Fragrance comparison

Shihan (Sensei) vs Varens For Men Irish Coffee

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 452 ratings analysed

5 wins

Shihan (Sensei)

Piotr Czarnecki

4.07406 votes

Rank #3,765 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Varens For Men Irish Coffee

Ulric de Varens

3.9146 votes

Rank #18,820 WoodyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shihan (Sensei) takes 5 of 7 categories.

Shihan (Sensei)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Varens For Men Irish Coffee
Choose it for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Shihan (Sensei)5/7

Varens For Men Irish Coffee2/7

Ratings & consensus: Shihan (Sensei)
Community sentiment: Shihan (Sensei)
Longevity: Shihan (Sensei)
Sillage & projection: Shihan (Sensei)
Value for money: Varens For Men Irish Coffee
Versatility: Varens For Men Irish Coffee
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shihan (Sensei)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shihan (Sensei)Piotr Czarnecki

Varens For Men Irish CoffeeUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 406 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

3.91/ 5 · 46 votes

Have 40%Had 8%Want 53%

Category winnerShihan (Sensei)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

406 votes

28%Love

48%Like

13%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

46 votes

Category winnerShihan (Sensei)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityShihan (Sensei)

SillageShihan (Sensei)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value81

Category winnerVarens For Men Irish CoffeeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

whiskey84%

coffee77%

tobacco69%

woody61%

woody100%

vanilla86%

warm spicy72%

coffee58%

whiskey44%

powdery30%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and coffee

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

WhiskeyCoffeeTobacco

Heart

Spicy NotesMyrrhIncense

Base

AmberLabdanumAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Musk

Top15-30 mins

WhiskeyLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

CoffeeCedar

Base6-8 hrs

VanillaSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesWhiskey, Coffee and Musk. Durations are only published for Varens For Men Irish Coffee, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring23

Summer6

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring28

Summer16

Fall100

Winter100

Day91

Night100

Category winnerVarens For Men Irish CoffeeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex44

Women6

Men35

Unisex58

Women8

Casual 39%Date 27%Work 20%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,765

PerfumerPiotr Czarnecki

Launched—

Reviews56

Overall rank#18,820

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerShihan (Sensei)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shihan (Sensei) opens with a heavy splash of warm whiskey and roasted coffee beans. This unisex blend settles into a dry, resinous cloud of myrrh and incense, wrapping the wearer in a dense amber haze. It is best suited for freezing winter nights when you want a rich, dark scent that clings to wool coats.

Reviews →

Varens For Men Irish Coffee delivers an upfront pour of sweet boozy warmth without demanding a high price tag. The first spritz greets you with a quick splash of lemon cutting through dark whiskey, before settling into a warm brew of roasted coffee and dry cedarwood. As the hours tick on, smooth vanilla and clean musk…

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, Shihan (Sensei) or Varens For Men Irish Coffee?

Shihan (Sensei) takes 5 of 7 categories. Shihan (Sensei) is rated 4.07/5 from 406 votes; Varens For Men Irish Coffee is rated 3.91/5 from 46 votes. Choose Shihan (Sensei) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Varens For Men Irish Coffee for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Shihan (Sensei) or Varens For Men Irish Coffee?

Shihan (Sensei) lasts longest (Shihan (Sensei) 70/100, Varens For Men Irish Coffee 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shihan (Sensei) or Varens For Men Irish Coffee?

Shihan (Sensei) projects furthest (Shihan (Sensei) 65/100, Varens For Men Irish Coffee 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shihan (Sensei) and Varens For Men Irish Coffee smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and coffee accords. Common notes include Whiskey, Coffee and Musk.

Is Shihan (Sensei) or Varens For Men Irish Coffee better for summer or winter?

For summer, Varens For Men Irish Coffee is the stronger pick. For winter, Shihan (Sensei) is the stronger pick. Varens For Men Irish Coffee suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shihan (Sensei) and Varens For Men Irish Coffee?

Shihan (Sensei) has top notes of Whiskey, Coffee and Tobacco, heart notes of Spicy Notes, Myrrh and Incense, a base of Amber, Labdanum, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Musk. Varens For Men Irish Coffee has top notes of Whiskey and Lemon, heart notes of Coffee and Cedar, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood and Musk.