- Latin name
- Tectona grandis
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Origin
- an accord composed by the perfumer
- Parts used
- wood (as the reference for the scent)
- Raw materials
- woody accords
- Extraction
- synthesis
- Olfactory group
- woody
- Position in the pyramid
- base
- Synthetic substitutes
- cedar and sandalwood molecules, Iso E Super
Teak is a tropical tree from Southeast Asia whose wood is famous for its strength and resistance to water. It is used for yacht decks and furniture, and in perfumery it sounds like a warm, leathery woody note.
How it smells: warm, dry and slightly leathery: golden wood, a light oily and resinous shade, a faintly sweet “antique furniture” warmth. Teak sounds solid, cosy and noble.
Teak wood is naturally rich in oils and resins that protect it from moisture and insects — hence its characteristic warm, slightly leathery aroma. In perfume it is conveyed with an accord of soft woody molecules.
What it pairs with: with leather and tobacco — “study” and yachting fragrances, with vetiver and cedar — dry woody compositions, with marine notes — “a yacht deck”, with vanilla — warm sweet wood, with spices — warm oriental fragrances.
Good to know: teak is a relative of mint and lavender: botanists place this large tree in the same mint family as the aromatic herbs.
