Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Smuggler's Notch

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 111 ratings analysed

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,299 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

Smuggler's Notch

Folkwinds

3.2025 votes

Rank #22,674 GreenWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Smuggler's Notch
Choose it for a green and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Abjar4/7

Smuggler's Notch3/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Smuggler's Notch
Versatility: Smuggler's Notch
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Smuggler's Notch

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Smuggler's NotchFolkwinds

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.20/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 9%Had 9%Want 83%

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

36%Love

16%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

24%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate55

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value35

Category winnerSmuggler's NotchBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

green100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

aromatic69%

fruity61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both woody and 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

Notes

HayFlouveNatural MuskAppleOakAgarwood (Oud)ClovesTobaccoSandalwoodPine tarBalsam FirCassis

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesTobacco, Agarwood (Oud) and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring20

Summer10

Fall100

Winter80

Day88

Night100

Category winnerSmuggler's NotchMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men58

Unisex33

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,299

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#22,674

PerfumerJono Bornstein

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerSmuggler's NotchHigher 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 →

Smuggler's Notch by Folkwinds opens with a sharp flash of tart apple and bruised green flouve grass before heavy forest resin takes control. Perfumer Jono Bornstein pairs crisp orchard fruit with dark pine tar, wet hay, and earthy agarwood, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of northern Vermont woods after autumn rain…

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 Smuggler's Notch?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Smuggler's Notch is rated 3.20/5 from 25 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Smuggler's Notch for a green and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Smuggler's Notch?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Smuggler's Notch 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Smuggler's Notch?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Smuggler's Notch 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Smuggler's Notch smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Tobacco, Agarwood (Oud) and Sandalwood.

Is Abjar or Smuggler's Notch better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Smuggler's Notch suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Smuggler's Notch?

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). Smuggler's Notch features Hay, Flouve, Natural Musk, Apple and Oak.