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Ambrinol

Q: Is Ambrinol natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Fully synthetic. Produced via thermolysis of beta-ionone followed by hydrogenation (Raney nickel, methanol). Also occurs naturally in aged ambergris as a photodegradation product of ambrein..

POPULAR AND WEIRD / amber · warm · woody

Ambrinol

Category	POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	amber · warm · woody
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — synthetic amber molecule
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	High
Producing Countries	Europe, Japan
Pyramid	Base

Raw, tobaccoid amber. Where Ambroxan is polished, Ambrinol is rougher -- leather, tobacco, warm earth.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Powerful amber with tobacco, leather, and earthy undertones. Rawer and less clean than Ambroxan -- more animalic, more textured, less crystalline. The leather quality is warm and worn, not sharp. A musky density underneath. This is amber that has been aged outdoors rather than in a laboratory.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Raw amber blast, tobacco and leather

After a few hours

Deep earthy-animalic warmth, musky density

After a few days

Persistent smoky-amber trace, dry leather residue

The Full Story

Ambrinol (CAS 41199-19-3) is a polycyclic alcohol with the systematic name 2,5,5-trimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7-octahydronaphthalen-2-ol. It was identified as a naturally occurring degradation product of ambrein, the triterpene that constitutes the bulk of fresh ambergris. In nature, ambrein undergoes photochemical oxidation and marine weathering over years to produce Ambrinol and related odorants.

The first synthetic route was achieved through thermolysis of beta-ionone, yielding dehydroambrinol as an intermediate, followed by hydrogenation with Raney nickel in methanol. This process was commercialized in the mid-20th century as demand for ambergris alternatives grew.

Ambrinol's scent profile is markedly different from Ambroxan: it is rawer, more tobaccoid, with pronounced leathery and earthy qualities. Where Ambroxan is clean mineral warmth, Ambrinol is a campfire in wet soil. This makes it less adaptable but more characterful -- a specialist ingredient for perfumers who want amber with grunt.

This note in Première Peau. Doppel Dänçers · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Ambrinol is one of the few synthetic ambergris molecules that was identified in nature before it was synthesized. It forms naturally when ambergris floats in the ocean for years, as sunlight and salt water slowly break down ambrein into smaller, intensely fragrant compounds.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Fully synthetic. Produced via thermolysis of beta-ionone followed by hydrogenation (Raney nickel, methanol). Also occurs naturally in aged ambergris as a photodegradation product of ambrein.

Molecular Formula	C13 H22 O
CAS Number	41199-19-3
Botanical Name	N/A — synthetic amber molecule
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	AMBROX · AMBROXAN
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	High
Lasting Power	68 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Boiling Point	279.00 to 280.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	> 212.00 °F. TCC ( > 100.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.94000 to 0.95000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.48500 to 1.48900 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Ambrinol functions as a base note and fixative in amber, Amber, and woody-amber compositions. It provides notable diffusion and persistence with a distinctly earthy-tobaccoid character. Used where Ambroxan would be too clean or too transparent -- in leather accords, tobacco-amber compositions, and dark Amber fragrances. Works well with patchouli, labdanum, and costus to build animalic amber bases.