Tonka Imperiale

Tonka Imperiale, inspired by Guerlain Tonka Impériale (2010)

It begins boozy and herbal, with rosemary and bitter almond over a bergamot top. Dry hay and tobacco follow, and then the sweetness rises: honey and tonka bean, which perfume writers have likened to gingerbread and honeyed amaretti. Jasmine sits quietly in the heart. Later it dries out into cedar, pine and incense over a resinous amber base.

About the original

Thierry Wasser created Tonka Impériale, launched in spring 2010 as the seventh fragrance in Guerlain's L'Art et la Matière collection and sold at first as a 75 ml Eau de Parfum. It no longer appears in Guerlain's L'Art et la Matière range online, and at least one decant seller labels it discontinued, though Guerlain has made no announcement. No withdrawal date is known.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Guerlain stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Next to straight vanilla gourmands it has more texture, with herbs, hay and tobacco keeping it from turning one-note. The middle is still sweet and foody, which may not suit someone who avoids edible scents.

Related scents

• Guerlain Tobacco Honey
• Dior Feve Delicieuse
• Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille

Notes of the original fragrance, as given in the launch information.

Notes: Bergamot, Rosemary, Almond, Honey, Spices, Jasmine, Tonka Bean, Tobacco, Vanilla, Cedar, Pine, Incense, Amber

Bergamot, rosemary and bitter almond open it, herbal and slightly boozy.

The heart brings jasmine, tonka bean, honey and tobacco, sweet and spiced in a gingerbread way.

In the base cedar, pine and incense dry it out over amber, leaving a resinous, woody finish.

Is Guerlain Tonka Impériale discontinued?

It is no longer listed by Guerlain, and at least one decant seller describes it as discontinued, but Guerlain has made no announcement.

Is Tonka Impériale part of Les Absolus d'Orient?

No. It belongs to Guerlain's L'Art et la Matière collection, where it was the seventh fragrance.

Is it similar to Tobacco Honey?

They share tobacco, honey and tonka. Tonka Impériale is more herbal at the start, with rosemary and almond.

Is Guerlain Tonka Imperiale coming back?

So far, we have found no announcement from Guerlain that it will return. Our version is an eau de parfum in 50 ml or 100 ml.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Guerlain and Tonka Imperiale are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Guerlain in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.