The 2026 Esquire Cologne Awards

This has become one of our daily wears and for good reason. It’s going to please pretty much anyone. Spicy and aromatic, this cologne is vanilla- and amber-forward with discernible notes of iris germanica and lavender giving it a more floral edge. The result is sensual and soft, but never not masculine thanks to the aromatic freshness. Plus, it comes packaged in a giant flask. There’s nothing more manly than having a giant flask (literally) of cologne behind your bathroom mirror.Leather lovers, this one is for you. Tom Ford’s newest Ombré Leather Reserve blends notes of earthy, black leather with silver juniper and sandalwood, creating a balanced, rooted, yet refreshing take on Ford’s classic Ombré Leather eau de parfum. Inspired by the great American West and the mountains and deserts that encompass it, this scent is a perfect balance between refinement and rugged masculinity.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowIf you were around in the ’90s and spent some time at the mall, you probably remember Gap Dream. It was the most iconic scent of the original lineup, which was discontinued in the early aughts. But Gap has given the people what we want: a relaunch of its beloved fragrance line. Dream remains the hero of the collection, and it’s fresh and clean like a brand-new white T-shirt, with bright citrus, soft florals, and botanical musk.Noble, but knows how to fuck. A raw oud with fresh sensuality. The peach is jamlike, adding a softness to the suede accord. Velvet Oud is a leather fragrance with added warmth, texture, and juicy sweetness. (It recalls the intimate, sexual encounter in Call Me By Your Name. The one with the peach. You know it.) It’s captivating and auramaxxing, not a blind buy for most. But we’re still on the side of biting the peach.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowThis cologne has one job and that job is beach. It’s salty, woody, and as fresh as anything else we smelled this year. From the blonde driftwood to the beach rose, coconut water, and sea salt, all the notes are reminiscent of tropical paradise. It may not be summer anymore, but the perfect summer scent has landed and now that it’s in your possession, you can turn any day into a beach day.Though it is totally within the Ranger Station wheelhouse of Western-inspired cowpoke smells, it's a new wood and white floral. The easy choice would have been to pair this wood and smoke with whiskey and call it another saloon smell. But instead, the Ranger Station team gave it a jasmine heart. It's not betting the farm and drinking away the loss. It's betting the farm, losing it, and stepping out those double-swing doors to see a sunrise and smell a new green morning. You lost it all, but that was yesterday. Keep moving forward and the next win can't be too far down the road.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowIt took four years to get right and was, according to the company, the last thing on which Giorgio Armani put his personal stamp of approval. And it’s not what you might expect, if you’re thinking of the aquatic, mineral freshness of something like Acqua di Gio. I Will is a different animal—all wood and vanilla with bergamot to keep things from getting too dark and dense. It’s rich and modern and exactly what people will be talking about twenty years from now when they’re discussing the Italian fashion house’s other iconic scents.Soft and sensual, Musc Pallida lingers like a whisper on your skin. Powdery iris and warm musk are the main components here, and they work together seamlessly. It’s light and airy but doesn’t fade quickly, and it smells good on pretty much anyone. Don’t go into Musc Pallida expecting your typical manly musk fragrance—it’s much more elegant and intimate.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowEarthy sweetness, earthly delights. This fragrance from Byredo is sweet without ever venturing into gourmand territory. Even with its Madagascar vanilla and vanilla liquor accord at the base, it is punctuated with fougères and florals that give it complexity without steering it to a spice bomb or a cognac cocktail. Instead, it has a bright greenness and soft musk that can see the light of day and what’s to come. Simply fresh, refined with some sweetness—for a beautiful day.A sophisticated blend of cinnamon, sage, and bergamot gives this fragrance a warm, spicy character. Cinnamon fragrances tend to be overpowering and reserved for nighttime, but this scent feels sophisticated and is a great daytime spice since the spicy top notes are balanced by a vanilla and praline base. It’s an elegant take on a spice-forward scent and a Nordstrom exclusive, which makes sense since Parfums de Marly is one of the retailer's top-selling brands.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowCreed's Iris Debonair—a totally new offering, not a new expression—walks a wonderful line. It's very gentlemanly with its cool and classic fougère heart. The opening and its transition into the middle is a lot of bergamot, absinthe, and lavender, making it seem like an expected (albeit exceptional) barbershop scent. But as it settles, iris starts to come to the forefront. It's not the old-fashioned iris of Green Irish Tweed, but a softer one that pairs well with a soft ambrette dry down. It has a true masculine and a true feminine side, and neither controls your lasting memory of the scent. Totally captivating.Citrus and amber are not natural bedfellows, but this scent—a more highly concentrated version of the former Le Gemme Tygar—makes a very strong case for their marriage. It’s bright and grapefruit-y in one instant and then rich and woody in another. The more you smell it, the more the moniker starts to make sense. It is, after all, named after Tiger’s Eye, a gemstone revered not for its sameness but for the striking impression that its contrasting bands of color create.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowFig fragrances are having a moment, but this new Granado EDP blows all other fig scents out of the water. Candied green fig reveals rich, jammy notes that are sweet, but not in the typical syrupy way; it’s a lush, even fresh kind of sweet. Once you get hints of sweet dates, florals, and woods, it all combines to create a beautifully creamy gourmand.It opens fruity and floral. A burst of raspberry gives way to peony, geranium, jasmine, magnolia. That might sound a little tough for some guys—but remember it’s just the beginning. Those notes soon give way to a base of deep, powdery musks. It’s not your typical masculine fragrance; it’s something a little more delicate and, though the scent is rooted in centuries of Chinese tradition, modern. We’d encourage you to give it a try. You might just find a new daily driver.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowBefore you spritz this woody scent, you have to admire the artistry of the bottle. Mind Games is known for its chess-inspired bottles, and Knight’s Tour is a great example of that. The scent inside is a sophisticated blend of lavender and saffron with spicy accents up top and smooth woods at the base. It’s a great go-to option for every day.One Esquire editor made Ripe her scent of the summer after it launched in the spring. The reason? Its perfect balance of warm florals, fresh fruity notes, soft woods, and musks is lush and enticing. Have you ever thought about how notes of lychee, watermelon sorbet, green leaves, rose water, and creamy sandalwood work together? Spoiler alert: It’s pretty awesome.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowOjai is like waking up in a luxury hotel in California, sunlight peeking through the shades as fruity and floral notes dance around the room. Juicy ripe mango and honey-like saffron are at the heart of this fragrance, giving it a sweet yet elevated quality. But it also has an earthy, amber-y depth to it, thanks to patchouli and frankincense at the base.Put rhubarb in a fragrance and we’re there. Demon Dancer takes the tartness of rhubarb and blackcurrant and adds bright citrus, fresh peppermint, and radiant orange blossom for an exciting opening before it settles into a woody base of amber, musk, and tonka bean. When the cool, fresh top and heart notes reveal the warm base, it really is something to take in.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowImagine that feeling when you’re walking around a smog-choked city and find an unexpected oasis. It’s fresh, green, but with just that tiniest hint of something darker and deeper. That’s this scent. It’s wood and pepper and greenery and a reminder that even in the midst of urban sprawl, we can always find a way back to nature.The Dolce & Gabbana classic is now available as an alcohol-free perfume gel, making it a travel-friendly option for sensitive skin. The curved metal applicator makes it easy to apply the fragrance directly to pulse points, while the pocket-sized packaging is perfect for on-the-go touch-ups. The gel formula also works as a great base for layering if you already own the original fragrance and want to extend the wear time of the cult-favorite citrus scent.