Fragrance comparison

Old Books vs Targa

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 117 ratings analysed

Old Books

The Perfumer's Story by Azzi

4.2326 votes

Rank #42,046 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Targa

Blackbird

3.9391 votes

Rank #9,036 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Targa takes 4 of 7 categories.

Old Books
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Targa
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Old Books3/7

Targa4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Old BooksThe Perfumer's Story by Azzi

TargaBlackbird

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 12%Had 2%Want 86%

3.93/ 5 · 91 votes

Have 32%Had 8%Want 60%

Category winnerOld BooksRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

62%Love

15%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

41%Love

33%Like

7%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

91 votes

Category winnerOld BooksMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityTarga

SillageTarga

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value49

Category winnerTargaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody90%

warm spicy80%

balsamic70%

aromatic60%

patchouli50%

woody100%

amber90%

balsamic80%

fresh spicy70%

aromatic60%

warm spicy50%

Scent match59%Closely related · both amber, woody and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PatchouliIncenseOlibanumCedarMyrrhAmberVetiverelemi

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Green Bell PepperOpoponaxOlibanumCarawayBergamotGeraniumCitruses

Heart

ResinsCypriol Oil or NagarmothaChoya LobanBlack PepperNutmeg

Base

IncenseGuaiac WoodOakAgarwood (Oud)Teak WoodCedarSandalwoodMyrrh

InformationalShared notesIncense, Olibanum, Cedar and Myrrh. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring54

Summer31

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night78

Spring17

Summer12

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOld BooksMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex31

Women6

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,046

PerfumerAzzi Glasser

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#9,036

PerfumerAaron Way

Launched—

Reviews27

Category winnerTargaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Old Books by The Perfumer's Story by Azzi captures the scent of aged paper and library quiet. It centers on frankincense and rich myrrh, wrapping the wearer in a dry, woody cocoon. This fragrance is designed for quiet autumn afternoons spent reading by a window.

Reviews →

Blackbird Targa opens with an intense blast of choya loban, green bell pepper, and burning cedar that smells like fresh asphalt beside a winter campfire. Omani frankincense and opoponax add a dry resinous backbone, while caraway and black pepper spark a sharp, prickling heat across the opening. As the acrid top settle…

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, Old Books or Targa?

Targa takes 4 of 7 categories. Old Books is rated 4.23/5 from 26 votes; Targa is rated 3.93/5 from 91 votes. Choose Old Books for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Targa for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Old Books or Targa?

Targa lasts longest (Targa 72/100, Old Books 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Old Books or Targa?

Targa projects furthest (Targa 60/100, Old Books 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Old Books and Targa smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and balsamic accords. Common notes include Incense, Olibanum, Cedar and Myrrh.

Is Old Books or Targa better for summer or winter?

For summer, Old Books is the stronger pick. For winter, Targa is the stronger pick. Old Books suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Old Books and Targa?

Old Books features Patchouli, Incense, Olibanum, Cedar and Myrrh. Targa has top notes of Green Bell Pepper, Opoponax, Olibanum and Caraway, heart notes of Resins, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Choya Loban and Black Pepper, a base of Incense, Guaiac Wood, Oak and Agarwood (Oud).