Benzoin Sumatra resinoid

Say itBEN-zoh-in soo-MAH-truh REZ-ih-noyd

Balsamic, cinnamon-tinged and resinous; drier and less vanillic than Siam benzoin.

What it is: Natural resin extract from resin tapped from Styrax benzoin trees.
Where it comes from: Sumatra, Indonesia
When you smell it: Dry-down: what stays.
What perfumers do with it: Inexpensive balsamic fixative for ambers, incense and soap perfumes; adds a storax-like cinnamic warmth.
Worth knowing: Rich in cinnamic esters rather than Siam's benzoates, which is why the two benzoins smell so different.
Also called: Sumatra benzoin; gum benjamin (Sumatra)

Not on the label of any of the 1080 perfumes read so far.