Fragrance comparison

Cassis de la Forêt vs Republic of Men Essence

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

Cassis de la Forêt

Alkemia Perfumes

3.7818 votes

Rank #40,977 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Republic of Men Essence

Banana Republic

3.8816 votes

Rank #36,443 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Republic of Men Essence takes 3 of 5 categories.

Cassis de la Forêt
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Republic of Men Essence
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cassis de la Forêt1/5

Republic of Men Essence3/5

Ratings & consensus: Republic of Men Essence
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cassis de la Forêt
Sillage & projection: Republic of Men Essence
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Republic of Men Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cassis de la ForêtAlkemia Perfumes

Republic of Men EssenceBanana Republic

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 17%Had 8%Want 75%

3.88/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 19%Had 7%Want 74%

Category winnerRepublic of Men EssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

11%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

25%Love

56%Like

0%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityCassis de la Forêt

SillageRepublic of Men Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity83%

aromatic65%

green48%

conifer30%

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

green77%

fruity69%

powdery61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both woody, fruity and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Wild BerriesSprucePineBlack CurrantBalsam FirPlumCedarCalamusLarch

No top / heart / base split published

Top

PlumFig LeafCucumberBlack Currant

Heart

PepperBasilRosemarySage

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedarHazelnut

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Plum and Cedar. 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

Summer43

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night40

Spring83

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,977

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#36,443

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerRepublic of Men EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cassis de la Forêt by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. Cassis de la Forêt was launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Banana Republic Republic of Men Essence opens with a crisp, cool splash of cucumber and the sharp, green snap of fig leaf. It feels immediately refreshing, like stepping into a dew-covered garden on a brisk spring morning. As it settles onto the skin, a tart plum note emerges alongside a dark black currant sweetness, …

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, Cassis de la Forêt or Republic of Men Essence?

Republic of Men Essence takes 3 of 5 categories. Cassis de la Forêt is rated 3.78/5 from 18 votes; Republic of Men Essence is rated 3.88/5 from 16 votes. Choose Cassis de la Forêt for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Republic of Men Essence for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cassis de la Forêt or Republic of Men Essence?

Cassis de la Forêt lasts longest (Cassis de la Forêt 73/100, Republic of Men Essence 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cassis de la Forêt or Republic of Men Essence?

Projection is very close: Republic of Men Essence 52/100, Cassis de la Forêt 50/100 for sillage.

Do Cassis de la Forêt and Republic of Men Essence smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fruity and aromatic accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Plum and Cedar.

Is Cassis de la Forêt or Republic of Men Essence better for summer or winter?

Cassis de la Forêt suits daytime wear; Republic of Men Essence suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cassis de la Forêt and Republic of Men Essence?

Cassis de la Forêt features Wild Berries, Spruce, Pine, Black Currant and Balsam Fir. Republic of Men Essence has top notes of Plum, Fig Leaf, Cucumber and Black Currant, heart notes of Pepper, Basil, Rosemary and Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar and Hazelnut.