Year: 2006
Notes: bergamot, pink pepper, cinnamon, ginger, dried fruits, patchouli, vetiver, tonka bean, sandalwood
Comment: Tonka is part of Les Matières Collection / Eau de Toilette review
Estéban is a French niche house that one first discovered in 2007, after reading about Tonka. With very limited distribution, it took three years before one headed off to visit one of their Paris boutiques to explore their line of fragrances. However, after much anticipation, one has to confess some disappointment with Tonka.
Its fundamental problem is that it doesn't strictly focus on tonka bean. Instead, it's more of a spicy-oriental with the tonka bean solely playing a minor supporting role. Personally, that's a significant discrepancy, thus leaving one absolutely confounded as to why the composition was christened Tonka in the first place.
One is met with a pungent opening of pepper, citrus and spices, which lingers around for longer than expected. The emerging dried fruits are well-blended, with a dominant plum accord shinning through, and the woody notes are mild and non-imposing. As for the tonka bean, it never actually gravitates to the foreground. Instead, one is overwhelmed by a ginger accord that fails to subside (even during the tonka bean and sandalwood drydown).
With moderate projection and lasting power, anyone expecting something more than a ginger-dominated spicy-oriental should look elsewhere.
Its fundamental problem is that it doesn't strictly focus on tonka bean. Instead, it's more of a spicy-oriental with the tonka bean solely playing a minor supporting role. Personally, that's a significant discrepancy, thus leaving one absolutely confounded as to why the composition was christened Tonka in the first place.
One is met with a pungent opening of pepper, citrus and spices, which lingers around for longer than expected. The emerging dried fruits are well-blended, with a dominant plum accord shinning through, and the woody notes are mild and non-imposing. As for the tonka bean, it never actually gravitates to the foreground. Instead, one is overwhelmed by a ginger accord that fails to subside (even during the tonka bean and sandalwood drydown).
With moderate projection and lasting power, anyone expecting something more than a ginger-dominated spicy-oriental should look elsewhere.
