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The best woody colognes are a very broad umbrella. With notes including sandalwood, crisp cedarwood, resinous guaiac wood, coniferous, earthy oak, heady oud and trending (and fantastic) hinoki, it’s a canopy out there, each with its own distinct aromatic profile. Most fragrances contain some wood note(s) in their scent pyramid, usually in the base or middle, as it adds depth, warmth and longevity, anchoring or grounding lighter top and heart notes. And there’s arguably no other fragrance family that plays well with almost every genre (from gourmands to citrus to florals) while still retaining its own unmistakable texture.
The 16 Best Colognes of 2025
Plenty of scents made waves this year, but we cut through the hype to select the ones actually worth adding to your rotationThat said, not every fragrance with a woody base is a woody cologne. To me, the best examples put wood front and center, its warm, rich aura reading smooth, crisp, sultry, smoky or even sweet. An all-encompassing best-of list could fill an encyclopedia, but here we are zeroing in on curated, more niche-leaning favorites organized into popular fragrance families. Below, we dive into key wood notes, their versatility, their deep roots in perfumery and why the best woody colognes never go out of style.
Best Overall Woody Cologne: The Maker Stag
My affinity for the woody magic of Stag, from the chic hotel-meets-fragrance house The Maker, runs deep. The 2022 Indie Fragrance Foundation Fragrance of the Year winner is deceptively simple on paper, built around just three core notes: palo santo, agarwood and leather. What it delivers, though, is an irresistible smoky-smooth, resinous aroma that reads like a moody winter mystery novel brought to life. It works just as well for daytime as it does for an evening soirée, all while feeling artisanal and beautifully balanced. If you’re starting your journey into the woods, start with Stag.
Key notes: Agarwood (oud), palo santo, leather, incense, patchouli, bergamot
Best Woody Amber Cologne: Perfumehead Canadian Tuxedo
Canadian Tuxedo is one of those fragrances you can’t quite put your finger on, yet can’t stop smelling. It’s an ambery wood with artful character in my personal top 10 colognes of all time. It technically lives in the amber family but wears like a beautiful collision of resinous evergreens and coastal air. There’s brightness and spice up top from orange leaf and coriander as cumin, patchouli and cedarwood ground the scent with warmth and texture. Tonka and soft musk lend a skin-hugging appeal, while bay leaf (herbal and earthy) gives the fragrance its lived-in character. The overall vibe is introspective and nostalgic, like winter light hitting a quiet, weathered coastline of driftwood.
Key notes: Mandarin, coriander, bay leaf, cumin, patchouli, cedarwood, tonka bean, Peru balsam
Best Citrus Woody Cologne: Hermès Terre d’Hermès
Terre d’Hermès still smells like it should cost far more than it does, and its reputation precedes it as one of the most iconic and versatile woody-citrus fragrances ever made. It opens with bright orange and grapefruit before pepper and flint introduce a sharp, mineral edge. Cedar, patchouli, vetiver and benzoin round things out with spicy, earthy warmth and a subtle hint of sweetness. It’s a stone-cold woody classic, intoxicating and endlessly wearable, and still one of wood’s most enduring references.
Key notes: Orange, grapefruit, pepper, vetiver, cedar, patchouli, benzoin
Best Woody Fougère (Aromatic) Cologne: Santa Maria Novella Quercia
There’s an ethereal, minimalist luxury to Santa Maria Novella’s fragrances, where pared-back scent pyramids allow each note to unfold with quiet regality. Quercia, Italian for oak, pays homage to the towering tree that watches over the Medicean Villa di Castello. Fresh lavender lends aromatics, vetiver and patchouli bring earthy depth, and oak anchors it all. The result is a sophisticated, woody scent that’s modern yet steeped in history, housed in a translucent green bottle that wouldn’t look out of place in an Italian cathedral — or your medicine cabinet.
Key notes: Lavender, vetiver, patchouli, oak wood
Best Resinous Woody Cologne: Amouage Purpose
Known for its layered, luxurious compositions crafted with some of the finest oils in the game, Amouage creates fragrances that are unapologetically opulent and absolutely worth the price. Purpose is a smoky, resinous, woody dreamscape built around a commanding frankincense core. Papyrus, vetiver and sandalwood add dry, textural depth, while a touch of bergamot hints at brightness. It smells ancient yet modern, like burning incense in a temple surrounded by a resinous forest before heading to a black-tie gala. Its elevated, almost ceremonial nature is best reserved for intentional moments and special occasions.
Key notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, frankincense, rose, vetiver, sandalwood, papyrus, saffron, Akigalawood
Best Floral Woody Cologne: Les Eaux Primordiales Iris Palladium Superclassique
Most floral accords play well with woods, but iris is especially suited to woody colognes thanks to its inherently earthy, rooty profile, which acts as a natural bridge between the two genres. Iris Palladium Superclassique from the luxury niche IYKYK house Les Eaux Primordiales is a masterclass in chic, wood-forward floral that never feels overly “flowery,” making it ideal for wood fans looking to freshen things up. Built around a mugwort-rooted iris, the composition layers cardamom, lavender, vanillin and warm woods, creating a sensual scent with subtle muskiness, depth and lift.
Key notes: Iris, cardamom, lavender, sandalwood, vanilla, guaiac wood, amber, benzoin, cedarwood
Best Spicy Woody Cologne: Comme des Garçons Wonderwood
Wonderwood remains a woody-spicy hip guy cult classic, albeit one increasingly harder to find. An all-out canopy of woods forms the backbone, blending cedar, sandalwood, cypress, guaiac wood and oud, along with a generous hit of Madagascar pepper. Nutmeg adds gourmand warmth, bergamot lifts and vetiver brings earthiness. The longevity isn’t beast-mode, but the wood-and-spice ratio is spot on, drying down into something quietly resinous. If walking through a dense, coniferous forest with heady spice hanging in the air sounds like your olfactory lane, Wonderwood belongs in your rotation.
Key notes: Bergamot, Madagascan pepper, nutmeg, cedarwood, sandalwood, guaiac wood, vetiver, cypress, oud (agarwood)
Best Verdant Woody Cologne: D.S. & Durga Big Sur Eucalyptus
Big Sur Eucalyptus (based on their cult classic candle with a similar moniker, now a permanent fume in the lineup) captures when ocean air, fog and trees collide along the California coast. It opens brisk and slightly medicinal with eucalyptus and herbal green notes before softening into a woodsy backbone. Damp woods, moss and incense-like facets emerge, grounding the freshness with a foggy, forest-floor depth. It’s natural without feeling crunchy, and it’s quietly transportive, like standing on a cliff with towering trees overhead, misty rain in the air and the Pacific roaring below.
Key notes: Wet woods, eucalyptus, cardamom, rosemary, magnolia, cypress
Best Woody Gourmand Cologne: Kilian Angels’ Share
Angels’ Share is one of the Parisian houses’ most iconic woody-gourmand creations, and in true Kilian fashion, it’s laced with boozy warmth and unapologetic indulgence. Inspired by Cognac aging in oak barrels, the fragrance leans into wood, spice and gourmand richness. It opens with a rich Cognac accord dusted with cinnamon, evoking polished wood and spiced liquor. Tonka bean and praline add a smooth softness, while sandalwood layers in a warming depth. Cozy, commanding and decadent, Angels’ Share smells less like dessert and more like a decanter of fine spirits lingering in a wood-paneled room.
Key notes: Cognac, oak, cinnamon, tonka bean, sandalwood, praline, vanilla
Q&A
What does “woody” actually mean in fragrance?
In perfumery, “woody” conveys scents with notes that evoke trees, roots, bark, moss and, well, woods. The range is vast, spanning textures that are crisp, coniferous, earthy, smooth, sweet, dry and/or resinous. Woody fragrances often read warm and rich but can also be meditative, rugged or sensual, which is why they are among the broadest and most versatile fragrance families.
What are the main types of wood used in cologne?
There are many. Some of the most popular include sandalwood, smooth and pretty universally liked, and cedarwood, which is dry and crisp. Hinoki and cypress are crisp and meditative, while pine, fir and spruce bring forest vibes with resinous edges. Oud is rich and smoky, guaiac wood adds a heady, incense-like nuance and oak is earthy. Many colognes rely on a blend of different wood accords for dimension and texture.
Are woody colognes always heavy or only for winter?
Not at all. While woods have a reputation for being cooler-weather staples, many woody scents are wearable year-round. Cedar, oak and sandalwood pair well with citrus and florals, and even deeper woods like guaiac and agarwood work beautifully with gourmands, amber and lighter notes, too. Ultimately, it’s more about the fragrance’s composition and what resonates with you than the season.
Why do woody colognes feel so timeless?
Who doesn’t like some facet of a woody scent, whether it’s a coniferous forest or smooth sandalwood? Woody colognes are familiar and grounding, making their presence known, no matter the composition. There is history here, too. Woods and resins have been used in incense, rituals and perfumery for centuries, lending them an innate sense of gravitas. At the same time, they adapt easily to every corner of modern perfumery, whether it’s a minimalist or rich, opulent cologne.
What notes pair best with woods?
Pretty much anything. Whether it’s citrus brightness, spicy warmth, airy florals, amber’s heady depth, musky skin tones or verdant notes with a fresh, fougère-leaning aura, wood mingles well with it all, adding its own distinct richness. And if we have not yet driven the point home, woody notes play a role, at least as a structural backbone, in most fragrance pyramids.
How We Made These Picks
Spray, sniff, repeat. This list is by no means exhaustive, but the fragrances above were selected to reflect a range of tastes and the many ways woody accords can be interpreted and elevated. We intentionally leaned a bit more artisanal and distinctive in our picks, prioritizing uniqueness and, frankly, how downright great they smell. Each selection reflects firsthand experience with these houses and compositions and the many ways woods can intermingle with other notes to suit different moods and occasions. As fragrance experts who have spent decades testing scents across categories and brands, this curation draws directly from deep personal experience in the olfactory world, highlighting what we consider some of the best woody colognes right now.
Why You Should Trust Us
In addition to writing for InsideHook, I’ve covered topics ranging from grooming, style, fragrances and watches for GQ, Men’s Journal, Robb Report, Esquire and Men’s Health. I served as the market editor at Esquire for several years, scouring the industry for the best garments and goods that were not only worth the investment but that also made for compelling stories and good advice for our readers. I also conceptualized and wrote many fragrance stories for Esquire and most of the grooming pages. I have always tried to add a timeless element to whatever I have written — although trends are interesting and relevant to a degree, my heart has always been drawn to more perennial guidance and themes. While I often delve into researching items to the point of exhaustion, it’s this approach that often positions me as a go-to person for advice. Whether it’s about coats, colognes or razors, people recognize that I’ve done the legwork. I enjoy inspiring others to seek out their unique interests in things that might improve their lives.
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