This is my 2nd bottle of Executive 26, and it won't be my last. This summer I received the best compliment ever. While greeting my niece, she exclaimed, "Wow, my good smelling uncle, what are you wearing?!" True story!
This 2nd bottle is actually better than the 1st one that I bought last year, as it seems to have eliminated the initial, somewhat harsh opening.
I have samples of Creed Aventus, and while Aventus has some softer vanilla notes, it is very difficult to tell them apart with an arm by arm blind test. ALT Exective 26 costs 90% less and lasts longer, too.