FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND NUTS / fruity · fresh · green
Gooseberry
Category
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND NUTS
Subcategory
fruity · fresh · green
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
Ribes uva-crispa
Appearance
Small round green to red translucent berries; no standard commercial extract
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
Europe
Pyramid
Heart
A reconstructed accord — sharp, green, tart, faintly catty. Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) shares with Sauvignon Blanc wine the thiol 4-methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol — the same catty signature found in black currant. In perfumery the accord is always synthetic.
Gooseberry opens fresh, tart, faintly sulphurous — the Sauvignon Blanc thiol surfacing at the trace level it lives at. Around it sit cis-3-hexenol for green-leaf top, ethyl butyrate for ripe-fruity body, methyl 2-methylbutyrate for a fresh ester edge. The accord reads as a sharper, more cat-like cousin of red currant — a perfumery shortcut to the Sauvignon-and-black-currant register.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Fresh, tart, and juicy with a vibrant fruitiness.
After a few hours
After a few hours
Mellowing tartness with deeper green undertones.
After a few days
After a few days
Subdued, fresh aroma with pronounced green notes.
The Full Story
Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa, Grossulariaceae) is the European gooseberry — a small, green-to-purple, tart-juicy berry closely related to black and red currant. It is distinct from the unrelated Indian gooseberry or amla (Phyllanthus emblica), which despite the shared common name belongs to a different family (Phyllanthaceae).
Chemistry
Gooseberry's signature is the same thiol that defines Sauvignon Blanc wine and black currant: 4-methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol (CAS 86570-37-0) [A]. At parts-per-billion levels it reads catty, leafy, slightly sulphurous — the kind of edge that turns a fruity accord into something more interesting. Around it perfumers build cis-3-hexenol for the fresh-cut-leaf top, tart ethyl and methyl esters for fruity body, and occasionally a touch of γ-decalactone for ripe-warmth.
In a fragrance
Gooseberry has no commercial perfumery extract. The note is always a reconstruction. It sits in the top, often as a sharper-green alternative to black currant, and pairs naturally with white florals (jasmine, magnolia), green accords (galbanum, fig leaf), and other Ribes notes.
Sources & Notes
[A] PubChem CID 11669880 — 4-methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol (the 'cat ketone' / 'Sauvignon Blanc thiol' / 'blackcurrant mercaptan'), CAS 86570-37-0, C₆H₁₄OS. Same compound defines gooseberry, black currant buds and Sauvignon Blanc wine character.
Did You Know?
Did you know?
Gooseberries were once so popular in England that they were grown in special 'gooseberry shows' where the biggest fruit was awarded prizes.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Fantasy note — no commercial gooseberry essential oil or absolute exists for perfumery. The note is recreated using synthetic accords (often featuring buchu leaf oil or blackcurrant bud components).
Molecular Formula
N/A - natural fruit
CAS Number
N/A - natural fruit
Botanical Name
Ribes uva-crispa
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
GOOSEBERRY FRUIT · RIBES UVA-CRISPA
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
Small round green to red translucent berries; no standard commercial extract
In Perfumery
Gooseberry sits in the top, lending a tart-green lift and a faint catty-thiol depth. It pairs naturally with white florals, green accords (galbanum, fig leaf), and other Ribes notes. Often built around the same thiol used in black currant reconstruction, plus tart ester palette and cis-3-hexenol for green sharpness.
