Fragrance comparison

Quintessence (2015) vs Quintessence (2020)

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 73 ratings analysed

4 wins

Quintessence (2015)

Manos Gerakinis

4.3730 votes

Rank #33,957 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

87%scent match

Very similar

Quintessence (2020)

Manos Gerakinis

3.8643 votes

Rank #26,550 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Quintessence (2015) takes 4 of 8 categories.

Quintessence (2015)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
Quintessence (2020)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Quintessence (2015)4/8

Quintessence (2020)3/8

Ratings & consensus: Quintessence (2015)
Community sentiment: Quintessence (2015)
Longevity: Quintessence (2020)
Sillage & projection: Quintessence (2015)
Value for money: Quintessence (2020)
Versatility: Quintessence (2015)
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Quintessence (2020)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Quintessence (2015)Manos Gerakinis

Quintessence (2020)Manos Gerakinis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 23%Had 10%Want 68%

3.86/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 33%Had 9%Want 58%

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

23%Like

3%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

30 votes

37%Love

35%Like

12%Ok

9%Dislike

7%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityQuintessence (2020)

SillageQuintessence (2015)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value43

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber86%

vanilla72%

fresh spicy58%

metallic44%

oud30%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

patchouli77%

vanilla69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match87%Very similar · both warm spicy, amber and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronBlack PepperCloves

Heart2-4 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)WormwoodPatchouliCedar

Base6-10+ hrs

BenzoinVanillaAmber

Top15-30 mins

SaffronClovesBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliWormwoodAgarwood (Oud)Cedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberVanillaBenzoin

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer13

Fall88

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Spring45

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men60

Unisex40

Women0

Date 36%Work 29%Casual 25%Party 10%

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#33,957

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#26,550

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerQuintessence (2020)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Quintessence (2015) hits your skin with immediate warmth. A dry crackle of black pepper and clove blooms first, lifted by an earthy thread of saffron. The opening smells bold. Give it ten minutes. Once the sharp spice settles, dark cedarwood and bitter wormwood emerge alongside a mellow agarwood accord that never turn…

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, Quintessence (2015) or Quintessence (2020)?

Quintessence (2015) takes 4 of 8 categories. Quintessence (2015) is rated 4.37/5 from 30 votes; Quintessence (2020) is rated 3.86/5 from 43 votes. Choose Quintessence (2015) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Quintessence (2020) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Quintessence (2015) or Quintessence (2020)?

Quintessence (2020) lasts longest (Quintessence (2020) 65/100, Quintessence (2015) 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Quintessence (2015) or Quintessence (2020)?

Quintessence (2015) projects furthest (Quintessence (2015) 73/100, Quintessence (2020) 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Quintessence (2015) and Quintessence (2020) smell similar?

Very similar: a 87% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and vanilla accords. Common notes include Saffron, Black Pepper, Cloves and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Quintessence (2015) or Quintessence (2020) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Quintessence (2020) is the stronger pick. For winter, Quintessence (2015) is the stronger pick. Quintessence (2015) suits evening wear; Quintessence (2020) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Quintessence (2015) and Quintessence (2020)?

Quintessence (2015) has top notes of Saffron, Black Pepper and Cloves, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Wormwood, Patchouli and Cedar, a base of Benzoin, Vanilla and Amber. 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.