Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Tabac

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 850 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,742 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

7 wins

Tabac

Maison Alhambra

4.15493 votes

Rank #628 SweetHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tabac takes 7 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter.
Tabac
Choose it for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black0/7

Tabac7/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

TabacMaison Alhambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.15/ 5 · 493 votes

Have 44%Had 8%Want 48%

Category winnerTabacRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

61%Love

21%Like

8%Ok

5%Dislike

4%Hate

449 votes

Category winnerTabacMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityTabac

SillageTabac

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value86

Category winnerTabacBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

honey92%

fruity84%

tobacco77%

amber69%

smoky61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top

PlumPeachBergamotCitruses

Heart

HoneySmokeOriental notes

Base

Tobacco LeafTobaccoAmberWhite Tobacco

InformationalShared notesPlum, Peach, Bergamot and Honey. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring35

Summer8

Fall91

Winter100

Day36

Night100

Category winnerTabacMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men74

Unisex23

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,742

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#628

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews97

Category winnerTabacHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

Reviews →

Tabac by Maison Alhambra is a bold, sweet, and smoky unisex fragrance launched in 2022. It centers on a potent honeyed tobacco accord layered with ripe plum and peach. Designed for cold weather, this scent leans heavily into autumn and winter evenings, offering a cozy yet assertive presence for anyone seeking a deep, …

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, Basic Black or Tabac?

Tabac takes 7 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Tabac is rated 4.15/5 from 493 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter. Choose Tabac for a sweet and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Tabac?

Tabac lasts longest (Tabac 79/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Tabac?

Tabac projects furthest (Tabac 70/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Tabac smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Plum, Peach, Bergamot and Honey.

Is Basic Black or Tabac better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Tabac suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Tabac?

Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber. Tabac has top notes of Plum, Peach, Bergamot and Citruses, heart notes of Honey, Smoke and Oriental notes, a base of Tobacco Leaf, Tobacco, Amber and White Tobacco.