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11 Semma 2013

7.6 / 10 126 Ratings
A popular perfume by Odin New York for women and men, released in 2013. The scent is spicy-woody. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy
Woody
Sweet
Resinous
Smoky

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
MyrrhMyrrh ChiliChili
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CloveClove CinnamonCinnamon
Base Notes Base Notes
SandalwoodSandalwood TobaccoTobacco Tonka beanTonka bean

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.6126 Ratings
Longevity
7.495 Ratings
Sillage
6.599 Ratings
Bottle
7.697 Ratings
Value for money
6.513 Ratings
Submitted by ExUser, last update on 09/30/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
London for Men (Eau de Toilette) by Burberry
London for Men Eau de Toilette
Naxos by Xerjoff
Naxos
Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf
Spicebomb
Rouge Sarây by Atelier des Ors
Rouge Sarây
1899 by Histoires de Parfums
1899
Field Notes From Paris by Ineke
Field Notes From Paris

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions
GothicHeart

133 Reviews
GothicHeart
GothicHeart
4  
Damsels in distress...
Few things can be as pleasing as testing a perfume in ideal conditions. So, when 11 Semma fell from the sky on a wonderful day, I sprayed me twice and I hit the streets.

In ten minutes I was strolling trough a park. A tall and lithesome adolescent girl came out of the bushes and stood before me. She had long wavy and rumply auburn hair and her face was a little soiled.

-Pray tell my Lord, art thou perchance a dragon slayer?
-Why?
-For thou smellest as if one hath just breathed its fire upon thee...

Half an hour later I was crossing a square, when I saw a tiny girl wearing a tan, oversized suede suit coat, black skinny jeans and a lemon beret, sitting on a fountain's parapet and dangling her legs. She hopped down gracefully and came towards me.

-Hey bro, are you from Cuba?
-Why?
-Coz you know, you smell like you're packin' a good deal of Cohibas under your coat!

After two hours I was slightly surprised by a light tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw a portly, jolly woman with a big smile on her face.

-Excuse me sir, but are you a saint?
-Why?
-Because you smell like a thurible...

Finally, after some good eight hours, an old but well-off lady stopped me as I was about to open my door.

-Forgive me son, but are you real?
-Why?
- For the reason that you smell like San Fidel de los Dragones, and such a thing does not exist...

If its name comes from the Tamil word semmai which means excellence, then yes, it suits it semmai-tly. If it comes from Tamil slang where semma means very/a lot, then yes again, it's semma big too. A scary little, yet somehow fabulous, beast that doesn't fit anywhere. It would be an oddity by any means, no matter what decade it would have been launched. It would make heads turn in Woodstock and Wall Street alike. Because it's uncommon, puzzling and strange. You smell it, but your first thought is that you are not smelling a fragrance, but something idecipherable, yet enthralling, that makes you want to follow its trace. Whether it leads to damnation or salvation is yet to be decided. Don't forget that it's not a perfume after all... It's San Fidel de los Dragones!
0 Comments
9Scent
ScentedSalon

96 Reviews
ScentedSalon
ScentedSalon
Helpful Review 4  
Untested Brand
I tried Odin years and years ago when there was still a Barneys in this town and found their range too soft and un-lasting. Visiting another store that carries Odin, I really liked Semma. I would not say I fell in love with it but it was something I could buy.

The opening reminded me of something intensely red, like a dark pomegranate. I realized the clove with the cinnamon and chili created that effect. There is a fruitiness to this but not in a childish way. I don't know about the power of this perfume but at least the scent itself, out of all the 11 I tested, is by far the most memorable.
0 Comments
Zionist

24 Reviews
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Zionist
Zionist
Top Review 22  
Semma - a synonym for wintry wanderlust?
Since ROAM, the number 10 from Odin, with its refined incense-coconut composition, can never become boring for me and has developed into my favorite winter fragrance, it was only a logical consequence during my stroll through Mitte Berlin yesterday to stop by Different Scent again.

SEMMA, the number 11, is the latest representative of the very distinguished New York fragrance manufactory, which has dedicated itself to reduced elegance in terms of both the character of its scents and the appearance of the bottles and the elaborate packaging - and with their new representative, they do not disappoint and remain true to themselves.

The perfumer is once again Mr. Philippe Romano, who already created SEYLON - the eighth fragrance creation at Odin - an exotic, subtly weighty spice and resin scent that ignited autumn-winter comfort and wanderlust in every lover of Oriental fragrances.

Regarding the significance of the naming of Semma, Odin provided no information, and even reading secondary and tertiary literature on the Internet did not lead me to any conclusive content - thus, it is speculated that Semma stands as an acronym for something or has its origin in the Swahili language, or this word is also used in Tamil and Hindi.

From the first spray, it becomes clear that one is dealing with a high-quality fragrance again, which from the very first second greets you with a pleasant warm myrrh-cinnamon composition, invigorated by the additional peppery presence of chili, and spreads on my skin from the start in a balanced, cozy spiciness, harmoniously expanded by the heart note of cinnamon bark and clove.

The heart and base notes evoke in me a feeling of incredible familiarity, best described as a sensually spicy warmth and a sense of security.

As it develops further, the presence of tonka beans, tobacco leaves, and sandalwood classically rounds off the fragrance in its composition and is still gently perceptible to me as a base in this described character even after 8 hours.

What makes Semma so unique in character is its certainly dominant appearance, especially with this exotic oriental spiciness, which is indeed present but never crosses into the territory of loud intrusiveness, and in my perception, it remains rather close to the body in terms of sillage.

What is particularly important to me is the fact that the base note unfolds without unpleasant surprises from unpredictable transformations by individual fragrance components towards the end of the base.

Semma remains true to itself until the end in the fragrance progression and spares me unpleasant surprises, as I have experienced with some other strong scents in this category.

For me, another ideal companion through the cold season, which already implies the urgency of the next long journey.
6 Comments
DaveGahan101

535 Reviews
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DaveGahan101
DaveGahan101
Top Review 12  
The Fantastic Four
The series of extraordinary titles and(!) fragrances at Odin continues. Thanks to dear Oloroso, I had the pleasure of experiencing Semma among others. According to the many comments, it is supposed to be the new flagship... the new dream scent from Odin! Yes, Semma has truly become a wonderful fragrance that fits this season like a glove and will literally sweeten the gray season for many. However, there are two reasons why I am not quite as enthusiastic; one is that this fragrance direction is already well-established... too well-known to put me in ecstasy, and the other is that the scent is too close to Roam for me. Semma reminds me at all times, from heart to base note, from top to bottom, of three other well-known fragrances: Spicebomb, 1899 Hemingway, and with slight reservations, also Bvlgari's Man in Black. Now, one could certainly counter with "Spicebomb and Man in Black are not nearly as complex, noble, and masterfully crafted".... and yes, I would absolutely agree with everyone! Between these fragrances lies a whole world of perfumery... but 1899 Hemingway is definitely on the same level. So why another scent that goes in exactly the same direction??? If I hadn't already become somewhat tired of this fragrance direction, I would have surely chosen Semma.

But here we are at the second "drawback"... it is too closely related to Roam... they could be siblings... I won't say twins... but clearly from the same family. Yes, I know Roam has a subtle coconut note... am I "fragrance-blind"... but in a blind test, I could probably unmistakably identify the same brand. The typical Odin character is already clearly recognizable... this Odin melt is beautiful... sensual... captivating... slightly dark...
simply unmistakable. Roam and Semma envelop you with sensuality, warmth, and romance... it always feels very calming and slightly positively melancholic to me. I really like this effect from Odin, as it is very subtle.
In Semma, a cinnamon-spice carpet is dominant, just like in the others... in a fleeting test, one could quickly confuse it with Lilipur while passing by. Myrrh, as I love it in Myrrh Imperial by Armani Prive, I unfortunately cannot detect... the chili also remains hidden from me. Sandalwood becomes more apparent after about an hour when the cinnamon has lost some of its strength. Yes, tonka is also present, albeit only in the background... clove is absent... a light and very beautiful tobacco touch I can only recognize in the drydown (after 5-6 hours)... that is for me the most beautiful phase of Semma... even if then it is only very close to the skin... just like Roam after a few hours. Those who found Spicebomb too artificially sticky, do not know 1899 Hemingway, or found Man in Black too weak or too little "mature," will find themselves perfectly at home with Semma. I now need a break from this fragrance direction... and the Christmas season hasn't even begun yet.
1 Comment
Leimbacher

2873 Reviews
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Leimbacher
Leimbacher
Very helpful Review 8  
That's great to have Semma around...
... Viva Colonia!

Or better said, Viva Odin, because their perfumes definitely deserve a bit more attention by now due to their consistently high quality and cozy attitude. But it's their own fault if they are hardly seen or distributed anywhere. Just recently, I came across them at KaDeWe, and that was it. I absolutely wish Semma the good reviews and, with my comment, give them another push, as it gifted me a lovely late summer day and is far more than just a Spicebomb clone.

I was also reminded of the balsamic-sweet myrrh, dried fruits, warm spices, and a hint of chili kick in Viktor & Rolf's bestseller - but this one is a bit better, rounder, and indeed of higher quality, as befits the niche and the higher price. The scent may not have turned my fragrance world upside down, but it still comfortably swims in the green zone at all times. Especially the warm-spicy chili mixed with the still damp leaves from the autumn trees is very heartwarming and lovingly embraces every wearer. Exactly what one might need on rainy November afternoons. Sweet pipe tobacco also plays a bigger supporting role and is simply delicious!

Bottle: strong, linear, beautiful, masculine, fits well in the hand.
Sillage: not a bomb in terms of style and manner, but rather suited for colder seasons, especially likely autumn.
Longevity: still noticeably present even after a full 9 hours - commendable!

For all those who found Spicebomb a bit too synthetic and who need a hidden gem for the upcoming autumn - feel free to translate the Kölsch title into High German and take it literally ;)
3 Comments
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Statements

22 short views on the fragrance
2 months ago
1
The cinnamon & chili were most prominent to me, and it's a really nice fragrance, but I'd prefer it in an incense to a perfume.
0 Comments
1
Long lasting, nice projection , nice scent , but without WOW effect . Not my cup of tea , but really great player for fall and winter.
0 Comments
44
37
Myrrh candles
Shaping with fingers
Lanterns made of rum
Scattering orange light
Cinnamon red and warm
Over carnation veils
Let vanilla tobacco flow
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37 Comments
24
17
Is that the clove that gives a slightly menthol touch? Exciting, different, spicy, wintry, beautiful. Church in the green.
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17 Comments
15
8
The tobacco is hidden in the spice drawer. A warm-spicy + cozy scent, where myrrh + cinnamon stand out. In the dry down, tonka-woody.
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8 Comments
9
6
Blend of London for men/Wow! for men + a bit of resin. Very sweet-spicy, masculine scent. Designer-like appealing. London for men is better.
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6 Comments
8
2
Spicy with tobacco is nothing new. But like a white blouse, such a perfume is a staple, in the best quality. Voilà.
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2 Comments
8
3
Chili starts off intensely sour-musty. Then it becomes friendly, warm-spicy-tobacco, lightly sweetened. Very flattering.
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3 Comments
8
4
Pastel impressions of herbal-resinous, spicy, woody, and gourmand-creamy notes blend seamlessly together. Perfect for gray spa days.
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4 Comments
4 years ago
7
4
Cinnamon "Chil(li)t"
Tonka dances with tobacco and they philosophize about life.
Myrrh gently fills the room
They are sweet.
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4 Comments
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