Here’s the thing: 500 Years has the components of being The One Spicy/Incense Fragrance, but it was just that little bit off. The beginning is almost overwhelmingly spicy, with a sweet undertone that I cannot quite put my finger on. The best part of this scent happened around 2-3 hrs after application, when the spice subsides to let the undertone of woody incense shine, but that is a little too long for me to wait. There are other woody, spicy incense blends out there for me (ahem, Rien), so I am content to let 500 years be.