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Nootka

Q: Is Nootka natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of heartwood. Sourced from sustainably managed Pacific Northwest forests or salvage timber..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · warm · amber

Nootka

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · warm · amber
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	Callitropsis nootkatensis (D.Don) Oerst. ex D.P.Little
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Canada, United States (Pacific Northwest)
Pyramid	Base

Warm cedar-cypress wood with an unexpected grapefruit brightness. Nootka smells like splitting yellow cedar in Pacific Northwest rain, with a citrus flash that fades into resinous depth.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, resinous wood with a distinct grapefruit-citrus brightness in the opening. Drier than sandalwood, less pencil-sharp than Virginia cedar, more aromatic than Atlas cedar. The citrus fades after an hour, leaving clean, warm wood.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Bright grapefruit-citrus flash over warm resinous wood

After a few hours

Citrus fades, clean warm cedar with slight camphor

After a few days

Persistent dry wood, faintly resinous, very long-lasting

The Full Story

Nootka (Cupressus nootkatensis) is a conifer native to the Pacific coast from Alaska to northern California. The heartwood oil is steam-distilled and contains high concentrations of nootkatene (up to 57%), valencene (15%), and smaller amounts of nootkatone and carvacrol.

Nootkatone, the molecule that gives grapefruit its characteristic bitterness, was actually named after this tree. The wood oil occupies an unusual olfactory position: warm, resinous, and woody like other cedars, but with a bright citrus-grapefruit top note.

In perfumery, Nootka wood oil is a long-lasting base material. Longevity tests on blotter show persistence up to 300 hours. It functions as a woody anchor with natural citrus lift.

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Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Nootkatone, the key bitter molecule in grapefruit, was named after this tree, not the other way around. It was first isolated from Nootka cypress wood before being identified in citrus.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of heartwood. Sourced from sustainably managed Pacific Northwest forests or salvage timber.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture; key compounds: nootkatone (C₁₅H₂₂O), valencene (C₁₅H₂₄)
CAS Number	1069136-34-0 (nootka cypress oil)
Botanical Name	Callitropsis nootkatensis (D.Don) Oerst. ex D.P.Little
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Nootka cypress, Cupressus nootkatensis
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	> 200 hours
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Specific Gravity	0.920 to 0.945 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.475 to 1.490 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Base note and woody anchor with unusual citrus lift. Contains nootkatene (57%), valencene (15%), and nootkatone. Longevity exceeds 300 hours on blotter. Functions as both fixative and woody modifier. Natural companion to vetiver, bergamot, patchouli, and other conifers.