Fragrance comparison

Dickens in Varanasi vs Red Tobacco

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 12,011 ratings analysed

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #47,936 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Red Tobacco

Mancera

4.0512,005 votes

Rank #740 Warm SpicyTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red Tobacco takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Red Tobacco
Choose it for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Dickens in Varanasi1/4

Red Tobacco3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Red Tobacco
Sillage & projection: Red Tobacco
Value for money: Dickens in Varanasi
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red Tobacco

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

Red TobaccoMancera

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

4.05/ 5 · 12,005 votes

Have 82%Had 18%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

50%Love

26%Like

9%Ok

9%Dislike

6%Hate

12,005 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityRed Tobacco

SillageRed Tobacco

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value57

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

warm spicy100%

tobacco92%

woody84%

sweet77%

amber69%

vanilla61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both warm spicy, amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitChamomileelemiNutmegPearGreen Apple

Heart

AmberPatchouliMagnoliaSaffronJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base

IncenseVanillaTobaccoWhite MuskVetiverSandalwoodOud

Top20-30 mins

CinnamonAgarwood (Oud)IncenseSaffronNutmegGreen AppleWhite Pear

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliJasmine

Base8-12+ hrs

TobaccoMadagascar VanillaAmberSandalwoodGuaiac WoodWhite MuskHaitian Vetiver

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Green Apple, Amber and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Red Tobacco, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Spring22

Summer10

Fall0

Winter100

Day30

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Men72

Unisex24

Women3

Party 40%Date 33%Casual 19%Work 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,936

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#740

PerfumerPierre Montale

Launched—

Reviews210

Category winnerRed TobaccoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dickens in Varanasi by THEN THERE opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, herbal chamomile, and spicy elemi resin. As the initial brightness settles, a heavy heart of saffron, dark patchouli, and warm cinnamon takes over on skin. The dry down anchors on smoky incense, earthy vetiver, and bitter oud lightly soft…

Reviews →

Mancera Red Tobacco is an uncompromising cold-weather powerhouse built around rich pipe tobacco, fiery cinnamon, and dark agarwood. The opening punches hard with tart green apple, nutmeg, and smoky incense before settling into a warm, creamy heart of earthy patchouli. As hours pass on the skin, sweet Madagascar vanill…

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, Dickens in Varanasi or Red Tobacco?

Red Tobacco takes 3 of 4 categories. Dickens in Varanasi is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes; Red Tobacco is rated 4.05/5 from 12,005 votes. Choose Dickens in Varanasi for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Red Tobacco for a warm spicy and tobacco character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dickens in Varanasi or Red Tobacco?

Red Tobacco lasts longest (Red Tobacco 89/100, Dickens in Varanasi 85/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dickens in Varanasi or Red Tobacco?

Red Tobacco projects furthest (Red Tobacco 82/100, Dickens in Varanasi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dickens in Varanasi and Red Tobacco smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Green Apple, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Dickens in Varanasi or Red Tobacco better for summer or winter?

Dickens in Varanasi suits evening wear; Red Tobacco suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dickens in Varanasi and Red Tobacco?

Dickens in Varanasi has top notes of Grapefruit, Chamomile, elemi and Nutmeg, heart notes of Amber, Patchouli, Magnolia and Saffron, a base of Incense, Vanilla, Tobacco and White Musk. Red Tobacco has top notes of Cinnamon, Agarwood (Oud), Incense and Saffron, heart notes of Patchouli and Jasmine, a base of Tobacco, Madagascar Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood.