Tonka bean is a semi crystalline material which also looks wet brown sugar. It goes by many other names around the world, including coumarou or cumara – is a majestic South American tree with fruit containing a kernel known as the tonka bean. This kernel, which local people call sarrapia, was not always a sought-after ingredient in perfume making.

At first wiff it smells like sugar, boozy, sweet with slight nuances of marzipan like toasted almonds, its definitely vanillic as it has a high amount of coumarin and then you can just about a hit of the tartness of cherry.

The fruits are gathered after they have fallen to the ground between August and September, then cracked open with a hammer to collect the beans. The beans are then sorted and dried locally for a few days before being sold.

Tonka bean absolute is an essential component of amber and oriental accords. Its facets make it a perfect fit for tobacco accords, or more traditionally fougère accords.

There are two processing phases that must be respected in handling this richly aromatic product: solvent extraction of the beans, and washing the concrete several times with alcohol.