Fragrance comparison

Oud vs Quintessence (2020)

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 203 ratings analysed

5 wins

Oud

The Spirit of Dubai

4.22160 votes

Rank #24,328 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Quintessence (2020)

Manos Gerakinis

3.8643 votes

Rank #26,550 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud takes 5 of 7 categories.

Oud
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Quintessence (2020)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Oud5/7

Quintessence (2020)2/7

Ratings & consensus: Oud
Community sentiment: Oud
Longevity: Oud
Sillage & projection: Oud
Value for money: Quintessence (2020)
Versatility: Quintessence (2020)
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

OudThe Spirit of Dubai

Quintessence (2020)Manos Gerakinis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.86/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

Category winnerOudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

160 votes

37%Love

35%Like

12%Ok

9%Dislike

7%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerOudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityOud

SillageOud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value43

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

oud92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

patchouli77%

vanilla69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronPineappleLimePineBlack PepperDamask RoseIncenseCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)JasmineGuaiac WoodResinsOlibanumRed RoseRoseEarthy Notes

Base

Indian OudPatchouliSandalwoodLeatherCedarWoodsy NotesAmbergrisTobacco

Top15-30 mins

SaffronClovesBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliWormwoodAgarwood (Oud)Cedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberVanillaBenzoin

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Black Pepper, Agarwood (Oud) and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Quintessence (2020), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring45

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

Men65

Unisex35

Women0

Work 35%Date 30%Casual 22%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,328

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,550

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerOudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Spirit of Dubai Oud opens with a sharp burst of bitter lime, pungent saffron, and prickly black pepper before dropping straight into dense Indian agarwood. The wood here smells raw and medicinal at first, heavily saturated with dark leather, smoky incense, and dry cypriol oil. As the initial sharpness burns off, s…

Reviews →

Manos Gerakinis Quintessence (2020) opens with a dry rush of black pepper, clove buds, and leathery saffron. It commands attention immediately. The initial burst carries a sharp alcohol lift that calms within three minutes, revealing an earthy heart of dark patchouli, bitter wormwood, and smooth cedar. You will not fi…

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, Oud or Quintessence (2020)?

Oud takes 5 of 7 categories. Oud is rated 4.22/5 from 160 votes; Quintessence (2020) is rated 3.86/5 from 43 votes. Choose Oud for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Quintessence (2020) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud or Quintessence (2020)?

Oud lasts longest (Oud 86/100, Quintessence (2020) 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oud or Quintessence (2020)?

Oud projects furthest (Oud 78/100, Quintessence (2020) 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oud and Quintessence (2020) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron, Black Pepper, Agarwood (Oud) and Patchouli.

Is Oud or Quintessence (2020) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud is the stronger pick. Quintessence (2020) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oud and Quintessence (2020)?

Oud has top notes of Saffron, Pineapple, Lime and Pine, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Jasmine, Guaiac Wood and Resins, a base of Indian Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Leather. Quintessence (2020) has top notes of Saffron, Cloves and Black Pepper, heart notes of Patchouli, Wormwood, Agarwood (Oud) and Cedar, a base of Amber, Vanilla and Benzoin.