Fragrance comparison

A*Men Pure Malt vs Shihan (Sensei)

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 7,069 ratings analysed

6 wins

A*Men Pure Malt

Mugler

4.466,663 votes

Rank #716 FruityWhiskey

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Shihan (Sensei)

Piotr Czarnecki

4.07406 votes

Rank #3,823 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

A*Men Pure Malt takes 6 of 7 categories.

A*Men Pure Malt
Choose it for a fruity and whiskey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Shihan (Sensei)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.

A*Men Pure Malt6/7

Shihan (Sensei)1/7

Ratings & consensus: A*Men Pure Malt
Community sentiment: A*Men Pure Malt
Longevity: A*Men Pure Malt
Sillage & projection: Shihan (Sensei)
Value for money: A*Men Pure Malt
Versatility: A*Men Pure Malt
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: A*Men Pure Malt

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

A*Men Pure MaltMugler

Shihan (Sensei)Piotr Czarnecki

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.46/ 5 · 6,663 votes

Have 78%Had 22%Want 0%

4.07/ 5 · 406 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerA*Men Pure MaltRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

62%Love

29%Like

2%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

6,663 votes

39%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

406 votes

Category winnerA*Men Pure MaltMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityA*Men Pure Malt

SillageShihan (Sensei)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value51

Category winnerA*Men Pure MaltBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

whiskey90%

woody80%

sweet70%

earthy60%

warm spicy50%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

whiskey84%

coffee77%

tobacco69%

woody61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both whiskey, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesOrangeBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MaltWhiskeyPatchouliCoffeeCedar

Base6-8+ hrs

PeatVanillaAmberMusk

Top

WhiskeyCoffeeTobacco

Heart

Spicy NotesMyrrhIncense

Base

AmberLabdanumAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Musk

InformationalShared notesWhiskey, Coffee, Amber and Musk. Durations are only published for A*Men Pure Malt, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer10

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring23

Summer6

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerA*Men Pure MaltMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex10

Women2

Date 36%Party 31%Casual 21%Work 13%

Men50

Unisex44

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#716

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews207

Overall rank#3,823

PerfumerPiotr Czarnecki

Launched—

Reviews56

Category winnerA*Men Pure MaltHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

A splash of candied orange, glazed red fruit, and bergamot greets you right off the spray. Within ten minutes, that bright citrus flash steps aside for something far deeper. Mugler A*Men Pure Malt centers on a rich pour of malted barley whiskey, brewed dark and aged inside charred oak casks. Earthy patchouli and roast…

Reviews →

Shihan (Sensei) opens with a heavy splash of warm whiskey and roasted coffee beans. This unisex blend settles into a dry, resinous cloud of myrrh and incense, wrapping the wearer in a dense amber haze. It is best suited for freezing winter nights when you want a rich, dark scent that clings to wool coats.

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, A*Men Pure Malt or Shihan (Sensei)?

A*Men Pure Malt takes 6 of 7 categories. A*Men Pure Malt is rated 4.46/5 from 6,663 votes; Shihan (Sensei) is rated 4.07/5 from 406 votes. Choose A*Men Pure Malt for a fruity and whiskey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Shihan (Sensei) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, A*Men Pure Malt or Shihan (Sensei)?

A*Men Pure Malt lasts longest (A*Men Pure Malt 73/100, Shihan (Sensei) 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, A*Men Pure Malt or Shihan (Sensei)?

Shihan (Sensei) projects furthest (Shihan (Sensei) 65/100, A*Men Pure Malt 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do A*Men Pure Malt and Shihan (Sensei) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share whiskey, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Whiskey, Coffee, Amber and Musk.

Is A*Men Pure Malt or Shihan (Sensei) better for summer or winter?

For summer, A*Men Pure Malt is the stronger pick. For winter, A*Men Pure Malt is the stronger pick. A*Men Pure Malt suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in A*Men Pure Malt and Shihan (Sensei)?

A*Men Pure Malt has top notes of Fruity Notes, Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Malt, Whiskey, Patchouli and Coffee, a base of Peat, Vanilla, Amber and Musk. Shihan (Sensei) has top notes of Whiskey, Coffee and Tobacco, heart notes of Spicy Notes, Myrrh and Incense, a base of Amber, Labdanum, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Musk.