Fragrance comparison

Ambre Sultan vs Bar

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 8,993 ratings analysed

5 wins

Ambre Sultan

Serge Lutens

4.078,969 votes

Rank #432 AmberAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Bar

Zanini

3.9524 votes

Rank #19,260 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ambre Sultan takes 5 of 5 categories.

Ambre Sultan
Choose it for a amber and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Bar
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character.

Ambre Sultan5/5

Bar0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ambre SultanSerge Lutens

BarZanini

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 8,969 votes

Have 78%Had 22%Want 0%

3.95/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerAmbre SultanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

35%Like

6%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

7,551 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAmbre Sultan

SillageAmbre Sultan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value56

Category winnerAmbre SultanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

aromatic86%

fresh spicy72%

balsamic58%

warm spicy44%

woody30%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

herbal84%

amber77%

warm spicy69%

floral61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both aromatic, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

ResinsAmberBay LeafMyrrhBenzoinSandalwoodVanillaCorianderOreganoPatchouliAngelicaMyrtle

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

Black PepperPink PepperCorianderCitrusesHyraceumOreganoMyrrhCocoaRoseJatamansi or SpikenardFeijoa FruitAcácia

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesMyrrh, Coriander and Oregano. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer23

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men32

Unisex60

Women8

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#432

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched—

Reviews609

Overall rank#19,260

PerfumerPhilippo Zanini

Launched—

Reviews20

Category winnerAmbre SultanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ambre Sultan is a bold, resinous exploration of amber from Serge Lutens. It anchors heavy, balsamic notes with a distinct, sharp herbal opening of bay leaf and oregano that challenges the wearer. This fragrance settles into a warm, vanilla-sweetened drydown, making it a classic choice for cool weather days when you wa…

Reviews →

Bar by Zanini opens with a sharp burst of fresh pepper and bitter oregano. Philippo Zanini pairs this dry, herbal introduction with a unexpected splash of sweet feijoa fruit, cutting the heat. As the scent settles, a dusty cocoa note emerges alongside dark, resinous myrrh, offering a rugged warmth that wears beautiful…

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, Ambre Sultan or Bar?

Ambre Sultan takes 5 of 5 categories. Ambre Sultan is rated 4.07/5 from 8,969 votes; Bar is rated 3.95/5 from 24 votes. Choose Ambre Sultan for a amber and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Bar for a fresh spicy and aromatic character.