Atelier Materi Tonka Kumaru review

Tonka Kumaru as presented by the brand, Atelier Materi

By leaning so hard into the almond facets of the tonka bean, Atelier Materi has made the best cherry fragrance, that isn’t a cherry fragrance. I know that sounds bizarre – I’m the one that took the time to think about it, write it down and then edit it into the core point of my introduction. But with their latest EDP, Tonka Kumaru: by infusing bitter almond oil into the stew of coumaric and vanillic sweetness that’s – let’s face it – inherent to a gourmand leaning, “tonka bean” concept, they’ve made a rich fragrance that bears a distinct cherry nuance without any of the synthetic smelling side effects that can cheapen the red fruit’s concept.

Cherry blossoms captured in the author’s garden. Photo by Oli.

It’s undoubtedly the benzaldehyde, an aroma chemical  prevalent in bitter almond oil, that is used to flavour the syrup that maraschino/cocktail cherries are packed in, that delivers this effect. But, importantly, it’s a key effect. Not only does it serve up this cherry ghost note, but it also tonally scruffs up the introduction of the tonka bean, sucking some of the titular material’s weight and base note nature up into a higher register – something a good perfumer should work hard to do when composing what is essentially a tonka bean soliflore.

L-R: Atelier Materi founder and Creative Director Veronique Le Bihan, perfumer Celine Pedriel.

Fortunately, it’s perfumer Celine Pedriel who’s at the helm, exploring every varying facet, which means that alongside the aforementioned almond there is also cardamom, roasted barley and hay absolute used in the heart to amplify the tonka’s dried grass aspects whilst vanilla resinoid, amber molecules and musks work to bed all this and the roasted tonka bean extract onto the skin flawlessly, without either being overpowering.

A presentation full of heavy blue glass and subtle label details… Photo by Oli.

Atelier Materi Tonka Kumaru is flawless. It’s a super competent study of the tonka bean that pulls at and contorts different aspects of the material’s smell to create a hyper vivid, over-exaggerated, amplified-spectrum version of it. It’s daring, uncompromising and overtly nutty in some respects but it’s just so smooth and meticulous that it will definitely satisfy the gourmand and vanilla lovers alike. It’s cozy and wearable but it’s artistic and it also does what you’d expect a fragrance from Atelier Materi to do: it makes you think as much as it makes you marvel.

– Oli Marlow, Senior Contributor

Notes: Bitter Almond, Cardamom, Bergamot, Barley, Cedar, Hay, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Amber

Disclaimer: A bottle of Tonka Kumaru was sent by Atelier Materi for review, opinions are my own.

 All images by Oli unless otherwise noted©

More painted tape photography  Photo by Oli.

Thanks to the generosity of Indigo Perfumery, we have a bottle of Tonka Kumaru available in the US only. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Oli’s review and where you live. Draw closes 4/11/2026

Atelier Materi Black Oregano was  one of Oli’s top 10 perfumes of 2025

Oli awarded Atelier Materi Ambre Papier one of his top 10 perfumes 2024

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