Fragrance comparison

Formidable vs Berlin Urban

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 325 ratings analysed

Formidable

Kesling · 1944

3.92317 votes

Rank #12,370 CoffeeCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Berlin Urban

Mahogany

4.388 votes

Rank #48,966 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Formidable
Choose it for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Berlin Urban
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, day or night wear.

Formidable2/4

Berlin Urban2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FormidableKesling

Berlin UrbanMahogany

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 317 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

4.38/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 40%Had 20%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

63%Love

13%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityBerlin Urban

SillageFormidable

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value95

Category winnerBerlin UrbanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

coffee100%

citrus91%

warm spicy83%

woody74%

fresh spicy65%

powdery56%

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

citrus69%

earthy61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

VerbenaMandarin OrangeGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

CoffeeNutmegJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base

ResinsPrecious WoodsVanillaSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top

Mandarin OrangeViolet LeafGrapefruitPink PepperSicilian LemonBergamotGinger

Heart

KephalisRosemaryCassisYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyNutmegGeraniumTransparent Woods

Base

OakmossAmberPatchouliMuskLabdanumSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Grapefruit, Bergamot and Nutmeg. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring83

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,370

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1944

Reviews5

Overall rank#48,966

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFormidableHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Formidable by Kesling is a traditional oriental-fougere blend that hinges on a dense, resinous structure. Peach and bergamot provide an initial fruit-forward opening, while a heart of coffee and jasmine settles into a deep, woody base of sandalwood and vanilla. It is a persistent composition ideal for chilly autumn ev…

Reviews →

Berlin Urban by Mahogany is a woody, aromatic scent built for daily wear. It opens with a vibrant mix of citrus and pink pepper before shifting into a complex heart of woods and spices. The dry-down relies on patchouli and oakmoss, providing a grounded, masculine finish that performs reliably through long office days …

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, Formidable or Berlin Urban?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Formidable is rated 3.92/5 from 317 votes; Berlin Urban is rated 4.38/5 from 8 votes. Choose Formidable for a coffee and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Berlin Urban for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Formidable or Berlin Urban?

Berlin Urban lasts longest (Berlin Urban 83/100, Formidable 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Formidable or Berlin Urban?

Formidable projects furthest (Formidable 73/100, Berlin Urban 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formidable and Berlin Urban smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit, Bergamot and Nutmeg.

Is Formidable or Berlin Urban better for summer or winter?

Formidable suits evening wear; Berlin Urban suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formidable and Berlin Urban?

Formidable has top notes of Verbena, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Coffee, Nutmeg, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Resins, Precious Woods, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Berlin Urban has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Violet Leaf, Grapefruit and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Kephalis, Rosemary, Cassis and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Patchouli and Musk.