Fragrance comparison

Acumen Noir vs Kings Road

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 91 ratings analysed

Acumen Noir

Dilís Parfum

3.9522 votes

Rank #48,305 Fresh SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Kings Road

Hugh Parsons

3.8069 votes

Rank #19,232 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kings Road takes 3 of 6 categories.

Acumen Noir
Choose it for a fresh spicy and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Kings Road
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Acumen Noir2/6

Kings Road3/6

Ratings & consensus: Acumen Noir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Kings Road
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Acumen Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Kings Road
Fragranxe ranking: Kings Road

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Acumen NoirDilís Parfum

Kings RoadHugh Parsons

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 47%Had 18%Want 35%

3.80/ 5 · 69 votes

Have 33%Had 17%Want 49%

Category winnerAcumen NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

32%Like

36%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

26%Love

45%Like

13%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

69 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityKings Road

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value85

¤ Price value53

Category winnerAcumen NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

vanilla88%

lavender77%

amber65%

aromatic53%

musky42%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

citrus77%

earthy69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Bergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

PepperLavenderNutmegAnise

Base3 to 4 hours

VanillaAmbroxan

Top15-30 mins

GrapefruitLavenderBergamotCurrant buds

Heart2-3 hrs

PepperAniseMagnoliaNutmegRosemaryCinnamonJasmine

Base5-6 hrs

VetiverSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Category winnerKings RoadLongest dry-down: 5-6 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring82

Summer36

Fall100

Winter100

Day89

Night100

Spring100

Summer94

Fall64

Winter39

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men85

Unisex15

Women0

Men91

Unisex6

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#48,305

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#19,232

PerfumerMaurizio Cerizza

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerKings RoadHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Acumen Noir by Dilís Parfum delivers a fresh spicy and warm aromatic profile built on classic oriental fougere traditions. It opens with bright, crisp bergamot that quickly greets a lively heart of black pepper, aromatic lavender, warm nutmeg, and licorice-tinted anise. As the initial zest settles, smooth vanilla and …

Reviews →

Kings Road by Hugh Parsons opens with an invigorating splash of tart grapefruit, bitter bergamot, and crisp lavender, accented by a subtle leafy green bite of currant buds. As the initial citrus settles over the first twenty minutes, a warm core of freshly ground nutmeg, cracked black pepper, aromatic rosemary, and fa…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Plum de VeloursSuperfumistaWINNER vs

Royal FlushTestament LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Malbec IconO BoticárioRUNNER-UP vs

Amber FusionKarakash PerfumeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Jette 7Flowers Cherry BlossomJette JoopRUNNER-UP vs

KoiameJ-ScentWINNER

1 person compared this today

Madly Kenzo! Eau de ToiletteKenzoRUNNER-UP vs

PerpetuumBrocardWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Acumen Noir or Kings Road?

Kings Road takes 3 of 6 categories. Acumen Noir is rated 3.95/5 from 22 votes; Kings Road is rated 3.80/5 from 69 votes. Choose Acumen Noir for a fresh spicy and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Kings Road for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Acumen Noir or Kings Road?

Kings Road lasts longest (Kings Road 59/100, Acumen Noir 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acumen Noir or Kings Road?

Projection is very close: Acumen Noir 49/100, Kings Road 49/100 for sillage.

Do Acumen Noir and Kings Road smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Pepper, Lavender and Nutmeg.

Is Acumen Noir or Kings Road better for summer or winter?

Acumen Noir suits evening wear; Kings Road suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acumen Noir and Kings Road?

Acumen Noir has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Pepper, Lavender, Nutmeg and Anise, a base of Vanilla and Ambroxan. Kings Road has top notes of Grapefruit, Lavender, Bergamot and Currant buds, heart notes of Pepper, Anise, Magnolia and Nutmeg, a base of Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Musk.