Fragrance comparison

Notorious XO vs The Sultan

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 186 ratings analysed

1 wins

Notorious XO

M. Micallef

3.88186 votes

Rank #7,420 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

75%scent match

Very similar

The Sultan

Konka

—0 votes

Rank #77,502 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Notorious XO takes 1 of 1 categories.

Notorious XO
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
The Sultan
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Notorious XO1/1

The Sultan0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Notorious XOM. Micallef

The SultanKonka

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.88/ 5 · 186 votes

Have 20%Had 4%Want 76%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

106 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

sweet84%

vanilla77%

amber69%

cinnamon61%

woody100%

sweet90%

warm spicy80%

vanilla70%

cinnamon60%

powdery50%

Scent match75%Very similar · both woody, warm spicy and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CognacPepperSea Notes

Heart

CinnamonLeatherCardamomTonka BeanOak

Base

VanillaPralineAmberSandalwoodMusk

Top

Cognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonOak

Base

SandalwoodVanillaPraline

InformationalShared notesCognac, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean and Oak. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer5

Fall100

Winter97

Day100

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men77

Unisex22

Women1

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,420

PerfumerDaniela Marty

Launched—

Reviews26

Overall rank#77,502

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNotorious XOHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

The Sultan by Konka is an opulent unisex fragrance built around a boozy opening of cognac. It quickly mellows into a heart of cinnamon and oak, resting on a base of warm sandalwood, vanilla, and praline. It offers a decadent and regal profile, perfect for evening wear during the colder months when you want something r…

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.

Do Notorious XO and The Sultan smell similar?

Very similar: a 75% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Cognac, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean and Oak.

Is Notorious XO or The Sultan better for summer or winter?

Notorious XO suits daytime wear; The Sultan suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Notorious XO and The Sultan?

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. The Sultan has top notes of Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon and Oak, a base of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Praline.