SWEETS AND GOURMAND SMELLS / gourmand · roasted · warm
Coffee CO2
Category
SWEETS AND GOURMAND SMELLS
Subcategory
gourmand · roasted · warm
Origin
Volatility
Base Note
Botanical
Coffea arabica
Appearance
Yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia
Pyramid
Base
Rich, roasted, full-bodied. Supercritical CO2-extracted coffee — closer to a fresh espresso than steam-distilled oil, preserving volatile pyrazines and furanones.
Rich, roasted, full-bodied — the closest a perfumery material gets to the smell of a fresh espresso. Darker and more complete than coffee absolute, with preserved pyrazines (roasty-nutty), furfuryl mercaptan (fresh-coffee), and furanones (caramel-sweet). A bitter-sweet complexity that is unmistakably coffee.
Coffee CO2 extract is produced by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of roasted Coffea arabica or C. canephora (robusta) beans. The method preserves heat-sensitive volatile compounds that steam distillation destroys, producing an extract that smells notably close to fresh-ground coffee.
The key advantage over coffee absolute (solvent-extracted) is purity — no solvent residues — and over steam distillation is completeness — volatile pyrazines, furanones, and thiols that carry the fresh-roasted character are preserved. The result is the most naturalistic coffee material available to perfumers.
Coffee CO2 is a dark brown, viscous liquid with an intense roasted-coffee aroma. It is used at low concentrations in gourmand, dark-aromatic, and modern compositions where a realistic coffee note is desired.
Over 1,000 volatile compounds have been identified in roasted coffee, but furfuryl mercaptan (2-furfurylthiol) is considered the single most important contributor to coffee aroma. It has an odor threshold of just 0.01 parts per billion — a potent food aroma compounds known. CO2 extraction preserves this molecule, which steam distillation largely destroys.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Supercritical CO2 extraction of roasted Coffea arabica or C. canephora beans. The extraction operates above CO2's critical point (31.1 degrees C, 73.8 atm), dissolving volatile and semi-volatile compounds without heat degradation. The resulting extract is a dark brown viscous liquid. Available as both 'select' (lighter fractions) and 'total' (including heavier waxes) extracts.
Coffee CO2 is a heart-to-base note providing realistic roasted-coffee character. The most naturalistic coffee material available to perfumers. Used in gourmand, amber, and dark-aromatic compositions. Functions as a rich, bittersweet element that pairs with vanilla, tobacco, leather, and chocolate.
