Maltol

Maltol is a softly powerful gourmand material with the warmth of caramelised sugar, toasted biscuit and fruit preserve.

It sweetens a composition with more nuance than simple sugar, adding a faintly roasted edge that can make berries, vanilla and amber feel richer and more complete.

Its effect can be comforting or abstract.

In a gourmand it supports caramel, pastry and jam; in a floral or woody fragrance, a trace can round harsh angles and create a subtle halo of warmth without becoming an obvious dessert note.

Maltol creates the impression of sweetness touched by heat.

That toasted nuance can make an accord feel crafted rather than simply sugary, recalling the golden edge of pastry, the depth of preserve and the comforting warmth of caramelised fruit.

Odour profile

The odour is sweet and caramel-like, with cotton-candy warmth, jammy fruit, biscuit and lightly burnt-sugar nuances.

A creamy softness sits beneath the toasted edge, giving the material a familiar yet highly adaptable character.

The opening is immediately sweet, with caramel and spun-sugar associations softened by a warm, almost creamy body.

A faint toasted facet adds colour and keeps the material from reading as a completely clean sweetness.

In the heart, jammy fruit, biscuit and gently roasted nuances become more apparent.

The effect can move between nostalgic and sophisticated depending on its companions, making Maltol useful well beyond overt dessert-style fragrances.

Using Maltol in perfumery

Maltol can enrich vanilla, caramel, chocolate, berry, strawberry and baked-gourmand accords.

It is also useful for warming amber, tobacco and balsamic structures, or for smoothing fruity florals that need sweetness with depth.

In gourmand construction, it can connect vanilla, cocoa, coffee, fruit and pastry notes, filling the spaces between them with warm sweetness.

It is especially effective for giving berry and strawberry accords the richness of cooked fruit or preserve.

At lower levels, Maltol can smooth sharp floral, woody or ambery structures and add a subtle golden halo.

In tobacco and balsamic themes, its toasted character can enhance warmth while avoiding the flatness of an undifferentiated sweet base.

Creative pairings

Explore Maltol with vanillin, ethyl maltol, cocoa, coffee, berry materials, strawberry, pineapple, tonka, benzoin, labdanum, sandalwood and soft musks.

Small adjustments can change the effect from a quiet sweetener to a recognisable gourmand theme.

For a polished fruit gourmand, explore strawberry, raspberry, plum, vanilla and soft woods.

For a darker direction, combine it with cocoa, coffee, tobacco, tonka, benzoin and labdanum, using spice, cedar or patchouli to balance the sweetness.

Product specification.

CAS No: 118-71-8
Odour Description (decreasing): Caramel, Sweet, Cotton Candy, Jammy, Fruity, Baked
Odour Strength: High, recommend smelling in a 5.00 % solution or less
Usage: Caramel and spun-sugar effects, jammy fruit accords and warm baked gourmand textures.
Typical Use Percentage: 0.1% – 10%
Substantivity: 372 hour(s) at 20.00 %
Solvent: None
Flash Point: 110 °C
Synonyms: Maltol; 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one
Name: TEC to give a 1% solution of Maltol
Molecular Formula: C₆H₆O₃
Molecular Weight: 126.11 g/mol
IFRA: Refer to latest IFRA guidelines and product-specific IFRA certificate for safe use levels.

Not Hazardous According To EC 1272/2008

Important: For professional formulation use. Review the Safety Data Sheet before handling, storage or use.