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Methyl Cyclopentenolone

Q: Is Methyl Cyclopentenolone natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically from cyclotene derivatives. Found naturally in coffee, maple syrup, and fenugreek but not commercially extracted from these sources..

SWEETS AND GOURMAND SMELLS / gourmand · caramel · maple

Category	SWEETS AND GOURMAND SMELLS
Subcategory	gourmand · caramel · maple
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — synthetic molecule
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow crystalline solid
Producing Countries	Synthesized worldwide
Pyramid	Heart

Sweet, maple-caramel with a warm, fenugreek-like quality. Methyl cyclopentenolone smells like maple syrup drizzled on warm toast — deeply sweet, warm, unmistakably gourmand.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Intensely sweet, maple-caramel. Warm, fenugreek-like. More specifically 'maple' than any other molecule. Sweeter than vanillin, more 'cooked sugar' than ethyl maltol, with a particular lovage-fenugreek quality. Overwhelming at concentration; beautiful at trace levels.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Intensely sweet, maple-caramel burst.

After a few hours

Warm fenugreek-maple heart. Caramelized sweetness.

After a few days

Persistent sweet base. Maple residue lingers.

The Full Story

CAS 80-71-7. Also known as cyclotene or corylone. A cyclic ketol with an intensely sweet, maple-caramel character. Found naturally in roasted coffee, maple syrup, fenugreek, and lovage. The molecule is one of the key maple-syrup aroma compounds.

The scent is deeply sweet, warm, and caramelized, with a particular maple-fenugreek quality. It is sweeter and more specific than maltol — where maltol reads as 'cotton candy,' methyl cyclopentenolone reads as 'maple syrup.' The molecule is extremely potent and must be used at very low concentrations in perfumery.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Caramel · Furaneol · Maltol · Praline · Toffee

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Methyl cyclopentenolone is the molecule behind the 'Maple Syrup Mystery' of 2005 and 2009 — mysterious maple syrup smells wafting across New York City were eventually traced to a fenugreek processing plant in New Jersey, where this molecule was being released into the air during spice processing.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically from cyclotene derivatives. Found naturally in coffee, maple syrup, and fenugreek but not commercially extracted from these sources.

Molecular Formula	C6H8O2
CAS Number	80-71-7
Botanical Name	N/A — synthetic molecule
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Cyclotene, Corylone, 2-Hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one
Physical Properties
Lasting Power	6–12 hours
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow crystalline solid
Boiling Point	200.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. )
Melting Point	104.00 to 108.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Trace modifier in gourmand and maple-themed compositions. Methyl cyclopentenolone provides maple-syrup character at extremely low concentrations (0.001-0.05%). Used in maple accords, caramel compositions, and sweet-gourmand blends. The molecule's potency limits dosage — overdosing creates an artificial, candy-like result.