According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 43.8 million people in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. Apparently smokers aren’t the only people that enjoy the smell or taste of tobacco. Tobacco as a fragrance ingredient is not new to fine fragrances, but there has been a recent focus on the ingredient and even home fragrance launches are using the plant for inspiration. Tobacco as a flavor ingredient is making its way into a variety of food and beverages. Tobacco is smoking hot.
Sweet on Tobacco: Tobacco accords have traditionally been used as base notes in fine fragrances, but now we’re seeing a focus highlighting tobacco as a main ingredient. Fine fragrance launches such as Cuir Tabac by David Jourquin, West Third Brand Tobacco 1812, House of Matriarch Sacre Tabac (Sucre) limited edition and Tobacco Oud by Tom Ford are all recent examples. House of Matriarch Sacre Tabac (Sucre) features anise, red and green apples, caramel, vanilla, molasses, and hookah tobacco notes while Tobacco Oud uses “a blend of oud wood resin, smoking aromatic tobacco and an idealized Arabic tobacco accord inspired by ‘Dohka,’ a blend of herbs, flowers and spice-laden tobacco.” Other examples include DSquared2’s Potion Royal Black, which is crafted with Balkanise tobacco and Elvira’s Zombie by Demeter that is formulated with ground tobacco leaves. Portland General Store offers two unique Tobacco personal care products – Beard Oil, which is a “cologne for the beard” and Smelling Salts, which are “known to relieve headaches and migraines.”
Tobacco Gets Homey: Tobacco scents are appearing in home fragrance introductions such as Archipelago Bergamot Tobacco and Rosy Rings Honey Tobacco, which are available in candles, room sprays and diffusers. West Elm Pommes Frites Teakwood + Tobacco and Malin + Goetz Tobacco aromas are offered in candles while Delirium Suede & Smoke candle is a best seller made with “smoldering vaporous tobacco leaves.”
Taste of Tobacco: Tobacco is emerging as a flavor with odd introductions in vodka, ice cream, cupcakes, marshmallows and BBQ sauce. To target smokers, Ivanabitch released Traditional Tobacco Vodka and Menthol Tobacco Vodka while UK’s The Robin Collective created “The Vice” marshmallow featuring a coffee and tobacco flavor for its Marshmallow Apothecary pop up shop. Oddfellows in Brooklyn crafted a Tobacco Leaf with Smoked Chili and Huckleberry ice cream while Prohibition Bakery in NYC offers a Scotch & Cigar cupcake with molasses, tobacco and Laphroaig scotch. Todd’s Concoctions has a variety of interesting flavored BBQ sauces including Tobacco Moonshine, which is described as a “sweet & smoky sauce infused with real Southern moonshine and tobacco.”
Watch as tobacco trickles down into other applications and becomes more mainstream.
Ready for winter? To harvest your creative ideas, let Trendincite craft a smokin’ trend excursion, a sweet marketing presentation, a smoky newsletter or hire Amy Marks-McGee as a guest speaker.