Benzoin smells sweet, warm and balsamic, like vanilla crossed with caramelised amber and a whisper of almond. It is one of the building blocks of the classic amber accord.
The resin is tapped from incisions in the bark of Styrax tonkinensis (Siam benzoin, from Laos and Vietnam) and Styrax benzoin (Sumatra benzoin, from Indonesia). Siam benzoin is sweeter, more vanillic and lighter; Sumatra benzoin is smokier, darker and more cinnamon-like. The resin is solvent-extracted to produce benzoin resinoid, a thick golden-brown material rich in benzoic acid, vanillin and coniferyl alcohol.
Benzoin is a base note and a classical fixative. Perfumers use it as the sweet backbone of amber accords alongside labdanum and vanilla, to soften incense and leather bases, and to extend the life of florals and orientals. It pairs beautifully with vanilla, rose, sandalwood, labdanum and tonka.
Benzoin performs best in autumn, winter and evening wear, and gives fragrance a comforting, cocooning warmth.
