Rich, velvety, smoky-woody. A dark, leather-tinged woodiness — drier than oud, less earthy than patchouli, less sharp than guaiac. The smoke is clean, not campfire — more like the inside of an old leather-bound book. Excellent tenacity; the scent stays close to skin.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Rich smoky wood, velvety, faint leather
After a few hours
After a few hours
Deeper warmth, aged patchouli undertone, less smoke
Akigalawood is a capturable molecule (a sesquiterpene derivative) created by a major aroma-chemical supplier through catalytic transformation of guaiac wood oil or patchouli oil. Despite its name suggesting agarwood, it is chemically unrelated to oud — it is a processed derivative of other wood oils, primarily guaiacol-based sesquiterpenes.
The olfactory profile is rich, velvety, and woody with distinct smoky-leathery qualities. It occupies a space between aged patchouli, guaiac wood, and vetiver — offering a dark, warm woodiness with excellent tenacity. The molecular structure gives it notable substantivity on skin and textiles.
Akigalawood has become common in contemporary perfumery as a cost-effective way to add woody depth and smoky character to compositions. It provides the richness associated with oud-type notes at a fraction of the cost and with consistent quality.
In formulation, it functions as a base note with moderate diffusion — present but not projecting, lending a warm, slightly smoky foundation to whatever sits above it.
Despite its name evoking agarwood (oud), Akigalawood contains zero compounds from Aquilaria trees — it is made by chemically rearranging guaiac wood oil, a completely different botanical source from a tree native to South America.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Catalytic chemical transformation of guaiac wood oil (Bulnesia sarmientoi) or patchouli oil sesquiterpenes. This is an industrial synthesis process, not an extraction. The starting materials undergo acid-catalyzed rearrangement to produce the characteristic smoky-velvety sesquiterpene profile.
N/A — semi-synthetic (biotransformation of patchouli oil)
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
AKIGALAWOOD BASE · CLEARWOOD (a Swiss fragrance house equivalent)
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
> 200 hours
Appearance
Pale yellow to dark amber liquid
Specific Gravity
0.97000 to 1.01000 @ 25.00 °C.
In Perfumery
Akigalawood is a sesquiterpene derivative produced by catalytic transformation of wood oils. Functions as a base note providing dark, smoky-velvety woodiness with excellent tenacity. Cost-effective alternative to oud for achieving deep woody-leathery character. Used extensively in woody-amber, leather, and smoky compositions. Works with actual oud, vetiver, patchouli, and amber notes. Despite the name, it is chemically unrelated to agarwood — the oud association is commercial positioning, not botanical reality.
