Fragrance comparison

Tau vs Unknown Smell

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 7 ratings analysed

Tau

Taber

4.001 votes

Rank #66,197 LavenderFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Unknown Smell

Sanchez

5.006 votes

Rank #30,943 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Unknown Smell takes 3 of 4 categories.

Tau
Choose it for a lavender and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Unknown Smell
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Tau1/4

Unknown Smell3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Unknown Smell
Sillage & projection: Unknown Smell
Value for money: Tau
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Unknown Smell

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

TauTaber

Unknown SmellSanchez

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

5.00/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 10%Had 3%Want 87%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage96

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityUnknown Smell

SillageUnknown Smell

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value89

Category winnerTauBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

lavender100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

patchouli77%

oud69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

earthy30%

Scent match22%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderSaffronNutmeg

Heart

Oud

Base

PatchouliMusk

Top

Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaLavenderNutmegChili Pepper

Heart

SaffronIncenseOud

Base

PatchouliVetiverAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesLavender, Saffron, Nutmeg and Oud. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#66,197

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#30,943

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerUnknown SmellHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Tau by Taber is a modern woody aromatic fragrance that feels surprisingly crisp for an oud based scent. It opens with a sharp burst of lavender and cool saffron, making it feel more professional than your typical heavy oriental. This 2024 release works best in autumn and winter for men who want a strong, clean presenc…

Reviews →

Unknown Smell by Sanchez hits the skin with a sharp burst of chili pepper, dry cypriol oil, and earthy nutmeg. Within minutes, the spicy top settles into a dense heart of smoky incense and dark saffron, supported by a heavy agarwood backbone. As the hours pass, patchouli and amber create a resinous base that clings to…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Tau or Unknown Smell?

Unknown Smell takes 3 of 4 categories. Tau is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Unknown Smell is rated 5.00/5 from 6 votes. Choose Tau for a lavender and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Unknown Smell for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Tau or Unknown Smell?

Unknown Smell lasts longest (Unknown Smell 100/100, Tau 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Tau or Unknown Smell?

Unknown Smell projects furthest (Unknown Smell 96/100, Tau 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Tau and Unknown Smell smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Lavender, Saffron, Nutmeg and Oud.

Is Tau or Unknown Smell better for summer or winter?

Tau suits day or night wear; Unknown Smell suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Tau and Unknown Smell?

Tau has top notes of Lavender, Saffron and Nutmeg, heart notes of Oud, a base of Patchouli and Musk. Unknown Smell has top notes of Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Lavender, Nutmeg and Chili Pepper, heart notes of Saffron, Incense and Oud, a base of Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.