Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Ultimate Zest

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 241 ratings analysed

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #7,313 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Ultimate Zest

Parfums Vintage

4.673 votes

Rank #42,089 WoodyCamphor

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Ultimate Zest
Choose it for a woody and camphor character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Esprit du Roi2/4

Ultimate Zest2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ultimate Zest
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
Value for money: Ultimate Zest
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Ultimate ZestParfums Vintage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityUltimate Zest

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value58

Category winnerUltimate ZestBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

camphor88%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy65%

citrus53%

fresh42%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

Notes

EucalyptusAustralian SandalwoodGingerMandarin OrangeVineCascaloneJuniperMuskIndian SandalwoodPink GrapefruitFrankincenseAmbrocenide

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSandalwood and Musk. Durations are only published for Ultimate Zest, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,313

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#42,089

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

Reviews →

Ultimate Zest by Parfums Vintage is a brisk woody aromatic fragrance that combines sharp citrus oils with crisp herbal and coniferous undertones. The opening introduces pink grapefruit, kaffir lime, citron, and mandarin orange, accented by a cool burst of eucalyptus, aldehydes, and gin-soaked juniper berries. As the i…

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, Esprit du Roi or Ultimate Zest?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Ultimate Zest is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Ultimate Zest for a woody and camphor character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Ultimate Zest?

Ultimate Zest lasts longest (Ultimate Zest 80/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Ultimate Zest?

Esprit du Roi projects furthest (Esprit du Roi 57/100, Ultimate Zest 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Esprit du Roi and Ultimate Zest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Sandalwood and Musk.

Is Esprit du Roi or Ultimate Zest better for summer or winter?

Ultimate Zest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Ultimate Zest?

Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris. Ultimate Zest features Eucalyptus, Australian Sandalwood, Ginger, Mandarin Orange and Vine.