top-quality men’s colognes.

On top of that, Longevity is impressive at 6hrs+ with good projection. You’ll find yourself exceptional while wearing this.

When to wear Dunhill Indian Sandalwood:

Dunhill Indian Sandalwood is an evening wear cologne in autumn/winter.

It’ll add beauty in a black-tie event or in a wedding. You can also use this as an office cologne

Why you should buy Dunhill Indian Sandalwood:

  • Mass appealing.
  • Fair pricing.
  • Excellent longevity and projection.
  • Compliments getter.

Dunhill Icon Absolute: Winter Cologne

Top notes: Black Pepper, Bergamot.
Middle notes: Saffron, Black Rose, Jasmine.
Base notes: Agarwood, Leather, tobacco Leaf.

Dunhill Icon Absolute is a warm, woody, and leathery cologne. This cologne gives a huge manly vibe. It’s more like a combo of bad boy and innocent one.

The opening of Dunhill Icon Absolute is bold. Black pepper and bergamot do their job so well.

After some time, you’ll get floral vibes from the gorgeous saffron, black rose, and jasmine notes in the middle.

Amazingly, the dry-down of this cologne is so special. It is sensual and reveals itself so quickly. The agarwood, tobacco, and leather give a huge manly vibe to this cologne.

However, I’m disappointed with its performance. In my skin, it only lasts around a couple of hours. This is the only reason I have to put this cologne in this rank. The projection and longevity are just better than a skin scent.

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When to wear Dunhill Icon Absolute:

Icon Absolute is a Winter cologne. You can also wear it in spring and fall. But the performance is not as good as other winter colognes. So you better carry a decent with you.

Why you should buy Dunhill Icon Absolute:

  • Rich and well-blended notes.
  • Very affordable.
  • Unique masculine cologne.

Dunhill Icon Elite: Classy and Masculine Aroma

Top notes: Cardamom, Bitter Orange, Bergamot, Lime.
Middle notes: Vetiver, Black Pepper, Blue Sage, Juniper.
Base notes: Ebony, Sandalwood, Suede, Labdanum.

Dunhill Icon Elite is a woody man cologne. Just think about the combination of sandalwood, ebony, and cardamom. It’s impressive, guys. It’s totally unique.

The cylindrical Black bottle definitely shows some elite class and justifies the name of this cologne.

Anyway, The opening is fresh with citrus, bitter orange, lime, and bergamot.

After some time, you’ll start to get a woody vibe because of vetiver, sage and, black pepper.

In the end, it totally becomes a manly cologne. Honestly guys, the combination of sandalwood and ebony is fantastic.

Moreover, I got around 5 hrs of longevity. And the projection level is moderate. It took around 3 hrs to become a skin scent. And the scent will please people around you.

When to wear Dunhill Icon Elite:

I guess you already know when to wear a woody cologne. Yes! It’s winter. Dunhill Icon Elite is actually a beauty in winter. You can also wear it in spring and fall. It’s a gentleman’s cologne for formal parties.

Why you should buy Dunhill Icon Elite:

  • Unique Woody cologne.
  • Affordable.
  • Compliments getter.

Dunhill British Leather: Spicy Leather Scent for Winter

Top notes: Cardamom, Hazelnut, Juniper, Bergamot, Lemon.
Middle notes: Mate, Lavender, Pepper, Orange Blossom, Violet Leaf.
Base notes: Leather, Vetiver, Cypress, Patchouli, Sandalwood.

Dunhill British Leather is a flanker of their signature series. It’s a spicy wood cologne.

The opening starts with a combination of cardamom and crisp juniper.

Surprisingly, the middle isn’t too floral. Instead, you’ll find lavender, orange blossoms with a bit of pepper. The pepper, along with the mate, helps to balance out the floral notes.

Finally, I want to describe the dry-down in one word—expensive leather.

As if that’s not enough, the projection and the longevity of this cologne are totally insane. I easily got more than 8hr of longevity with an enormous sillage.

When to wear Dunhill British Leather:

Dunhill British Leather is a winter cologne. But it works wonderfully in Spring and Fall too. You can wear Dunhill British Leather at a party, function, or anywhere where you want attention.

Why you should buy Dunhill British Leather:

  • Great leathery cologne.
  • Excellent longevity and projection.
  • Attention grabber.
  • Compliments getter.

Dunhill Arabian Desert : Majestic & Mysterious

Top notes: Saffron, Bergamot, Pink Pepper.
Middle notes: Rose, Jasmine.
Base notes: Amber, Incense, Agarwood.

Arabian Desert is also a flanker of Dunhill’s Signature series.

Dunhill Arabian Desert has a fresh opening. It contains Saffron and bergamot. To balance the sweetness, they used pink pepper.

In the middle, you’ll find rose and jasmine. I starting to think, Are floral notes the specialty of the Dunhill signature series?

Whatever, in the dry-down, you’ll find wood and amber. The cologne is perfectly balanced.

It gets better; the longevity and projection are absolutely incredible. It lasts around 12hrs+ on my skin. The sillage of this cologne is also remarkable.

When to wear Dunhill Arabian Desert:

The best time to wear Dunhill Arabian desert is in winter and autumn. You’ll get compliments easily. It’s heavy but totally inoffensive.

Why you should buy Dunhill Arabian Desert:

  • Very unique.
  • Beast mode cologne.
  • Affordable.
  • Applicable anywhere.

Conclusion

Dunhill’s perfumes are widely admired. They put unique features to their new colognes. So I think you can understand how tough it was for me to select the top 9. Don’t forget to let me know about your choice for your favorite Dunhill colognes.

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Also, please comment below on which brand I should cover next.

About The Author
Jhon has a massive collection of 450+ fragrances. He's collecting fragrances since his late 20s. Besides collecting he also has a plan for launching his very own fragrance line.

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