Fragrance comparison

River vs Viking Cologne

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 1,176 ratings analysed

River

Denim

4.0021 votes

Rank #55,534 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

70%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Viking Cologne

Creed

3.991,155 votes

Rank #26,780 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Viking Cologne takes 4 of 6 categories.

River
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Viking Cologne
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

River2/6

Viking Cologne4/6

Ratings & consensus: Viking Cologne
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Viking Cologne
Sillage & projection: River
Value for money: River
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Viking Cologne
Fragranxe ranking: Viking Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

RiverDenim

Viking CologneCreed

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 41%Had 38%Want 21%

3.99/ 5 · 1,155 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerViking CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

43%Like

19%Ok

0%Dislike

5%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

42%Love

29%Like

18%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

1,155 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity49

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityViking Cologne

SillageRiver

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value20

Category winnerRiverBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic88%

woody77%

herbal65%

earthy53%

lavender42%

aromatic100%

citrus91%

fresh spicy83%

woody74%

lavender65%

herbal56%

Scent match70%Closely related · both citrus, aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

LemonLemon VerbenaBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderSageNutmeg

Base4-6 hrs

VetiverCedar

Top20-30 mins

Mandarin OrangeLemonPink PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderGeraniumRosemarySageNutmeg

Base6-8 hrs

VetiverCedarSandalwoodOlibanumPatchouli

Category winnerViking CologneLongest dry-down: 6-8 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer75

Fall75

Winter38

Day100

Night24

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter21

Day100

Night39

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 45%Work 35%Date 12%Party 9%

Men92

Unisex7

Women1

Work 37%Casual 33%Date 19%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,534

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,780

PerfumerErwin Creed, Olivier Creed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerViking CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Denim River kicks off with an unapologetic splash of sharp lemon, crisp bergamot, and crushed lemon verbena. The citrus hits hard. It does not disguise its vintage barbershop roots. Within fifteen minutes, the bracing alcohol lift clears, letting clean lavender and herbal sage step forward. A pinch of dry nutmeg adds …

Reviews →

Creed Viking Cologne gives the classic masculine barbershop style a bright, sun-drenched reboot. It opens with an energetic splash of juicy mandarin orange, zesty lemon, and crushed pink pepper that feels like stepping out into crisp morning air. As the citrus brightness settles, a clean core of French lavender, herba…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, River or Viking Cologne?

Viking Cologne takes 4 of 6 categories. River is rated 4.00/5 from 21 votes; Viking Cologne is rated 3.99/5 from 1,155 votes. Choose River for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Viking Cologne for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, River or Viking Cologne?

Viking Cologne lasts longest (Viking Cologne 61/100, River 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, River or Viking Cologne?

River projects furthest (River 52/100, Viking Cologne 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do River and Viking Cologne smell similar?

Closely related: a 70% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Lavender and Sage.

Is River or Viking Cologne better for summer or winter?

River suits daytime wear; Viking Cologne suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in River and Viking Cologne?

River has top notes of Lemon, Lemon Verbena and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Sage and Nutmeg, a base of Vetiver and Cedar. Viking Cologne has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Pink Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Rosemary and Sage, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood and Olibanum.