- Latin name
- Prunus dulcis (bitter almond: Prunus dulcis var. amara)
- Family
- Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Origin
- the Mediterranean, California; natural oil is also obtained from apricot kernels
- Parts used
- kernels of bitter almonds and apricot stones
- Raw materials
- purified bitter almond oil; benzaldehyde
- Extraction
- steam distillation followed by purification
- Olfactory group
- gourmand
- Position in the pyramid
- heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- benzaldehyde, heliotropin
The almond smell comes not from the sweet almonds we eat but from bitter ones — and from apricot and peach kernels. Their oil contains benzaldehyde, the main odour substance, and natural oil for perfumery is always purified of harmful impurities.
How it smells: a sweetish-bitter, marzipan-like scent with shades of cherry, vanilla and almond biscuits. Almond makes a fragrance soft, powdery and a little nostalgic.
The same benzaldehyde is what you smell in cherry stones, marzipan and cherry jam — so almond in perfume easily turns into cherry and vice versa. Powdery heliotrope adds tenderness to it.
What it pairs with: with vanilla and tonka — cosy gourmand compositions, with heliotrope — the classic powdery-almond accord, with cherry — “cherry pie”, with rose — a tender almond rose, with oud — a modern sweet contrast.
Good to know: the almond is a relative of the peach, cherry and plum, and the “nut” we eat is actually the stone of its fruit.
Fragrances with Almond
