Fragrance comparison

Only The Brave Captain America vs Basic Black

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 406 ratings analysed

4 wins

Only The Brave Captain America

Diesel

4.3349 votes

Rank #29,771 AmberCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,685 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Only The Brave Captain America takes 4 of 7 categories.

Only The Brave Captain America
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Only The Brave Captain America4/7

Basic Black3/7

Ratings & consensus: Only The Brave Captain America
Community sentiment: Only The Brave Captain America
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Only The Brave Captain America
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Only The Brave Captain America
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Only The Brave Captain AmericaDiesel

Basic BlackBill Blass

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 33%Had 20%Want 47%

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerOnly The Brave Captain AmericaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

45%Like

2%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

Category winnerOnly The Brave Captain AmericaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageOnly The Brave Captain America

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value78

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

citrus88%

leather77%

woody65%

aromatic53%

animalic42%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both amber, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Amalfi LemonMandarin Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

Virginia CedarCorianderViolet

Base3 to 5 hours

LeatherAmberBenzoinStyraxFrench labdanum

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Coriander, Violet and Amber. Durations are only published for Only The Brave Captain America, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer77

Fall65

Winter42

Day100

Night57

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOnly The Brave Captain AmericaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,771

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,685

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Only The Brave Captain America by Diesel is a fresh yet warm oriental woody fragrance built on bright citrus, powdery violet, and a resinous leather base. Released in 2011 as a limited edition collector flacon, this Eau de Toilette opens with a sharp burst of Amalfi lemon and mandarin orange. The heart introduces eart…

Reviews →

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

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.

Which is better, Only The Brave Captain America or Basic Black?

Only The Brave Captain America takes 4 of 7 categories. Only The Brave Captain America is rated 4.33/5 from 49 votes; Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes. Choose Only The Brave Captain America for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Only The Brave Captain America or Basic Black?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Only The Brave Captain America 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Only The Brave Captain America or Basic Black?

Projection is very close: Only The Brave Captain America 64/100, Basic Black 62/100 for sillage.

Do Only The Brave Captain America and Basic Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Coriander, Violet and Amber.

Is Only The Brave Captain America or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Only The Brave Captain America is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Only The Brave Captain America suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Only The Brave Captain America and Basic Black?

Only The Brave Captain America has top notes of Amalfi Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Virginia Cedar, Coriander and Violet, a base of Leather, Amber, Benzoin and Styrax. Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber.