Tonkalactone®
Note Profile
About
Tonkalactone is a Symrise captive, not a synonym for tonka bean. Perfumers who work with it describe it in three words: milky, creamy and almond-round. It is the creamy side of tonka held on its own, without the dry coumarinic hay of the raw bean.
Scent Profile
Tonkalactone smells milky and creamy, with a round, almond-like nuttiness rather than a bitter kernel snap. It reads as the sweet, creamy side of tonka bean held on its own, without the dry, hay-like edge the raw bean carries.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
Proprietary captive from Symrise. The name implies a lactone, but no source states the chemical class or gives a CAS number. It is a distinct raw material, not tonka bean.
Usage in Perfumery
Rare. Parfumo records two placements across two brands and Fragrantica records none. It appears in Symrise's own Tabac Bourbon DL base next to Bourbon vanilla absolute and cinnamon, and in Rabanne Million Gold For Her, where it is co-distilled with lavender oil.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Tonkalactone®
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Tonkalactone® appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.