Fragrance comparison

Black Pepper & Sandalwood vs Rosa Sublime

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 327 ratings analysed

Black Pepper & Sandalwood

Acca Kappa

3.69313 votes

Rank #5,300 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Rosa Sublime

Gucci

4.0014 votes

Rank #37,180 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rosa Sublime takes 3 of 5 categories.

Black Pepper & Sandalwood
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Rosa Sublime
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Black Pepper & Sandalwood2/5

Rosa Sublime3/5

Ratings & consensus: Rosa Sublime
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Rosa Sublime
Sillage & projection: Rosa Sublime
Value for money: Black Pepper & Sandalwood
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Pepper & Sandalwood

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Pepper & SandalwoodAcca Kappa

Rosa SublimeGucci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.69/ 5 · 313 votes

Have 39%Had 16%Want 45%

4.00/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 9%Had 1%Want 90%

Category winnerRosa SublimeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

43%Like

9%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

230 votes

43%Love

21%Like

29%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityRosa Sublime

SillageRosa Sublime

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value38

Category winnerBlack Pepper & SandalwoodBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy83%

woody65%

aromatic48%

powdery30%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

musky77%

woody69%

rose61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ClovesSaffronNutmegelemiBalsam FirArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

Black PepperDamask RoseCinnamonAgarwood (Oud)

Base

SandalwoodVirginian CedarPatchouliBlack MuskHaitian VetiverCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Top30 to 45 minutes

OlibanumIncenseelemiPink Pepper

Heart3 to 5 hours

Damask RoseSaffronAmbrettolideAmbrette

Base6 to 8+ hours

MyrrhPatchouliVirginian CedarOrcanox™

InformationalShared notesSaffron, elemi, Damask Rose and Virginian Cedar. Durations are only published for Rosa Sublime, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring43

Summer14

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men37

Unisex57

Women7

Men14

Unisex57

Women29

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,300

PerfumerLuca Maffei

Launched—

Reviews44

Overall rank#37,180

PerfumerMathilde Bijaoui

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerBlack Pepper & SandalwoodHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Pepper & Sandalwood by Acca Kappa is a Woody Spicy fragrance for women and men. Black Pepper & Sandalwood was launched in 2014. The nose behind this fragrance is Luca Maffei. Top notes are Cloves, Saffron, Nutmeg, elemi, Balsam Fir, Artemisia and Bergamot; middle notes are Black Pepper, Damask Rose, Cinnamon and…

Reviews →

Rosa Sublime by Gucci pairs rich Damask rose with dry incense, resinous elemi, and bright pink pepper before resting on a bed of patchouli, cedar, and myrrh. Created by perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui for The Alchemist's Garden collection, this floral amber release avoids sugary sweetness in favour of aromatic resin, soft a…

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, Black Pepper & Sandalwood or Rosa Sublime?

Rosa Sublime takes 3 of 5 categories. Black Pepper & Sandalwood is rated 3.69/5 from 313 votes; Rosa Sublime is rated 4.00/5 from 14 votes. Choose Black Pepper & Sandalwood for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Rosa Sublime for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Pepper & Sandalwood or Rosa Sublime?

Rosa Sublime lasts longest (Rosa Sublime 85/100, Black Pepper & Sandalwood 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Pepper & Sandalwood or Rosa Sublime?

Rosa Sublime projects furthest (Rosa Sublime 81/100, Black Pepper & Sandalwood 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Pepper & Sandalwood and Rosa Sublime smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, elemi, Damask Rose and Virginian Cedar.

Is Black Pepper & Sandalwood or Rosa Sublime better for summer or winter?

Rosa Sublime suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Pepper & Sandalwood and Rosa Sublime?

Black Pepper & Sandalwood has top notes of Cloves, Saffron, Nutmeg and elemi, heart notes of Black Pepper, Damask Rose, Cinnamon and Agarwood (Oud), a base of Sandalwood, Virginian Cedar, Patchouli and Black Musk. Rosa Sublime has top notes of Olibanum, Incense, elemi and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Damask Rose, Saffron, Ambrettolide and Ambrette, a base of Myrrh, Patchouli, Virginian Cedar and Orcanox™.