D'ya know what??? I'm really glad that Cedrat Boise is NOT even featured in the first few 'reminds me of's' on this page because I'd heard some folk saying that this new Aventus was similar to that abomination but gladly however un called for, stupid, cashgrabby, outragously priced, appealing to people I feel I'm way above (I'm kidding Aventus fanboys!!!), and redundant as I feel this release might be....it's not the olfactory equivilent of the child from the Omen AKA Cedrat boise. A fragrance which starts out inoffensive and basically an Aventus-ish riff but soon becomes oppressively horrid. Anyway enough about what it's not...what IS IT? Well...a bit disappointing. However, saying that would imply that I perhaps had high expectations for Absolu Aventus, I didn't. What it delivers is a slightly rejigged Aventus formula and I quite like Aventus. Despite having sold my old 'Vinatge' lol bottle (because someone told me what it was worth!!!) I do quite like the fragrance and as a cultural and industry icon I can't fail to recognise it as an epoch shattering, golliath of a fragrance. But the facts are thus...This has a really nice fruity opening, possibly more complex and less turbo pineapple accord than I recall from the original (whichever BATCH it was?) which is all nice and such but the base feels more grown up, more cuddly and luxurous maybe, this is a parfum type version afterall and it defintely feels that way. However, the reason I liked Aventus in the first place was for all it's knockabout, hollowness it had oomfph in the form of a hard, almost cheap, relentless, woody accord that feels muted and a bit more rounded in this version. Where's the really smoky element of cedar and birch which made Aventus truly pop when it first appeared on shelves? It's just not quite there for me, although this is a worthy representation of what I think the spirit of Aventus is about. It still captures that, I'm not saying it misses the mark and I'm sure collectors will just want it for the sake of it, even if they feel underwhelmed by the smell. For £325 for 75ml I personally wouldn't bother, but I'm not the target of this one, by any means. Absolu has been informed by the world around it, a world it helped to create a decade or more ago. It's a bit like when a band pioneers a certain type of music and then you listen to their new record 20 years later and feel as though they now feel obliged to be more like the bands which came after them, who were actually inspired by them in the first place, in this craxy feedback loop. Feels a little tired because ultimately they haven't really moved on. I suppose that's how music, fashion and ultimately all art works, so it's not a complaint merely an observation and the motives to continue Aventus are clear, it's a big juggernaut of a thing with money and expectation and affection from it's fanbase. Update 06/02/24 So I've worn this again today and feel as though I need to comment yet again on it, because the practicalities of wearing it are evident, it's a very enjoyable thing. I'm having a blast, all is well with the world and no doubt folks who catch a whiff of me are impressed with how nice I smell and this is not to be underestimated, Aventus didn't dominate and arguably change the fragrance world forever, without good reason. I think my review above was just reiterating that no flanker following in it's wake could ever do the same. To state the bloody obvious! but what it might/will do is make a few quid for Creed. That's a given. So I don't know whether I noticed this (I can't even be bothered skimming through my own review above haha) but the notes here don't list birch and that's wholly accurate because I don't smell that characteristic I remember so vividly from the original release of Aventus way back. It's not smoky or birchy because it's deliberately not supposed to be! I'm here for the fruitiness and added freshness and even the woods conjuring a bit of something near that, but it's nowhere near as ballsy as the original, this tweaked formula offers something slightly different, I can't comment as to whether that's a good or bad thing. This smells good.