Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs El Capitán

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 92 ratings analysed

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,286 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

El Capitán

Gulf Orchid

3.676 votes

Rank #60,687 Warm SpicyLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
El Capitán
Choose it for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Abjar3/4

El Capitán1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: El Capitán
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Abjar

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

El CapitánGulf Orchid

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 20%Had 3%Want 77%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

17%Love

50%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value83

Category winnerEl CapitánBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

lavender92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

powdery69%

violet61%

Scent match12%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

Top15-30 mins

CardamomCinnamonPepper

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderVioletWormwood

Base6-8+ hrs

Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwood

InformationalShared notesLavender, Pepper and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for El Capitán, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night79

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Work 32%Casual 30%Date 24%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,286

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#60,687

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

El Capitán by Gulf Orchid hits the skin with an energetic burst of cracked black pepper, sharp cardamom, and warm cinnamon bark. That initial spicy punch settles quickly. Within fifteen minutes, French lavender and cool violet leaf emerge to smooth out the heat, lending the scent a clean, barbershop-adjacent crispness…

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, Abjar or El Capitán?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; El Capitán is rated 3.67/5 from 6 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose El Capitán for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or El Capitán?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, El Capitán 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or El Capitán?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, El Capitán 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and El Capitán smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Pepper and Sandalwood.

Is Abjar or El Capitán better for summer or winter?

El Capitán suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and El Capitán?

Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud). El Capitán has top notes of Cardamom, Cinnamon and Pepper, heart notes of Lavender, Violet and Wormwood, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Sandalwood.