Fragrance comparison

Encounter vs Abjar

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 1,128 ratings analysed

Encounter

Calvin Klein

3.561,042 votes

Rank #31,237 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,929 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Encounter
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Encounter2/7

Abjar5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EncounterCalvin Klein

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 1,042 votes

Have 49%Had 31%Want 21%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

49%Like

4%Ok

28%Dislike

1%Hate

1,042 votes

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value28

Category winnerEncounterBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

rum84%

oud77%

fresh spicy69%

citrus61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

RumCardamomMandarin Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

CognacPepperPatchouliJasmine

Base2 to 4 hours

Agarwood (Oud)CedarMusk

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesPepper and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Encounter, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer24

Fall100

Winter84

Day62

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEncounterMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex4

Women1

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,237

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Pierre Negrin

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,929

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Calvin Klein Encounter is an oriental woody eau de toilette that focuses on dark spirits, gentle spices, and smooth timber. The opening pairs a splash of sweet rum with crushed cardamom and a bright touch of mandarin orange. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals warm cognac accented by black pepper, ear…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. 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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Encounter or Abjar?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Encounter is rated 3.56/5 from 1,042 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Encounter for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Encounter or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Encounter 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encounter or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Encounter 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encounter and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Pepper and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Encounter or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Encounter suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encounter and Abjar?

Encounter has top notes of Rum, Cardamom and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cognac, Pepper, Patchouli and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Cedar and Musk. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).