Fragrance comparison

Balcafe vs McGonagall

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 16 ratings analysed

4 wins

Balcafe

Balint Parfums

3.9314 votes

Rank #41,934 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

McGonagall

Wild Drops Parfums

4.502 votes

Rank #57,583 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balcafe takes 4 of 4 categories.

Balcafe
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
McGonagall
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Balcafe4/4

McGonagall0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BalcafeBalint Parfums

McGonagallWild Drops Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 10%Had 16%Want 73%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 25%Had 6%Want 69%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBalcafe

SillageBalcafe

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value50

Category winnerBalcafeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

woody77%

coffee69%

tobacco61%

amber100%

vanilla90%

woody80%

sweet70%

fruity60%

balsamic50%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both amber, sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ImmortelleSicilian LemonCalabrian bergamotCoriander

Heart

CoffeeDatesLeatherAgarwood (Oud)CinnamonGuaiac WoodBulgarian Rose

Base

TobaccoLabdanumTonka BeanAmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodMossPatchouli

Top

White WineImmortelle

Heart

Dried FruitsTolu BalsamGuaiac WoodLabdanumOlibanumFreesia

Base

VanillaResinsAgarwoodBenzoinAmber

InformationalShared notesImmortelle, Guaiac Wood, Labdanum and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex71

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#41,934

PerfumerCsaba Balint

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#57,583

PerfumerAnna Nikishina

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBalcafeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balcafe by Balint Parfums immediately sets a dark, comforting mood, opening with the dry sweetness of immortelle and a refreshing splash of Sicilian lemon. As it settles on the skin, it does not become a simple latte scent, but rather shifts into a complex balsamic blend where dried dates, warm cinnamon, and dusty tob…

Reviews →

McGonagall opens with an unusual white wine and immortelle pairing, then settles into a warm ambered core of dried fruits, balsams, woods, and resin. The drydown looks plush rather than airy, with vanilla, benzoin, oud, and amber giving it a sweet, woody, slightly powdery finish. This reads best for someone who enjoys…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Balcafe or McGonagall?

Balcafe takes 4 of 4 categories. Balcafe is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes; McGonagall is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Balcafe for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose McGonagall for a amber and vanilla character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Balcafe or McGonagall?

Balcafe lasts longest (Balcafe 90/100, McGonagall 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balcafe or McGonagall?

Balcafe projects furthest (Balcafe 79/100, McGonagall 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balcafe and McGonagall smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Immortelle, Guaiac Wood, Labdanum and Amber.

Is Balcafe or McGonagall better for summer or winter?

Balcafe suits day or night wear; McGonagall suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balcafe and McGonagall?

Balcafe has top notes of Immortelle, Sicilian Lemon, Calabrian bergamot and Coriander, heart notes of Coffee, Dates, Leather and Agarwood (Oud), a base of Tobacco, Labdanum, Tonka Bean and Amber. McGonagall has top notes of White Wine and Immortelle, heart notes of Dried Fruits, Tolu Balsam, Guaiac Wood and Labdanum, a base of Vanilla, Resins, Agarwood and Benzoin.