Golden Elixir Reserve vs Notorious XO
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
69%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Golden Elixir Reserve takes 5 of 7 categories.
Golden Elixir ReserveChoose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Notorious XOChoose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Golden Elixir Reserve5/7
Notorious XO2/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Golden Elixir Reserve
- Community sentiment
- Golden Elixir Reserve
- Longevity
- Golden Elixir Reserve
- Sillage & projection
- Golden Elixir Reserve
- Value for money
- Golden Elixir Reserve
- Versatility
- Notorious XO
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Notorious XO
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Golden Elixir ReserveRiiffs PerfumesNotorious XOM. MicallefWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.22/ 5 · 79 votes
Have 96%Had 4%Want 0%
3.88/ 5 · 186 votes
Have 20%Had 4%Want 76%
Category winnerGolden Elixir ReserveRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate73%Love
17%Like
2%Ok
2%Dislike
7%Hate
60 votes
54%Love
24%Like
13%Ok
4%Dislike
6%Hate
106 votes
Category winnerGolden Elixir ReserveMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityGolden Elixir Reserve
SillageGolden Elixir Reserve
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerGolden Elixir ReserveBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwarm spicy100%
sweet86%
cinnamon72%
vanilla58%
coffee44%
woody30%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
sweet84%
vanilla77%
amber69%
cinnamon61%
Scent match69%Closely related · both warm spicy, sweet and vanilla
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
CinnamonCognacCoffeeCardamom
Heart
PralineDatesTonka Bean
Base
VanillaAgarwoodMusk
Top
CognacPepperSea Notes
Heart
CinnamonLeatherCardamomTonka BeanOak
Base
VanillaPralineAmberSandalwoodMusk
InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Cognac, Cardamom and Praline. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring21
Summer7
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring20
Summer5
Fall100
Winter97
Day100
Night–
Category winnerNotorious XOMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#25,625
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews4
Overall rank#7,422
PerfumerDaniela Marty
Launched—
Reviews26
Category winnerNotorious XOHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotGolden Elixir Reserve is a dense, sweet-spiced gourmand with cinnamon, cardamom, coffee and cognac up top, then a richer core of praline, dates and tonka. It opens warm and boozy, then settles into a creamy vanilla-oud base with a soft musky trail. This reads best in cool weather and evening wear. If you enjoy bold, s…
Reviews →Notorious XO by M. Micallef is a woody spicy fragrance that leans into a boozy cognac opening. It settles into a warm, resinous base of praline and vanilla, making it a reliable choice for autumn and winter evenings. Designed for the man seeking a sophisticated, presence-heavy scent, it bridges the gap between refined…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Golden Elixir Reserve or Notorious XO?
Golden Elixir Reserve takes 5 of 7 categories. Golden Elixir Reserve is rated 4.22/5 from 79 votes; Notorious XO is rated 3.88/5 from 186 votes. Choose Golden Elixir Reserve for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Notorious XO for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Golden Elixir Reserve or Notorious XO?
Golden Elixir Reserve lasts longest (Golden Elixir Reserve 84/100, Notorious XO 77/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Golden Elixir Reserve or Notorious XO?
Golden Elixir Reserve projects furthest (Golden Elixir Reserve 76/100, Notorious XO 67/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Golden Elixir Reserve and Notorious XO smell similar?
Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and vanilla accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Cognac, Cardamom and Praline.
Is Golden Elixir Reserve or Notorious XO better for summer or winter?
For summer, Golden Elixir Reserve is the stronger pick. For winter, Golden Elixir Reserve is the stronger pick. Notorious XO suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Golden Elixir Reserve and Notorious XO?
Golden Elixir Reserve has top notes of Cinnamon, Cognac, Coffee and Cardamom, heart notes of Praline, Dates and Tonka Bean, a base of Vanilla, Agarwood and Musk. Notorious XO has top notes of Cognac, Pepper and Sea Notes, heart notes of Cinnamon, Leather, Cardamom and Tonka Bean, a base of Vanilla, Praline, Amber and Sandalwood.
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