Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Quintessence (2020)

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 129 ratings analysed

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,982 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Quintessence (2020)

Manos Gerakinis

3.8643 votes

Rank #26,550 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Quintessence (2020)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Abjar5/7

Quintessence (2020)2/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Quintessence (2020)
Versatility: Quintessence (2020)
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

Quintessence (2020)Manos Gerakinis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.86/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

Category winnerAbjarRating 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

37%Love

35%Like

12%Ok

9%Dislike

7%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value43

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

patchouli77%

vanilla69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and amber

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

SaffronClovesBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliWormwoodAgarwood (Oud)Cedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberVanillaBenzoin

InformationalShared notesAgarwood (Oud), Amber and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Quintessence (2020), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring45

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men65

Unisex35

Women0

Work 35%Date 30%Casual 22%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,982

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,550

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Manos Gerakinis Quintessence (2020) opens with a dry rush of black pepper, clove buds, and leathery saffron. It commands attention immediately. The initial burst carries a sharp alcohol lift that calms within three minutes, revealing an earthy heart of dark patchouli, bitter wormwood, and smooth cedar. You will not fi…

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 Quintessence (2020)?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Quintessence (2020) is rated 3.86/5 from 43 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Quintessence (2020) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Quintessence (2020)?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Quintessence (2020) 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Quintessence (2020)?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Quintessence (2020) 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Quintessence (2020) smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Benzoin.

Is Abjar or Quintessence (2020) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Quintessence (2020) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Quintessence (2020)?

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). Quintessence (2020) has top notes of Saffron, Cloves and Black Pepper, heart notes of Patchouli, Wormwood, Agarwood (Oud) and Cedar, a base of Amber, Vanilla and Benzoin.