Fragrance comparison

Herod vs Hercules

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 11,339 ratings analysed

Herod

Parfums de Marly

4.4410,084 votes

Rank #1,070 TobaccoVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

82%scent match

Very similar

4 wins

Hercules

Maison Alhambra

4.321,255 votes

Rank #107 TobaccoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Hercules takes 4 of 7 categories.

Herod
Choose it for a tobacco and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter, evening wear.
Hercules
Choose it for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Herod1/7

Hercules4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

HerodParfums de Marly

HerculesMaison Alhambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.44/ 5 · 10,084 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

4.32/ 5 · 1,255 votes

Have 60%Had 7%Want 33%

Category winnerHerodRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

25%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

10,084 votes

62%Love

25%Like

8%Ok

3%Dislike

2%Hate

880 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageHercules

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value91

Category winnerHerculesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

tobacco100%

vanilla92%

warm spicy84%

cinnamon77%

amber69%

sweet61%

tobacco100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

woody69%

cinnamon61%

Scent match82%Very similar · both tobacco, warm spicy and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonPepperwood™

Heart2-4 hrs

Tobacco LeafIncenseOsmanthusLabdanum

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaIso E SuperCedarMuskCypriol Oil or NagarmothaVetiverAmber

Top

CinnamonPepper

Heart

Tobacco LeafIncenseLabdanumOsmanthus

Base

VanillaIso E SuperCedarMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Tobacco Leaf, Incense and Osmanthus. Durations are only published for Herod, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring42

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerHerculesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

Date 39%Casual 25%Party 20%Work 16%

Men87

Unisex11

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,070

PerfumerOlivier Pescheux

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#107

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews237

Category winnerHerculesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Herod by Parfums de Marly smells like pure autumn comfort in a heavy glass bottle. The cinnamon hits immediately. Within minutes, a rich wave of unburned pipe tobacco leaf combines with dark Madagascar vanilla, creating an aroma that feels like spiced cherry cordial poured over aged cedar. Smoky incense and leather-li…

Reviews →

Hercules by Maison Alhambra brings a spicy warmth to your skin, layering cinnamon and pepper over a sweet tobacco heart. Designed for those who appreciate cozy, resinous scents, this unisex Eau de Parfum serves as a bold addition to any fall or winter rotation. It settles into a comfortable, vanilla-rich profile that …

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, Herod or Hercules?

Hercules takes 4 of 7 categories. Herod is rated 4.44/5 from 10,084 votes; Hercules is rated 4.32/5 from 1,255 votes. Choose Herod for a tobacco and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Hercules for a tobacco and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Herod or Hercules?

They last about the same: Herod 71/100, Hercules 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Herod or Hercules?

Projection is very close: Hercules 59/100, Herod 57/100 for sillage.

Do Herod and Hercules smell similar?

Very similar: a 82% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share tobacco, warm spicy and vanilla accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Tobacco Leaf, Incense and Osmanthus.

Is Herod or Hercules better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Herod and Hercules?

Herod has top notes of Cinnamon and Pepperwood™, heart notes of Tobacco Leaf, Incense, Osmanthus and Labdanum, a base of Vanilla, Iso E Super, Cedar and Musk. Hercules has top notes of Cinnamon and Pepper, heart notes of Tobacco Leaf, Incense, Labdanum and Osmanthus, a base of Vanilla, Iso E Super, Cedar and Musk.