Fragrance comparison

Ébène vs Pancaldi

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 179 ratings analysed

Ébène

Pierre Balmain · 2024

4.37122 votes

Rank #27,812 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Pancaldi

4.3257 votes

Rank #12,670 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pancaldi takes 4 of 7 categories.

Ébène
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Pancaldi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Ébène3/7

Pancaldi4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ÉbènePierre Balmain

PancaldiPancaldi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.32/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 41%Had 18%Want 42%

Category winnerÉbèneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

30%Like

2%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

122 votes

47%Love

44%Like

4%Ok

4%Dislike

2%Hate

57 votes

Category winnerPancaldiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityPancaldi

SillageÉbène

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value54

Category winnerPancaldiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

mossy61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

warm spicy70%

leather60%

citrus50%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintAldehydesCarawayAniseArtemisiaBasilBergamotLemon

Heart

PineCarnationGeraniumPatchouliJasmineRoseCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherLabdanumAmberMuskTonka Bean

Top

WormwoodJuniper BerriesBasilLemon VerbenaLemonBergamotLavenderThyme

Heart

FirCarnationClovesClary SageJasmineRoseFernCinnamon

Base

OakmossLeatherCastoreumPatchouliVetiverBenzoinSandalwoodCedar

InformationalShared notesBasil, Bergamot, Lemon and Carnation. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day80

Night100

Spring56

Summer19

Fall94

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerÉbèneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,812

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched2024

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,670

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerPancaldiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ébène by Pierre Balmain delivers a dark wood experience driven by myrrh oil and deep ebony wood. Built for winter evenings in a heavy coat, this scent contrasts hot cinnamon against dry tobacco. It wears heavy and warm on the skin, offering a smoky performance that stands out in cold weather.

Reviews →

Pancaldi opens with a sharp flash of wormwood, bergamot, and crisp juniper berries that quickly hooks into a dark pine forest heart. Released in 1989, this Italian powerhouse pairs bitter herbs with heavy cloves, carnation, and damp fir needles before dropping into a dense base of oakmoss, leather, and castoreum. It s…

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

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP vs

Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP vs

al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Ébène or Pancaldi?

Pancaldi takes 4 of 7 categories. Ébène is rated 4.37/5 from 122 votes; Pancaldi is rated 4.32/5 from 57 votes. Choose Ébène for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Pancaldi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ébène or Pancaldi?

Pancaldi lasts longest (Pancaldi 78/100, Ébène 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ébène or Pancaldi?

Ébène projects furthest (Ébène 69/100, Pancaldi 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ébène and Pancaldi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Basil, Bergamot, Lemon and Carnation.

Is Ébène or Pancaldi better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ébène is the stronger pick. For winter, Pancaldi is the stronger pick. Ébène suits evening wear; Pancaldi suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ébène and Pancaldi?

Ébène has top notes of Mint, Aldehydes, Caraway and Anise, heart notes of Pine, Carnation, Geranium and Patchouli, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Labdanum and Amber. Pancaldi has top notes of Wormwood, Juniper Berries, Basil and Lemon Verbena, heart notes of Fir, Carnation, Cloves and Clary Sage, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Castoreum and Patchouli.