We are nuts about nutty scents
By Emmanuelle Moeglin, Founder & Perfumer · Classically trained at ISIPCA, 20 years in fragrance
When we talk about gourmand notes, we tend to think of caramel and vanilla. But what about sweet notes that are not so excessively sweet, the ones with woody and spicy undertones? Let me introduce you to some delightful nutty scents.
Sweet, but never excessively so, with woody and spicy undertones.
The pistachio craze, from Dubai chocolate to fine fragrance
Nutty notes are having a genuine cultural moment, and pistachio is leading it. The viral Dubai chocolate bar, pistachio cream layered with crisp kataifi pastry inside milk chocolate, turned the little green nut into a global obsession, selling out in supermarkets and spawning pistachio everything: lattes, croissants, ice cream, spreads. Fragrance has followed the food, as it often does. After the salted-caramel and vanilla waves, pistachio is the gourmand note of the moment, prized because it is sweet and nutty without tipping into sugar.
From a perfumer's point of view, the appeal is its double character. Pistachio sits between green and gourmand: a fresh, faintly bitter nuttiness on top, a creamy, milky, almost almond-like sweetness underneath. That tension is exactly what stops it cloying, and what makes it feel modern rather than dessert-like. It is the same quality that has made it such a hit on the plate.
Pistachio is sweet and nutty without ever tipping into sugar.
Three nutty notes that will get you salivating
Tonka bean is a favourite in gourmand fragrances, known for its warm, spicy character. Tonka compositions usually carry notes of vanilla, caramel and almond, complex and sophisticated.
Pistachio is having its moment, the green nut turning up everywhere from viral chocolate to fine fragrance. Pistachio scents typically pair creamy vanilla and almond with the nut itself, fresh and gourmand at once. You will find it at the heart of our Pistachio Haiku, played against fig leaf and roasted hazelnut.
Hazelnut is another gourmand staple. Fire-roasted hazelnut with vanilla and caramel gives a warm, sweet scent that suits autumn and winter beautifully.
How perfumers build a nutty note
Like most edible notes, nuts cannot simply be extracted, so the smell is reconstructed. The roasted, toasted quality comes from pyrazines, the same family of molecules behind roasted coffee, baked bread and grilled food, while lactones and materials like heliotropin and tonka's coumarin bring the creamy, almond-marzipan sweetness. The art is in balance: too much sweetness and a nutty scent turns to dessert, too little and it reads dry and woody. A whisper of green keeps it lifelike, the skin of the nut rather than the sugar.
Nutty notes at a glance
| Note | Character | Built with | Wear it in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pistachio | Green, fresh, creamy, lightly bitter | Green and almond-like molecules over a milky base | Year-round, especially spring |
| Tonka bean | Warm, spicy, vanilla-almond | Coumarin, vanilla, caramel facets | Autumn and winter |
| Hazelnut | Roasted, sweet, comforting | Pyrazines, vanilla, caramel | Cold months |
| Sesame | Roasted, honeyed, exotic | Sesame absolute, used at a trace | Any time, as a twist |
| Almond | Marzipan, cherry-sweet, soft | Benzaldehyde, heliotropin | Autumn and winter |
Ingredient highlight: sesame absolute
Tonka Sesame might be the nutty scent you never knew you loved. Sesame, so familiar in cooking, offers a unique and exotic note in fragrance, roasted and honeyed. Tonka Sesame uses a wonderful material, Sesame Absolute by LMR, which smells exactly like the sesame seeds you know. Only a trace in the formula makes a powerful impact.
The result is a blend of tonka bean, sesame and hazelnut: warm, nutty, comforting and sophisticated. Like all our Essentials, it is designed to be worn alone or layered with another to create a scent entirely your own.
Only a trace of sesame in the formula makes a powerful impact.
Tonka Extraordinaire
Tonka Extraordinaire is born from pairing two Essentials, Tonka Sesame with Amber Iris, for a deeper, warmer, fire-roasted quality. It brings the original nutty facets together with a warm, ambery, tobacco drydown: that snug feeling as the days turn colder and the scent of honeyed nuts roasting fills the streets. Sesame, almond and green hazelnut sink into cushions of vanilla, sweet frankincense, ambery myrrh and luxurious labdanum, while chocolatey patchouli lifts the roasted tonka. It has been shortlisted in the UK Fragrance Foundation's Extraordinaire category, which recognises independent perfumes for their extraordinary olfactive creations.
Keep exploring the sweet side of scent: read about vanilla, and learn how to blend two Essentials into a scent of your own.
Frequently asked questions about nutty scents
▾ What are nutty notes in perfume?
Warm gourmand notes like tonka, hazelnut, pistachio and sesame. They read sweet but carry woody, spicy depth that keeps them sophisticated.
▾ What does tonka bean smell like?
Warm and spicy, with vanilla, caramel and almond facets. It is one of the most beloved materials in gourmand perfumery.
▾ Is sesame used in perfume?
Yes. Sesame absolute gives a roasted, honeyed, nutty note, and it is so powerful that just a trace transforms a formula.
▾ Are nutty scents sweet?
Gently. They lean gourmand, but woods and spice stop them becoming cloying, so they feel warm rather than sugary.
▾ What is Tonka Sesame?
An EPC Essential blending tonka, sesame and hazelnut into a toasty, comforting scent that smells good enough to eat.
▾ Which nutty scent suits winter?
Roasted, ambery blends like Tonka Extraordinaire come into their own in colder months, all warmth and honeyed depth.
