Fragrance comparison

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco vs PantaRei Darwish

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 2,762 ratings analysed

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco

Amouage

4.212,690 votes

Rank #22,984 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

PantaRei Darwish

PantaRei

4.4372 votes

Rank #8,803 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

PantaRei Darwish takes 5 of 7 categories.

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
PantaRei Darwish
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco2/7

PantaRei Darwish5/7

Ratings & consensus: PantaRei Darwish
Community sentiment: PantaRei Darwish
Longevity: Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco
Sillage & projection: Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco
Value for money: PantaRei Darwish
Versatility: PantaRei Darwish
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: PantaRei Darwish

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Opus XIV – Royal TobaccoAmouage

PantaRei DarwishPantaRei

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 2,690 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.43/ 5 · 72 votes

Have 45%Had 9%Want 45%

Category winnerPantaRei DarwishRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

21%Like

8%Ok

7%Dislike

5%Hate

2,690 votes

61%Love

25%Like

10%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

72 votes

Category winnerPantaRei DarwishMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityOpus XIV – Royal Tobacco

SillageOpus XIV – Royal Tobacco

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value81

Category winnerPantaRei DarwishBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

sweet92%

balsamic84%

soft spicy77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

woody83%

warm spicy65%

balsamic48%

smoky30%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both amber, balsamic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

OlibanumAniseElemi resinCardamomBasilBergamot

Heart

TobaccoLicoriceFenugreekLavenderPrunolOsmanthusOrange BlossomRose

Base

MyrrhBourbon VanillaBirch TarBenzoinAgarwood (Oud)Peru BalsamLabdanumGuaiac Wood

Top20-40 mins

Agarwood (Oud)

Heart3-5 hrs

MyrrhGurjan balsamTobaccoGuaiac WoodLeatherCedar

Base8-12+ hrs

IncenseBenzoinLabdanumAmberVanilla

InformationalShared notesTobacco, Myrrh, Bourbon Vanilla and Benzoin. Durations are only published for PantaRei Darwish, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring28

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer8

Fall83

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerPantaRei DarwishMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex17

Women2

Men79

Unisex19

Women2

Date 34%Casual 27%Party 22%Work 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,984

PerfumerCécile Zarokian

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,803

PerfumerAlessandro Pistoia

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerPantaRei DarwishHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Amouage Opus XIV, Royal Tobacco is a dense, smoky incense and tobacco fragrance built for cold weather. It wraps Omani frankincense, licorice, and dark resins around a heavy pipe tobacco core. Best worn on freezing winter nights, it makes a bold statement for collectors who appreciate uncompromising oriental perfumery.

Reviews →

PantaRei Darwish delivers an immediate rush of dark, woody intensity. The opening unleashes a rugged blast of agarwood paired with resinous myrrh, skipping light citrus pleasantries entirely. Give it five minutes. Once the initial solvent punch calms down, a thick wave of cured tobacco leaf and balsamic Gurjan resin t…

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, Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco or PantaRei Darwish?

PantaRei Darwish takes 5 of 7 categories. Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco is rated 4.21/5 from 2,690 votes; PantaRei Darwish is rated 4.43/5 from 72 votes. Choose Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco for a amber and sweet character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose PantaRei Darwish for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco or PantaRei Darwish?

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco lasts longest (Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco 85/100, PantaRei Darwish 82/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco or PantaRei Darwish?

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco projects furthest (Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco 75/100, PantaRei Darwish 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco and PantaRei Darwish smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, balsamic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Tobacco, Myrrh, Bourbon Vanilla and Benzoin.

Is Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco or PantaRei Darwish better for summer or winter?

For summer, Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco is the stronger pick. For winter, Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco is the stronger pick. PantaRei Darwish suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco and PantaRei Darwish?

Opus XIV – Royal Tobacco has top notes of Olibanum, Anise, Elemi resin and Cardamom, heart notes of Tobacco, Licorice, Fenugreek and Lavender, a base of Myrrh, Bourbon Vanilla, Birch Tar and Benzoin. PantaRei Darwish has top notes of Agarwood (Oud), heart notes of Myrrh, Gurjan balsam, Tobacco and Guaiac Wood, a base of Incense, Benzoin, Labdanum and Amber.