Al Haramain — Portfolio Royale Stallion
Essence
Portfolio Royale Stallion is the bitter-almond-and-vanilla entry in Al Haramain’s 2019 Portfolio line, almost universally treated by the wearer as a near-clone of Parfums de Marly Pegasus (2011, perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani in wearer sources) - same heliotrope/bitter-almond/jasmine/vanilla architecture, similar performance, comparable luxury presentation. It is the most-praised of the Portfolio releases inside enthusiast circles and, in some side-by-side accounts, judged a “slightly amped” version of its target.
Scent Profile
The first 10 - 20 minutes open with a slightly sharp, almost metallic top - bergamot lifted by cumin and heliotrope’s powdery-cherry quality. The cumin is not the funky-skin cumin of vintage Femme or Rochas; here it functions as a tiny spice prick that some perceive as “pesticide,” “almond oil with a chemical note,” or simply “metallic.” This brief disorienting phase lasts 5 - 10 minutes and is the single most-discussed feature of the opening. Between roughly 30 minutes and three hours, the heart establishes the signature accord: bitter almond, vanilla, heliotrope, with lavender and a transparent jasmine in support. The almond is the loud voice - medicinal-cherry-marzipan in register, the same accord that anchors Pegasus and Hypnotic Poison’s broader almond-cherry family. Heliotrope contributes a powdery, slightly Play-Doh-sweet halo around the almond; lavender keeps the structure from going fully gourmand by adding a herbal-cool edge; jasmine softens the whole. Reviewers comparing side-by-side note Royale Stallion is slightly more almond-medicinal and slightly less jasmine-floral than its target.
Performance
Projection is strong in the first 1 - 2 hours (about a metre), moderate (half an arm’s length) through hour 4, skin-close thereafter. Sillage is full and trail-forming. Longevity is the line’s strongest claim: 8 - 12 hours on skin, 16+ hours on fabric, with multiple wearer and retailer reviewers reporting “12 hours or better.” One reviewer claims “I smelled it on my skin for like 16hrs” with strong projection through the first 2. In side-by-side comparisons with Parfums de Marly Pegasus, Royale Stallion is consistently reported as stronger and longer-lasting than its target, with a slightly less floral and slightly more almond-medicinal-sandalwood character.
Wearing Context
Best in autumn, winter, and cool spring, evening and night, indoors and out. Dinner, date night, theatre, casual evenings, cold-weather travel. Suitable for office in cool months with restraint. Falls flat in summer heat (becomes cloying), and in fresh-aquatic social contexts.
Comparisons & DNA
- Parfums de Marly Pegasus: The target. Royale Stallion is roughly 90 - 95% similar in DNA at arm’s length - most reviewers cannot reliably distinguish them in blind sniffs at distance. Differences are subtle: Pegasus is fractionally creamier, more jasmine-floral, and smoother in blending; Royale Stallion is fractionally more bitter-almond-medicinal and louder. Performance favours Royale Stallion.
Reception
Consensus is the most unequivocally positive of the five fragrances in this dossier batch. The most-cited wearer review frames it as extremely close to Pegasus at a distance, with Royale Stallion reading slightly amplified rather than fundamentally different.
Versions & Reformulation
Single composition, no known reformulations. Unlike Portfolio Floral Sculpture and Portfolio Imperial Oud, wearers have not flagged Royale Stallion for any meaningful batch-to-batch drift. Performance reports from 2019 through 2025 - 2026 are consistent.
Acquisition Notes
Pricing tier: budget-to-low-mid. Typical 75ml/2.5oz EDP street prices run $45 - $65 at Jomashop ($45 - $60), FragranceX ($57 - $90), FragranceNet (~$65), Perfume.com.
Notable Facts & Lore
- No perfumer credit.
- Al Haramain has not disclosed authorship.
- Royale Stallion is generally regarded as the best fragrance in the Portfolio line from an enthusiast-quality standpoint - a wearer position consistent across enthusiast and budget-fragrance video circles.
- The naming follows the Portfolio line’s art-and-luxury theme - sculpture, canvas, royal stallion - and the visual presentation (heavy bottle, magnetic leather box, velvet pouch) matches the rest of the line.