RUŌOD Lab

Tonka Bean Absolute

Absolute · Gourmand / Powdery

coumarinic, hay, almond, sweet, tobacco — base note.

Aroma illustration for Tonka Bean Absolute: tonka beans, dry golden hay and almonds, for its tonka, coumarinic, hay and almond notes. It illustrates smell associations, not the material or its source.Illustration of wrinkled black tonka beans. The absolute is extracted from these seeds.
Aroma View: an illustration of what Tonka Bean Absolute smells like (tonka, coumarinic, hay, almond), drawn by RUŌOD Lab — not its appearance or its source.An original illustration of the botanical source by RUŌOD Lab — not a photograph of the material.
Images

By the RUŌOD Lab TeamRevision 1Updated

In short

Tonka bean absolute is extracted from the seeds of Dipteryx odorata. It is rich in coumarin and gives a warm, sweet, hay-like almond note.

What Tonka Bean Absolute smells like

Tonka bean absolute is coumarin-led: Arctander, as quoted by a supplier, gives a rich, warm, sweet odour with a coumarinic, herbaceous character and a prune-like or caramel-sweet undertone. Coumarin makes up a large part of it. Firmenich lists caramel, almond and vanilla with hints of clove; glossaries add tobacco, cherry and cinnamon, and suppliers a honey-tobacco character with almond and praline. Descriptions vary by origin and batch.

Leading note
Sweet coumarin-hay
Clear facets
Caramel, prune
Supporting facets
Almond, tobacco
Faint facets
Vanilla, clove
Character
Rich, warm, sweet, rounded
  • coumarinic
  • hay
  • almond
  • sweet
  • tobacco

What makes Tonka Bean Absolute distinctive

Coumarin as a whole bean: hay with caramel, prune, almond and tobacco around it.

How Tonka Bean Absolute is used

Used in oriental, gourmand, fougère and tobacco compositions. Its coumarin content brings it under IFRA restrictions.

Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes); modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Tonka Bean Absolute differs from similar materials

Coumarin
Coumarin is the main constituent alone, a cleaner hay and almond; the absolute adds caramel, prune, tobacco and spice.
Vanilla Absolute
Vanilla absolute is vanillin-led, with tobacco, prune and leather; tonka is coumarin-led — hay, almond and caramel.
Hay Absolute
Hay absolute is more herbaceous, with fig-jam and honey; tonka is richer, with caramel, almond and prune.
Liatris Absolute
Liatris absolute is the herbaceous leaf version of the hay-coumarin note, with tobacco; tonka is sweeter, with caramel and almond.

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Its high coumarin content counts toward the coumarin IFRA Standard and allergen declarations.

Identity and classification

Type
Absolute
Origin
Natural
Odour family
Gourmand / Powdery
Note position
Base note
Physical form at room temperature
Semi-solid
Botanical source
Dipteryx odorata (Aubl.) Forsyth f.
CAS number
8046-22-8

The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.

Safety and compliance

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

  • Coumarin

    Aroma chemical · Powdery / Fougère — hay, sweet, almond, tobacco

  • Vanilla Absolute

    Absolute · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, woody, smoky

  • Lavender Oil

    Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh

  • Dihydrocoumarin

    Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Powdery — sweet, tonka, herbal, caramellic

Tonka Bean Absolute is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Kephalis, Lavender Absolute, Liatris Absolute, Methyl Laitone, Octahydrocoumarin and Tamanu Oil.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 43 published formulas

Tonka Bean Absolute is an ingredient in 38 perfume formulas, 4 accords and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.

Community formulas

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Further reading

Questions about Tonka Bean Absolute

Is Tonka Bean Absolute natural or synthetic?

Tonka Bean Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.

What is the CAS number of Tonka Bean Absolute?

8046-22-8, the registry number for the absolute as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Tonka Bean Absolute?

Tonka Bean Absolute is used in 43 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including 1882 Naturals, Anise Ink and Beeswax Throne. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Sources

Your own records, next to the reference

Keep your own record of Tonka Bean Absolute — supplier, cost, stock, dilutions and where it is used — in RUŌOD Lab's material library.

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