Fragrance comparison

Panache vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 286 ratings analysed

4 wins

Panache

Parfums DelRae

4.0848 votes

Rank #18,648 MuskyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,870 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Panache takes 4 of 6 categories.

Panache
Choose it for a musky and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Panache4/6

Esprit du Roi1/6

Ratings & consensus: Panache
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Panache
Sillage & projection: Panache
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Panache
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PanacheParfums DelRae

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.08/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 19%Had 10%Want 71%

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerPanacheRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

56%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

48 votes

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityPanache

SillagePanache

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value47

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

woody92%

floral84%

aromatic77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)RumMagnoliaPink PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

VetiverOakYlang-YlangCardamomJasmineHoneysuckleIrisGeranium

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskWhite HoneyAmberOlibanumCedar

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Vetiver, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Panache, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring81

Summer31

Fall100

Winter56

Day85

Night100

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPanacheMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 33%Casual 26%Work 24%Party 18%

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,648

PerfumerYann Vasnier

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#6,870

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Panache by Parfums DelRae is a dense floral woody musk built on intriguing olfactive contrasts. The fragrance opens with an unexpected splash of dark rum and peppery ambrette seed, cutting through a crisp halo of bergamot. It dries down warm. As the top notes evaporate, earthy vetiver and dry oak take over the core, s…

Reviews →

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

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, Panache or Esprit du Roi?

Panache takes 4 of 6 categories. Panache is rated 4.08/5 from 48 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Panache for a musky and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Panache or Esprit du Roi?

Panache lasts longest (Panache 75/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Panache or Esprit du Roi?

Panache projects furthest (Panache 66/100, Esprit du Roi 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Panache and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Vetiver, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine.

Is Panache or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

For summer, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. For winter, Panache is the stronger pick. Panache suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Panache and Esprit du Roi?

Panache has top notes of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Rum, Magnolia and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Vetiver, Oak, Ylang-Ylang and Cardamom, a base of Musk, White Honey, Amber and Olibanum. Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris.