Tonka Absolute is a semi-solid or crystalline mass of pale amber or pale brownish-yellow color. Its odor is very rich, sweet and warm, distinctly coumarinic-herbaceous, with a prune-like or caramellic-sweet undertone. The odor description "tobacco-like" is somewhat confusing since tonka tincture has been used quite extensively in the flavoring of cured tobacco leaves. The absolute consists of from 20 to 45% Coumarin, but the effect of a true tonka absolute goes far beyond that of the coumarin contained in the absolute. In this fact lies the explanation for the continuous use of tonka absolute today, almost a century after the appearance of synthetic coumarin on the perfume and flavor market.
Tonka Absolute is used as a fixative and non- floral sweetener which introduces warm notes in chypres, fougères, new mown hay bases, lavender bouquets, Oriental bases, etc. It blends very well with lavender, lavandin, clary sage, flouve, phenylacetates, salicylates, cinnamates, styrax products, heliotropine, bergamot, oakmoss products, florals and floral synthetics.
Deep brown concentrate, highly viscous (almost solid) requires slight warming to enable flow.
