Fragrance comparison

Alhambra vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 245 ratings analysed

3 wins

Alhambra

Paolo Gigli

4.717 votes

Rank #42,148 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,709 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Alhambra takes 3 of 4 categories.

Alhambra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Alhambra3/4

Esprit du Roi1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Alhambra
Sillage & projection: Alhambra
Value for money: Alhambra
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlhambraPaolo Gigli

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 15%Had 4%Want 81%

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAlhambra

SillageAlhambra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value47

Category winnerAlhambraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

patchouli69%

oud61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Amalfi LemonMintGeranium

Heart3-4 hrs

PatchouliGuaiac WoodAgarwood (Oud)Vetiver

Base8-10 hrs

MuskAmber

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesAmalfi Lemon, Mint, Geranium and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Alhambra, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Work 36%Casual 28%Date 23%Party 13%

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,148

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#6,709

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Gigli Alhambra hits skin with an unexpected snap. Crisp Amalfi lemon and cooling garden mint jump forward right away. It feels brisk. Then, earthy patchouli and smoky guaiac wood anchor the profile into something dense, resinous, and deeply masculine. A faint touch of floral geranium prevents the opening from sm…

Reviews →

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

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, Alhambra or Esprit du Roi?

Alhambra takes 3 of 4 categories. Alhambra is rated 4.71/5 from 7 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Alhambra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Alhambra or Esprit du Roi?

Alhambra lasts longest (Alhambra 87/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alhambra or Esprit du Roi?

Alhambra projects furthest (Alhambra 82/100, Esprit du Roi 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alhambra and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Amalfi Lemon, Mint, Geranium and Patchouli.

Is Alhambra or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

Alhambra suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alhambra and Esprit du Roi?

Alhambra has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Mint and Geranium, heart notes of Patchouli, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Vetiver, a base of Musk and Amber. Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris.