Fragrance comparison

John Varvatos Oud vs Poseidon Impulse

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 585 ratings analysed

4 wins

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #1,966 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Poseidon Impulse

Instituto Español

3.4416 votes

Rank #50,425 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 5 categories.

John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Poseidon Impulse
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

John Varvatos Oud4/5

Poseidon Impulse1/5

Ratings & consensus: John Varvatos Oud
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: John Varvatos Oud
Sillage & projection: John Varvatos Oud
Value for money: Poseidon Impulse
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Poseidon ImpulseInstituto Español

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.44/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 44%Had 12%Want 44%

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

13%Love

56%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

6%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityJohn Varvatos Oud

SillageJohn Varvatos Oud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value92

Category winnerPoseidon ImpulseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

green70%

herbal60%

tobacco50%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

Top

BasilBergamotJuniper BerriesLavender

Heart

TobaccoHayBranSage

Base

SandalwoodCypressLabdanum

InformationalShared notesTobacco, Juniper Berries, Cypress and Sage. Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night83

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,966

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Overall rank#50,425

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

John Varvatos Oud takes a notoriously heavy scent profile and dials it back into something smooth, warm, and exceptionally wearable. Instead of a funky barnyard oud, you get a rush of dry tobacco leaves, cracked nutmeg, and brisk cypress needle right off the nozzle. Within twenty minutes, sweet cinnamon and clove heat…

Reviews →

Poseidon Impulse by Instituto Español presents a woody aromatic profile for men, lead by crisp basil and juniper berries. The heart features a blend of tobacco and hay, settling into a grounded base of sandalwood and cypress. It is a budget-focused option suited for daily wear in temperate spring or fall weather.

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, John Varvatos Oud or Poseidon Impulse?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 5 categories. John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes; Poseidon Impulse is rated 3.44/5 from 16 votes. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Poseidon Impulse for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, John Varvatos Oud or Poseidon Impulse?

John Varvatos Oud lasts longest (John Varvatos Oud 61/100, Poseidon Impulse 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, John Varvatos Oud or Poseidon Impulse?

John Varvatos Oud projects furthest (John Varvatos Oud 54/100, Poseidon Impulse 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do John Varvatos Oud and Poseidon Impulse smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Tobacco, Juniper Berries, Cypress and Sage.

Is John Varvatos Oud or Poseidon Impulse better for summer or winter?

John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear; Poseidon Impulse suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in John Varvatos Oud and Poseidon Impulse?

John Varvatos Oud has top notes of Tobacco, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Cypress, heart notes of Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Pepper and Cardamom, a base of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Myrhh and Leather. Poseidon Impulse has top notes of Basil, Bergamot, Juniper Berries and Lavender, heart notes of Tobacco, Hay, Bran and Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Cypress and Labdanum.