The 11 Best Spicy Colognes for Men

The thing about inexpensive colognes is that they usually smell, well, inexpensive. This wallet-friendly fragrance, however, smells just as complex as anything you’d find in the department store. Black vanilla and tobacco lend it a masculine gravitas, but the addition of cardamom is what really makes it special. It’s a spicy, elegant vibe that sticks around on your skin for hours, making it an even better value.

There are a lot of reasons to love Sauvage, another of the most popular and iconic men’s fragrances out there, but this more concentrated Elixir version builds on the original by dialing up the spice. Top notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom give teeth to the first spray and blend with the other notes like lavender, sandalwood, amber, and patchouli to give it an arresting, yet still wearable, vibe. It’s appropriate for every day, but especially if you’re heading to a rock concert after work.

Sure, this fragrance is smoky—how could it not be with the notes of Kentucky tobacco absolute?—and a little sweet from the notes of apple hookah and a double hit of bourbon vanilla and pure jungle essence vanilla. But it’s the cinnamon bark that sets this sexy scent apart. It's strong but comes off more like cinnamon candy (think: Red Hots) than aggressive. It’s the kind of scent that’s familiar and mysterious all at once and will definitely stop people in their tracks.

While there aren’t any specific spices listed in the notes of this fragrance, it’s the sharp pine needles and the smoky incense that give it its bite. The base of this is a trifecta of woods (atlas cedar, Himalayan cedar, and Virginia cedar) which gives this a crisp, woody presence that is unabashedly masculine then punched up with the incense and pine . Without any actual spices in the formula, it’s still pretty damn spicy—but not in a “I just raided the spice cabinet” way.

Like the other members of the Eros family, this spicier, woodier version captures a party in a bottle. This is a casual, fun scent with fresh notes of mandarin orange, lemon, chinotto, florals like geranium and rose, and woods like sandalwood and Texas cedar. The spice that sets it apart—a double dose of pepper in both the top and heart notes that give it a spicy edge. The overall vibe is cool, fun, and ready to stay out all night.

When you think of spicy fragrances, you don’t automatically think of florals and amber, but that’s exactly what this unexpectedly spicy scent delivers. It’s heavy on the flowers (jasmine, geranium, rose, orange blossom) but warmed and smoothed by vanilla, tonka bean, and patchouli at the base. What makes it spicy, though, is the crisp top note that features coriander, a sultry spice that lingers on your skin adding warmth and depth.

At this point, this iconic cologne probably doesn’t need an introduction. It’s one of Tom Ford’s most popular for a reason—it oozes sex appeal, just like his clothes. The smooth ,warm vanilla mixed with the smokey tobacco is a powerful pairing, but what really makes it one of the best colognes out there are the spicy notes at the top which announce each spray with a bang. Mixed with a ginger, they amp up the volume of both the tobacco and vanilla and take what could be an overly sweet note into strong, masculine territory.

You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don't fix it. This refreshing aftershave has been around for almost a century and the classic scent has gone nearly unchanged. The exact formula is kept under lock and key, but the fresh, spicy vibe is incomparable. It’s instantly recognizable and not only makes you smell fresh, but feel fresh too. It’s subtle, and more of an aftershave splash than a spray cologne, but it’s good enough that you don’t need anything else.

This ultra-niche fragrance not only has an IYKYK vibe to it, but it’s also supposed to be a recreation of the oldest perfume in the world from Ancient Egypt—circa 4,000 years ago. The notes are appropriately esoteric—myrrh, lentisk, calamus—but the effect is sunny, warm, herbal and yes, spicy. A single sniff really does call to mind sun-baked temples, ruins shrouded in sand, and wild plants. The spice isn’t overpowering but gives it a humming undertone of worldliness.

If the name didn’t tip you off, this cologne is all about the spice, especially the Extreme version. There’s a hit of black pepper on the top note to open it up and a double helping of spice in the heart thanks to cinnamon and cumin that mingle with a base of tobacco, woody amber, and black vanilla at the base. This sort of ultra-spicy scent isn’t for every day, but is ideal for a date—the hotter the better.

Since it debuted in 2009, this elegant, spicy cologne has quickly entered the pantheon of most popular men’s fragrances—and for good reason. It’s the ultimate masculine nighttime scent, loaded with cardamom at the top note for a smooth opening, tempered with lavender, Virginia cedar, and bergamot at the heart for a masculine vibe, and then finished off with a base of herbal vetiver and spicy coriander. It’s a double hit of spice but the effect is more sensual than nose-prickling and pairs perfectly with a tuxedo.