Aroma Compounds

Alcohols

• Benzyl alcohol (oxidises to benzaldehyde, almond)
• Ethyl maltol (sugary, cooked fruit)
• Furaneol (strawberry)
• 1-Hexanol (herbaceous, woody)
• cis-3-Hexen-1-ol (fresh cut grass)
• Menthol (peppermint)

Aldehydes

• Acetaldehyde (pungent)
• Benzaldehyde (marzipan, almond)
• Hexanal (green, grassy)
• Cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon)
• Citral (lemongrass, lemon oil)
• cis-3-Hexenal (green tomatoes)
• Furfural (burnt oats)
• Neral (citrus, lemongrass)
• Vanillin (vanilla)

Amines

• Cadaverine (rotting flesh)
• Indole (jasmine flowery, feces)
• Putrescine (rotting flesh)
• Pyridine (very unpleasant)
• Skatole (bad breath, feces)
• Substituted pyrazines: 2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine (toasted seeds of fenugreek, cumin, and coriander)
  • Alkylpyrazines
  • Methoxypyrazines
• Trimethylamine (fish)

Esters

• Ethyl acetate (fruity, solvent)
• Ethyl butanoate (fruity) – also known as ethyl butyrate
• Ethyl decanoate – also known as ethyl caprate
• Ethyl hexanoate – also known as ethyl caproate
• Ethyl octanoate – also known as ethyl caprylate
• Hexyl acetate (apple, floral, fruity)
• Isoamyl acetate (banana)
• Methyl butanoate (apple, fruity) – also known as methyl butyrate
• Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen)
• Pentyl butanoate (pear, apricot)
• Pentyl pentanoate (apple, pineapple)
• Sotolon (maple syrup, curry, fenugreek)
• Strawberry aldehyde (strawberry)
• Fructone (fruity, apple-like)

Ethers

• Anethole (liquorice, anise seed, ouzo, fennel)
• Anisole (anise seed)
• Eugenol (clove oil)
• 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (cork taint)

Ketones

• Dihydrojasmone (fruity woody floral)
• Oct-1-en-3-one (blood, metallic, mushroom-like)^[1]
• 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (fresh bread, jasmine rice)
• 6-Acetyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine (fresh bread, tortillas, pop corn)

Lactones

• gamma-Decalactone intense peach flavor
• gamma-Nonalactone coconut odor, popular in suntan lotions
• delta-Octalactone creamy note
• Jasmine lactone powerful fatty fruity peach and apricot
• Massoia lactone powerful creamy coconut

Terpenes

• Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
• Citronellol (rose)
• Linalool (floral, citrus, coriander)
• Nerol (sweet rose)
• Nerolidol (wood, fresh bark)
• alpha-Terpineol (lilac)
• Thujone (juniper, common sage, Nootka cypress, and wormwood)
• Thymol (Thyme-like)

Thiols

• Ethanethiol, formerly called Ethyl mercaptan (Durian or leek, added to natural gas)
• Grapefruit mercaptan (grapefruit)
• Methanethiol, formerly called Methyl mercaptan (added to natural gas)

Miscellaneous compounds

• Methylphosphine and dimethylphosphine (garlic-metallic, two of the most potent odorants known)^[1]

• Nerolin (orange flowers)
• Tetrahydrothiophene (added to natural gas)