Fragrance comparison

Odyssey Black Forest vs Zaya

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 161 ratings analysed

Odyssey Black Forest

Armaf

4.0048 votes

Rank #13,349 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Zaya

Parfums d'Elmar

4.36113 votes

Rank #9,975 SweetWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zaya takes 5 of 7 categories.

Odyssey Black Forest
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Zaya
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Odyssey Black Forest2/7

Zaya5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Odyssey Black ForestArmaf

ZayaParfums d'Elmar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 21%Had 2%Want 77%

4.36/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 69%

Category winnerZayaRating 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

69%Love

15%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

7%Hate

113 votes

Category winnerZayaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityZaya

SillageZaya

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value27

Category winnerOdyssey Black ForestBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla86%

caramel72%

cherry58%

cinnamon44%

warm spicy30%

sweet100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

cinnamon69%

honey61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both sweet, warm spicy and cinnamon

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

Top15-30 mins

CognacAppleHoneyNutmegBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonOakDatesTonka Bean

Base8-12 hrs

Siam BenzoinPralineVanillaSandalowood

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Dates, Honey and Nutmeg. Durations are only published for Zaya, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer3

Fall86

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day64

Night100

Category winnerOdyssey Black ForestMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex68

Women23

Men37

Unisex49

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,349

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#9,975

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerZayaHigher 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 →

Parfums d'Elmar Zaya smells like warm spiced apple compote drizzled with golden honey and aged cognac. The opening hits fast. A crisp blast of fresh orchard apple blends into boozy warmth and grated nutmeg before rich honey thickens the air. As the heart takes over, toasted oak wood, sticky dates, and ground cinnamon …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Dunhill EditionAlfred DunhillRUNNER-UP vs

Boss SportHugo BossWINNER

1 person compared this today

Champaca HeadspaceHeadspaceWINNER vs

Sweet Amoris Сладкий ФлиртOsmoGenes PerfumesRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Ho Hang ClubBalenciagaWINNER vs

Jil Sander Man IIIJil SanderRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Very ValentinoValentinoRUNNER-UP vs

Sonia RykielSonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Odyssey Black Forest or Zaya?

Zaya takes 5 of 7 categories. Odyssey Black Forest is rated 4.00/5 from 48 votes; Zaya is rated 4.36/5 from 113 votes. Choose Odyssey Black Forest for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Zaya for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Odyssey Black Forest or Zaya?

Zaya lasts longest (Zaya 81/100, Odyssey Black Forest 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Odyssey Black Forest or Zaya?

Zaya projects furthest (Zaya 72/100, Odyssey Black Forest 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Odyssey Black Forest and Zaya smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and cinnamon accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Dates, Honey and Nutmeg.

Is Odyssey Black Forest or Zaya better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Odyssey Black Forest and Zaya?

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. Zaya has top notes of Cognac, Apple, Honey and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cinnamon, Oak, Dates and Tonka Bean, a base of Siam Benzoin, Praline, Vanilla and Sandalowood.