Fragrance comparison

Sultan Leather vs Russian Gold

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 105 ratings analysed

Sultan Leather

The Merchant of Venice

4.0792 votes

Rank #11,379 Fresh SpicyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Russian Gold

Pure Gold Perfumes

4.6213 votes

Rank #27,924 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Russian Gold takes 4 of 5 categories.

Sultan Leather
Choose it for a fresh spicy and leather character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Russian Gold
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Sultan Leather1/5

Russian Gold4/5

Ratings & consensus: Russian Gold
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Russian Gold
Sillage & projection: Russian Gold
Value for money: Russian Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Sultan Leather

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sultan LeatherThe Merchant of Venice

Russian GoldPure Gold Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.62/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 15%Had 3%Want 83%

Category winnerRussian GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

37%Like

11%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

92 votes

77%Love

15%Like

0%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity98

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityRussian Gold

SillageRussian Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value100

Category winnerRussian GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

animalic69%

floral61%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

amber69%

leather61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronNutmegPepper

Heart

White SandalwoodFloral NotesGeraniumCedar

Base

LeatherBlack Musk

Top20-30 mins

MaceMyrtleCardamomCuminNutmegSaffronPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumOlibanumMyrrh

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)LeatherPatchouliCedarSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg, Geranium and Cedar. Durations are only published for Russian Gold, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring62

Summer24

Fall76

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Spring77

Summer54

Fall92

Winter100

Day35

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex23

Women3

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 38%Party 32%Casual 16%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,379

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#27,924

PerfumerMaurus Bachmann

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerSultan LeatherHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sultan Leather by The Merchant of Venice opens with a sharp, punchy kick of cracked black pepper, dry nutmeg, and golden saffron that feels like walking past an open-air spice stall. Within twenty minutes, the initial bite settles into a smoother heart of cedarwood, creamy white sandalwood, and green geranium petals. …

Reviews →

Russian Gold by Pure Gold Perfumes is a dense, unapologetic blast of exotic spices, dark resins, and heavy leather. Perfumer Maurus Bachmann built this 2016 release around a thick wall of nutmeg, cardamom, and pungent cumin that hits the room the second you press the atomizer. Within minutes, the fiery opening settles…

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, Sultan Leather or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold takes 4 of 5 categories. Sultan Leather is rated 4.07/5 from 92 votes; Russian Gold is rated 4.62/5 from 13 votes. Choose Sultan Leather for a fresh spicy and leather character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Russian Gold for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Sultan Leather or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold lasts longest (Russian Gold 98/100, Sultan Leather 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sultan Leather or Russian Gold?

Russian Gold projects furthest (Russian Gold 88/100, Sultan Leather 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sultan Leather and Russian Gold smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg, Geranium and Cedar.

Is Sultan Leather or Russian Gold better for summer or winter?

Sultan Leather suits evening wear; Russian Gold suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sultan Leather and Russian Gold?

Sultan Leather has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Pepper, heart notes of White Sandalwood, Floral Notes, Geranium and Cedar, a base of Leather and Black Musk. Russian Gold has top notes of Mace, Myrtle, Cardamom and Cumin, heart notes of Geranium, Olibanum and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Leather, Patchouli and Cedar.