Fragrance comparison

Odyssey Black Forest vs Red African

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 87 ratings analysed

Odyssey Black Forest

Armaf

4.0048 votes

Rank #12,564 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Red African

Al Haramain Perfumes

4.5439 votes

Rank #12,338 Fresh SpicyCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red African takes 4 of 7 categories.

Odyssey Black Forest
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Red African
Choose it for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Odyssey Black Forest2/7

Red African4/7

Ratings & consensus: Red African
Community sentiment: Red African
Longevity: Odyssey Black Forest
Sillage & projection: Odyssey Black Forest
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Red African
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red African

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Odyssey Black ForestArmaf

Red AfricanAl Haramain Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 21%Had 2%Want 77%

4.54/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 42%Had 7%Want 51%

Category winnerRed AfricanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

35%Like

15%Ok

6%Dislike

4%Hate

48 votes

62%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerRed AfricanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityOdyssey Black Forest

SillageOdyssey Black Forest

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla86%

caramel72%

cherry58%

cinnamon44%

warm spicy30%

fresh spicy100%

caramel91%

sweet83%

vanilla74%

balsamic65%

woody56%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both sweet, caramel and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CaramelCherryCinnamonLactonesWhite Blossom

Heart

DatesHoneyNutmeg

Base

PralineVanillaTonka BeanMuskWoody Notes

Top

Brazilian Rosewood

Heart

NutmegCaramel

Base

VanillaAmbergrisMusk

InformationalShared notesCaramel, Nutmeg, Vanilla and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer3

Fall86

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring36

Summer29

Fall93

Winter100

Day100

Night71

Category winnerRed AfricanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex68

Women23

Men8

Unisex46

Women46

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,564

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#12,338

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerRed AfricanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Armaf Odyssey Black Forest lands on the skin with a heavy, thick sweetness that immediately conjures up a fresh slice of cherry chocolate cake. The fragrance opens with a sticky caramel and a medicinal cherry note, wrapped in lactonic warmth that mimics steamed milk. As the scent settles, the initial fruitiness pulls …

Reviews →

Red African is a cosy, edible gourmand that wears like caramel vanilla drizzled over warm spice and soft woods. Several wearers describe a bakery vibe, with chocolate and coffee facets showing up on skin, especially in cooler weather. Expect a bold, sweet opening that can turn more intimate later. Some people also not…

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, Odyssey Black Forest or Red African?

Red African takes 4 of 7 categories. Odyssey Black Forest is rated 4.00/5 from 48 votes; Red African is rated 4.54/5 from 39 votes. Choose Odyssey Black Forest for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Red African for a fresh spicy and caramel character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Odyssey Black Forest or Red African?

They last about the same: Odyssey Black Forest 73/100, Red African 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Odyssey Black Forest or Red African?

Projection is very close: Odyssey Black Forest 59/100, Red African 58/100 for sillage.

Do Odyssey Black Forest and Red African smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, caramel and vanilla accords. Common notes include Caramel, Nutmeg, Vanilla and Musk.

Is Odyssey Black Forest or Red African better for summer or winter?

For summer, Red African is the stronger pick. For winter, Odyssey Black Forest is the stronger pick. Odyssey Black Forest suits daytime wear; Red African suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Odyssey Black Forest and Red African?

Odyssey Black Forest has top notes of Caramel, Cherry, Cinnamon and Lactones, heart notes of Dates, Honey and Nutmeg, a base of Praline, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk. Red African has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Nutmeg and Caramel, a base of Vanilla, Ambergris and Musk.