Formula not disclosed by the manufacturer- Origin
- a synthetic molecule
- Raw materials
- tonkalactone (a lactone close to dihydrocoumarin)
- Extraction
- synthesis
- Olfactory group
- gourmand, amber
- Position in the pyramid
- base
- Synthetic substitutes
- coumarin, gamma-lactones, vanillin
Tonkalactone is a synthetic molecule from the lactone group, created to convey the warm nutty-coconut sweetness of tonka beans. It sounds softer and creamier than coumarin, tonka's main molecule.
How it smells: warm, creamy and sweet: tonka beans, coconut softness, a light almond and vanilla shade, a faint hay note. Tonkalactone sounds cosy, velvety and very pleasant on the skin.
Lactones are a family of molecules smelling of cream, peach, coconut and milk. Tonkalactone combines this creaminess with tonka's characteristic warmth, so perfumers use it in gourmand and amber bases.
What it pairs with: with tonka beans and vanilla — warm dessert compositions, with coconut — tropical creaminess, with sandalwood — creamy wood, with almond — nutty fragrances, with musk — a warm skin-like base.
Good to know: tonkalactone is hardly ever named separately in pyramids — it usually hides behind the general note “tonka bean”.
