Fragrance comparison

Oud Excelsa vs Qahwa

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 116 ratings analysed

4 wins

Oud Excelsa

Caron

3.9980 votes

Rank #11,123 OudWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Qahwa

Rasei Fort

3.8036 votes

Rank #22,120 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud Excelsa takes 4 of 7 categories.

Oud Excelsa
Choose it for a oud and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Qahwa
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Oud Excelsa4/7

Qahwa1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Oud ExcelsaCaron

QahwaRasei Fort

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 80 votes

Have 43%Had 5%Want 52%

3.80/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%

Category winnerOud ExcelsaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

31%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

9%Hate

80 votes

34%Love

28%Like

21%Ok

7%Dislike

10%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerOud ExcelsaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityOud Excelsa

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

oud100%

warm spicy91%

woody83%

rose74%

coffee65%

leather56%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

fresh spicy77%

aromatic69%

citrus61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

OudBulgarian RoseCoffeeCardamomPine tarBirchCedar EssencePapyrusLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

BirchCoffeeCardamomAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumClovesOrangeSandalwoodPepperFrankincenseVetiverBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCoffee, Cardamom, Birch and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Oud Excelsa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring36

Summer26

Fall79

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring62

Summer23

Fall100

Winter77

Day100

Night100

Category winnerQahwaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men51

Unisex45

Women4

Date 37%Party 26%Work 21%Casual 16%

Men47

Unisex47

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,123

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#22,120

PerfumerRasei Fort

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerOud ExcelsaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caron crafts Oud Excelsa around an unexpected pairing of dark roasted coffee, fresh green cardamom, and smooth woody oud. It kicks off with a burst of aromatic spice that feels like freshly cracked pods dropped into steaming black brew. You get no barnyard funk or animal skank here. Instead, dry Atlas cedar, birch smo…

Reviews →

Rasei Fort Qahwa is a spicy, woody composition designed for those who enjoy the ritual of coffee. Inspired by traditional Arab hospitality, it blends natural cardamom and pepper with a rich coffee tincture, dried fruits, and a base of Thai oud. This unisex fragrance wears well in autumn and winter, offering a warm and…

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 Excelsa or Qahwa?

Oud Excelsa takes 4 of 7 categories. Oud Excelsa is rated 3.99/5 from 80 votes; Qahwa is rated 3.80/5 from 36 votes. Choose Oud Excelsa for a oud and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Qahwa for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud Excelsa or Qahwa?

They last about the same: Oud Excelsa 73/100, Qahwa 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Oud Excelsa or Qahwa?

Projection is very close: Oud Excelsa 64/100, Qahwa 64/100 for sillage.

Do Oud Excelsa and Qahwa smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Coffee, Cardamom, Birch and Labdanum.

Is Oud Excelsa or Qahwa better for summer or winter?

For summer, Oud Excelsa is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud Excelsa is the stronger pick. Oud Excelsa suits evening wear; Qahwa suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.