Fragrance comparison

5 The Guardian Master vs Tabac Exquis (2021)

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 10 Oct 2026 429 ratings analysed

4 wins

5 The Guardian Master

Spiritum

3.9845 votes

Rank #16,602 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

Tabac Exquis (2021)

Caron

4.46384 votes

Rank #2,507 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

5 The Guardian Master takes 4 of 7 categories.

5 The Guardian Master
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Tabac Exquis (2021)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

5 The Guardian Master4/7

Tabac Exquis (2021)3/7

Ratings & consensus: Tabac Exquis (2021)
Community sentiment: Tabac Exquis (2021)
Longevity: 5 The Guardian Master
Sillage & projection: 5 The Guardian Master
Value for money: 5 The Guardian Master
Versatility: 5 The Guardian Master
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Tabac Exquis (2021)

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

5 The Guardian MasterSpiritum

Tabac Exquis (2021)Caron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 22%Had 11%Want 67%

4.46/ 5 · 384 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerTabac Exquis (2021)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

36%Like

18%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

45 votes

60%Love

30%Like

7%Ok

3%Dislike

1%Hate

384 votes

Category winnerTabac Exquis (2021)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

Longevity5 The Guardian Master

Sillage5 The Guardian Master

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value41

Category winner5 The Guardian MasterBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

sweet84%

fresh spicy77%

vanilla69%

cinnamon61%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

sweet83%

cacao74%

tobacco65%

vanilla56%

Scent match56%Closely related · both warm spicy, amber and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Pink PepperCardamomNutmegOlibanumPepper OilRed Chilli PepperTurmeric

Heart

CinnamonTobaccoIrisCedarJasmineClary Sage

Base

Tonka BeanPlumBourbon VanillaLabdanumLeatherSandalwoodMuskAmber

Top15-30 mins

Cinnamon

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoDark ChocolateIrisMyrrhLabdanumJasmine

Base6-9 hrs

Cacao PodTonka BeanBenzoinAmbroxanOlibanum

InformationalShared notesOlibanum, Cinnamon, Tobacco and Iris. Durations are only published for Tabac Exquis (2021), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer24

Fall100

Winter94

Day86

Night100

Spring31

Summer11

Fall0

Winter100

Day42

Night100

Category winner5 The Guardian MasterMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men32

Unisex60

Women8

Men19

Unisex59

Women22

Date 41%Casual 26%Party 17%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,602

PerfumerPhilippe Paparella-Paris

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#2,507

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews64

Category winnerTabac Exquis (2021)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Spiritum 5 The Guardian Master is a deep, warming fragrance centered on fiery spices, dry tobacco, and golden resins. It starts with a lively burst of pink pepper, red chilli, cardamom, and frankincense, smelling like a crackling kitchen spice rack before settling into smooth cedar, rich pipe tobacco, and warm cinnamo…

Reviews →

Tabac Exquis (2021) by Caron strips away the harsh smoke often found in traditional tobacco scents, replacing it with a rich, melted dark chocolate and powdery iris core. You smell raw cinnamon bark immediately upon spraying. Within ten minutes, warm cacao pod and balsamic myrrh soften the edges, turning the aroma int…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 5 The Guardian Master or Tabac Exquis (2021)?

5 The Guardian Master takes 4 of 7 categories. 5 The Guardian Master is rated 3.98/5 from 45 votes; Tabac Exquis (2021) is rated 4.46/5 from 384 votes. Choose 5 The Guardian Master for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Tabac Exquis (2021) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, 5 The Guardian Master or Tabac Exquis (2021)?

5 The Guardian Master lasts longest (5 The Guardian Master 75/100, Tabac Exquis (2021) 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 5 The Guardian Master or Tabac Exquis (2021)?

Projection is very close: 5 The Guardian Master 55/100, Tabac Exquis (2021) 54/100 for sillage.

Do 5 The Guardian Master and Tabac Exquis (2021) smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and sweet accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Cinnamon, Tobacco and Iris.

Is 5 The Guardian Master or Tabac Exquis (2021) better for summer or winter?

For summer, 5 The Guardian Master is the stronger pick. For winter, Tabac Exquis (2021) is the stronger pick. 5 The Guardian Master suits evening wear; Tabac Exquis (2021) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 5 The Guardian Master and Tabac Exquis (2021)?

5 The Guardian Master has top notes of Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Olibanum, heart notes of Cinnamon, Tobacco, Iris and Cedar, a base of Tonka Bean, Plum, Bourbon Vanilla and Labdanum. Tabac Exquis (2021) has top notes of Cinnamon, heart notes of Tobacco, Dark Chocolate, Iris and Myrrh, a base of Cacao Pod, Tonka Bean, Benzoin and Ambroxan.