Creed — Windsor
Essence
Windsor (2009) is among the most exclusive and mythologized releases in Creed’s modern catalog: a strictly limited, very expensive woody-aromatic floral, signed by Olivier Creed, sold as a one-time commemorative edition tied to Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor. Built on a gin-and-lime-over-pine opening, a distinctive masculine rose heart, and a cedar-eucalyptus-orange base, it is genuinely unusual - frequently called the most original and “British” thing Creed has done in the modern era. It is also the center of one of Creed’s most-criticized commercial maneuvers, having been re-released (“Windsor II,” 2010) and then folded into the permanent line as Royal Mayfair (2015) - burning the collectors who paid limited-edition prices.
Scent Profile
The opening is the most beloved stretch: a slightly boozy “gin and tonic” accord - coriander/juniper-like aromatics with Jamaican lime - cut by resinous Scottish-pine, which Mark Behnke (Somerville Metro Man) described as “gorgeous” as it lingers before “very gradually giving way to a stark rose.” That heart rose is the fragrance’s signature and its dividing line: admirers call it the best rose note they’ve encountered, masculine and unusual; detractors find the composition tips into heavy, powdery, near-feminine florals (one reviewer perceived large quantities of tuberose, lily of the valley, jasmine and lilac alongside the rose). The base is cedar and Bahamian orange with a camphorous Australian-eucalyptus streak - which some find elegantly cool and “rain-kissed,” while others find the eucalyptus dominant to the point of “mothballs.” Development is slow and high-quality but polarizing. Signature accord: boozy gin-lime-pine into a stark rose over cool eucalyptus-cedar. Note: the catalog lists pine/gin/lime top, rose heart, eucalyptus/cedar/orange base - this matches the widely-circulated Creed note breakdown precisely.
Performance
Reports diverge sharply, partly because of batch differences between the 2009 and 2010 editions. Mark Behnke reported “incredible longevity on me, much longer than many other fragrances from Creed,” paired with deliberately “modest sillage” - fitting the Duke’s motto “Royalty need not shout.” Other wearers report only “average” projection and longevity, or a scent that “wears a bit close” with low projection but decent sillage. Several note the 2010 (“Windsor II”) edition was reformulated with more synthetics that actually improved projection and longevity at the cost of complexity. Fair synthesis: longevity ranges from average to excellent depending on edition and skin; projection is intentionally moderate-to-low - this is engineered as a refined, close-wearing scent, not a beast.
Wearing Context
Documented as a warm-to-cool-season scent for spring and cooler summer days, leaning daytime and formal/special-occasion. The overwhelming framing is of refined, mature English elegance - “a sophisticated gentleman, 50-plus, crisp grey suit, in his study on an English estate,” and one reviewer specifically named it a favorite for Royal Ascot. But a striking counter-theme is unwearability: several owners confess they struggled to find occasions for it (“I only wore it if I knew I’d be alone all day,” “you’ve got to be prepared to explain what you’re wearing”), finding it too unusual, powdery or attention-drawing for ordinary settings. Practical reading: a special-occasion, daytime, cool-weather connoisseur’s scent - distinctive enough that it is not an everyday office default for most.
Comparisons & DNA
The most useful comparison is internal and definitional: Windsor is, with little perceived change, the same fragrance later sold as Creed Royal Mayfair (2015) - so Royal Mayfair is the accessible way to experience the Windsor DNA, though enthusiasts argue the 2009 original was greener and more natural. Reviewers reaching for external comparators name vintage Creed Hammam Bouquet (for the waxy tuberose facet some get), Acqua di Parma Colonia as an alternative route to an “Edwardian” feel, and - for the rose-and-cedar-over-musk British vibe - Burberry Brit for Men, which the blogger “The Scented Devil” argued Royal Mayfair effectively perfects by clarifying the accord with neroli. Within Creed, devotees rank it among the house’s most unique and best post-Green Irish Tweed efforts. The strong consensus, however, is that nothing smells quite like the original Windsor - repeated attempts to find a true alternative come up short. Critical note: despite Luca Turin’s well-documented antipathy to Creed (his 2025 Substack piece admits he had long “refused even to smell their stuff”), no published Turin or Tania Sanchez review or star rating of Windsor or Royal Mayfair could be found in any edition of Perfumes: The Guide or elsewhere; readers should not assume one exists.
Reception
Polarized and intertwined with resentment over Creed’s marketing. On scent alone, a devoted camp considers it a near-masterpiece - “the best engineered fragrance I’ve ever tried,” “restored my faith in the house,” “Creed is back!” - prizing its originality, quality of materials and the rose. A substantial dissenting camp finds it overpriced, too feminine/powdery, or marred by camphorous eucalyptus (“mothballs,” “stale hay in a barn”). Overlaying all of it is anger at the limited-edition-then-re-release gambit: collectors who paid premium prices for the “one-time” 2009 release felt “burned” when Creed reissued it and then rebranded it as Royal Mayfair. Blind-buy verdict: no - too expensive, too polarizing, and too easily sampled via Royal Mayfair; try Royal Mayfair or a decant first, and only chase original Windsor bottles if you’ve confirmed you love the profile.
Versions & Reformulation
This is the most reformulation-significant entry in the batch. There are effectively three iterations: Windsor 2009 (silver/grey label; the original limited release, considered the green, natural, most-prized version), Windsor 2010 / “Windsor II” (gold label; reformulated - reported as more tuberose-dominant and synthetic, with better projection but lost complexity, drastic enough that some felt it should have been a different name), and Royal Mayfair (2015), the permanent-line continuation with little perceived change from the originals. Creed later issued a further-reformulated Royal Mayfair 2024 with an officially revised note list (eucalyptus/bitter orange/bergamot top; tuberose/jasmine/rose heart; cedar/musk/ambroxan base). Buyers must know exactly which version they’re getting.
Acquisition Notes
Windsor was a deliberately tiny, ultra-premium release and is now discontinued and collectible. Per Creed’s own 2009 announcement (reproduced in “Royalty Need Not Shout” news item), the US offering was only 320 leather-wrapped 1. 7oz shatterproof travel atomizers at $405 each and 70 laser-numbered 8. 4oz flacons signed by Olivier Creed at $605 each, through select Saks Fifth Avenue stores and Creed’s Madison Avenue boutique - a gross of roughly $172,000 if all sold.
Notable Facts & Lore
- The lore is the whole point.