Fragrance comparison

American Gold vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 579 ratings analysed

5 wins

American Gold

Pure Gold Perfumes

4.5010 votes

Rank #20,074 HerbalAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #1,979 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

American Gold takes 5 of 6 categories.

American Gold
Choose it for a herbal and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

American Gold5/6

John Varvatos Oud1/6

Ratings & consensus: American Gold
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: American Gold
Sillage & projection: American Gold
Value for money: American Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): American Gold
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

American GoldPure Gold Perfumes

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 23%Had 0%Want 77%

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAmerican GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity93

〰 Sillage91

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAmerican Gold

SillageAmerican Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value65

Category winnerAmerican GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

herbal100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

woody70%

powdery60%

bitter50%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

ArtemisiaBergamotLavenderRosemaryCarrot SeedsGrapefruitCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

Floral NotesClovesNutmegPatchouliCedarSandalwoodLeatherAmber

Base8-11 hrs

Woody NotesTonka BeanVanillaAnimal notes

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

Category winnerAmerican GoldLongest dry-down: 8-11 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall83

Winter100

Day92

Night100

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 34%Date 29%Casual 22%Party 15%

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,074

PerfumerMarc Daniel Heimgartner

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#1,979

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

American Gold by Pure Gold Perfumes cuts through the air with a brisk, bitter snap. Expect a sharp five-second alcohol burst before the oils warm. Then, aromatic lavender, bitter artemisia, and cool crushed cardamom arrive in unison. It feels dry and brisk. An unusual carrot seed note surfaces early, adding an earthy,…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Oud takes a notoriously heavy scent profile and dials it back into something smooth, warm, and exceptionally wearable. Instead of a funky barnyard oud, you get a rush of dry tobacco leaves, cracked nutmeg, and brisk cypress needle right off the nozzle. Within twenty minutes, sweet cinnamon and clove heat…

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, American Gold or John Varvatos Oud?

American Gold takes 5 of 6 categories. American Gold is rated 4.50/5 from 10 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose American Gold for a herbal and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, American Gold or John Varvatos Oud?

American Gold lasts longest (American Gold 93/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, American Gold or John Varvatos Oud?

American Gold projects furthest (American Gold 91/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do American Gold and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg and Cedar.

Is American Gold or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

American Gold suits evening wear; John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in American Gold and John Varvatos Oud?

American Gold has top notes of Artemisia, Bergamot, Lavender and Rosemary, heart notes of Floral Notes, Cloves, Nutmeg and Patchouli, a base of Woody Notes, Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Animal notes. John Varvatos Oud has top notes of Tobacco, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Cypress, heart notes of Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Pepper and Cardamom, a base of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Myrhh and Leather.