TONKA BEAN

One of the first synthetic materials used in perfumery, during the late 1800’s, was the organic compound coumarin, a sweet, warm basic note designed to mimic the scent of hay. Coumarin is the main constituent of the Tonka Bean note which is a very common ingredient in modern fragrances with a rich, sweet and simultaneously herbaceous profile. Tonka Bean is also a base note, therefore its warm, powdery cinnamon-like scent is one of the last fragrant images of a perfume. Its medium strength compliments both the sweet and the balsamic facets, with playful vanilla, clove and almond hints being humble in a unique way. In modern fragrances it lends a semi-transparent delicious character in an oriental atmosphere.