Fragrance comparison

El Capitán vs VV Man

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 132 ratings analysed

El Capitán

Gulf Orchid

3.676 votes

Rank #60,752 Warm SpicyLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

VV Man

Roberto Verino

3.48126 votes

Rank #16,184 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

VV Man takes 3 of 4 categories.

El Capitán
Choose it for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
VV Man
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

El Capitán1/4

VV Man3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

El CapitánGulf Orchid

VV ManRoberto Verino

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 20%Had 3%Want 77%

3.48/ 5 · 126 votes

Have 36%Had 35%Want 29%

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

25%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

21%Dislike

5%Hate

112 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityVV Man

SillageVV Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value68

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%

citrus92%

powdery84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

musky61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both warm spicy, powdery 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

Top

MelonOrangeCardamomMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

PepperClovesVioletHeliotropeCinnamonRoseJasmine

Base

CedarSandalwoodMuskAmbergrisPatchouliCivet

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Cinnamon, Pepper and Violet. 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

Spring100

Summer70

Fall63

Winter30

Day100

Night59

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

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

Men44

Unisex50

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,752

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,184

PerfumerFrancis Deleamont, Ilias Ermenidis

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerVV ManHigher 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 →

VV Man by Roberto Verino is a woody spicy scent that opens with a punchy melon and citrus blend. It settles into a warm, powdery heart of cloves, pepper, and violet, drying down to a resinous cedar and amber base. This fragrance works best for casual office wear during autumn and spring, offering a distinctive, budget…

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 VV Man?

VV Man takes 3 of 4 categories. El Capitán is rated 3.67/5 from 6 votes; VV Man is rated 3.48/5 from 126 votes. Choose El Capitán for a warm spicy and lavender character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose VV Man for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, El Capitán or VV Man?

VV Man lasts longest (VV Man 66/100, El Capitán 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, El Capitán or VV Man?

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

Do El Capitán and VV Man smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, powdery and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Cinnamon, Pepper and Violet.

Is El Capitán or VV Man better for summer or winter?

El Capitán suits daytime wear; VV Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in El Capitán and VV Man?

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. VV Man has top notes of Melon, Orange, Cardamom and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Pepper, Cloves, Violet and Heliotrope, a base of Cedar, Sandalwood, Musk and Ambergris.