Whiskey Lactone CAS #39212-23-2

Cis – 3-Methyl-4-octanolide, also known as cis- β- methyl- γ- Octalactone or 5-butyldihydro-4-methylfuran-2 (3 H) – one, a compound of lactone family, chemical formula C9H16O2. It exists as two optical isomers: 3 R, 4 R (“+”) and 3 S, 4 S (“-“).

3S, 4S isomers, commonly known as whisky lactone or oak lactone, are important components in the aroma of whisky (first discovered by Suomalainen and Nyk ä nen in 1970) and other alcoholic beverages aged in oak barrels. It is sometimes added to wine as a flavoring. It has the aroma of coconut, celery or fresh wood, and can be detected by human body when the concentration in the air is 1 microgram/l. The mixture of cis and trans isomers can repel mosquitoes and flies.