Fragrance comparison

El Capitán vs Counterattack

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 17 ratings analysed

El Capitán

Gulf Orchid

3.676 votes

Rank #60,578 Warm SpicyLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Counterattack

Alexandria Fragrances

4.3611 votes

Rank #34,138 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

El Capitán
Choose it for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Counterattack
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

El Capitán2/4

Counterattack2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

El CapitánGulf Orchid

CounterattackAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 20%Had 3%Want 77%

4.36/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 23%Had 5%Want 72%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

50%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

36%Love

64%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityEl Capitán

SillageCounterattack

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value73

Category winnerEl CapitánBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

lavender92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

powdery69%

violet61%

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

amber69%

lavender61%

Scent match61%Closely related · both warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CardamomCinnamonPepper

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderVioletWormwood

Base6-8+ hrs

Tonka BeanVanillaSandalwood

Notes

LavenderCardamomCinnamonMintAmberTonka BeanVanillaSandalwoodPatchouliOrange BlossomOakmossOlibanum

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Cinnamon, Lavender and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for El Capitán, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night79

Spring86

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Work 32%Casual 30%Date 24%Party 14%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,578

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#34,138

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerCounterattackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

El Capitán by Gulf Orchid hits the skin with an energetic burst of cracked black pepper, sharp cardamom, and warm cinnamon bark. That initial spicy punch settles quickly. Within fifteen minutes, French lavender and cool violet leaf emerge to smooth out the heat, lending the scent a clean, barbershop-adjacent crispness…

Reviews →

Counterattack leans warm, spicy, and aromatic, with lavender, cardamom, cinnamon, and mint giving the opening a brisk lift before the fragrance settles into amber, woods, vanilla, and tonka. It reads like a modern oriental with a barbershop edge. On skin, it usually comes across more masculine than fully neutral. The …

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, El Capitán or Counterattack?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. El Capitán is rated 3.67/5 from 6 votes; Counterattack is rated 4.36/5 from 11 votes. Choose El Capitán for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Counterattack for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, El Capitán or Counterattack?

El Capitán lasts longest (El Capitán 63/100, Counterattack 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, El Capitán or Counterattack?

Counterattack projects furthest (Counterattack 56/100, El Capitán 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do El Capitán and Counterattack smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Cinnamon, Lavender and Tonka Bean.

Is El Capitán or Counterattack better for summer or winter?

El Capitán suits daytime wear; Counterattack suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in El Capitán and Counterattack?

El Capitán has top notes of Cardamom, Cinnamon and Pepper, heart notes of Lavender, Violet and Wormwood, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Counterattack features Lavender, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Mint and Amber.