Sweet, coumarin-dominant warmth with woody depth. Tonka-adjacent but with more bark character — drier, more wooden, less creamy-buttery. Cinnamic undertones add a faint spiciness. Like pressing your nose against a wooden chest made from sweet-scented Brazilian lumber.
Amburana cearensis (formerly Torresea cearensis) is a Brazilian tree in the Fabaceae family whose bark and seeds contain exceptionally high concentrations of coumarin — the molecule responsible for the sweet, hay-like scent of tonka bean, sweet woodruff, and fresh-mown hay.
The bark, when distilled or extracted, delivers a warm, sweet profile dominated by coumarin with supporting notes of vanillin, cinnamic compounds, and woody lactones. The result is sweeter and woodier than tonka bean — imagine tonka with more bark and less butter.
In perfumery, amburana functions as a base-note material in the same family as tonka bean and coumarin. It provides hay-sweet warmth with woody authenticity. Brazilian niche perfumery has championed it as a particular local material — the 'Brazilian tonka.'
The tree is native to the Caatinga biome of northeastern Brazil. Its wood, known as 'cerejeira' in Portuguese, is prized for furniture-making and has a natural sweet scent that persists for years in finished pieces.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Amburana cearensis is listed as vulnerable by IUCN due to overharvesting for its valuable timber. The wood is so naturally fragrant that Brazilian furniture makers call it 'cerejeira' (cherry wood), though it has no botanical relation to cherry — the name refers to its sweet scent.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Solvent extraction or steam distillation of dried bark. CO2 extraction preserves the complete profile with less thermal degradation. Production limited to Brazil, primarily from sustainable harvesting in the Caatinga region.
N/A (Amburana cearensis bark extract; key component coumarin CAS 91-64-5)
Botanical Name
Amburana cearensis
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
AMBURANA · BRAZILIAN TEAK
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
> 200 hours
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Flash Point
> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. ) (est)
In Perfumery
Base-note material providing coumarin-rich sweetness with woody character. Functions alongside (or as alternative to) tonka bean in Amber, amber, and gourmand compositions. The woody quality distinguishes it from pure coumarin or tonka — adds bark authenticity. Works with vanilla, benzoin, and cinnamic materials.
