Smoky notes

[Sol invictus]

What ingredients are used to give fragrances a smoky note?

 

[hednic]

Certain wood resins, varieties of incense, perhaps birch tar?

 

[HackerX]

Certain wood resins, varieties of incense, perhaps birch tar?

Yep, those are the ones that came to my mind too. Also Cade.

 

[BoyChanel]

When I think of a smoky perfume, Mitzah comes to mind. Spicy and smoky, in fact.

 

[sjg3839]

Incense and frakincense.

 

[hedonist222]

Myrrh
East Africa incense

 

[cacio]

Cypriol (aka nagarmota) is another one that comes to mind. And then many chemicals for sure, typically described as tar, phenolic, etc.

cacio

 

[rynegne]

Birch Tar, Cade, Nagarmota, Labdanum (smoky/sweet), Fossilized Amber, Choya Loban, Copal Bark...plenty more. There are varieties of vetiver as well that help bring forward a little smoky character.

 

[knightowl]

son of a birch!

 

[rynegne]

Forgot guaiacol as well...light smoky with some vanilla and wood.

 

[Sol invictus]

Forgot guaiacol as well...light smoky with some vanilla and wood.

Sounds nice. Do you know of any fragrances which use it to a noticeable degree? (Designer preferably)

 

[hitman]

Myrrh
East Africa incense

Kinda agree.

 

[saminlondon]

Incense gum is more resinous, citric, piney and dusty than smoky - at least until it's burnt. Does it give a smoky odour profile on its own? I'm not sure.

 

[magnus611]

Birch tar for sure as incense, frankincense etc are a given to be smoky but in various composition that I have usually birch is the culprit

 

[NebelGeîst]

Incense gum is more resinous, citric, piney and dusty than smoky - at least until it's burnt. Does it give a smoky odour profile on its own? I'm not sure.

Just my thought exactly. Non of the frankincense materials I have or have tested smelled smokey (including the actual gum). But then again I have seen frankincense materials in online shops that were described as having smokey aspects (I think the resinoid from IFF belonged to them?). So maybe there are varieties that show facets of smoke. But I never had them under my nose so far.

Most that came to my mind have already been mentioned (vetiver, nagarmotha/cypriol, cade/juniper tar, birch tar, guaiacol). I'd like to add spiknard which only shows minor smoke aspects (less than nagarmotha) and in delution the earthy and valerian-like aromas dominate, yet still some smoke is detectable to my nose.
There are materials that I haven't smelled yet but are told to have their smokey characteristics: Chua oil (Shorea wiesneri), nutty pyrazine, ketine and almond pyrazine. If those were easily available and cheap in Germany I would have them in my collection already. With my order from hermitage oils this month at least nutty pyrazine will come to me and I can report how it smells like.

 

[rynegne]

Designer with a smoky note? Nah...maybe some older stuff and possibly something like Le Labo's Patchouli 24...but I don't know for sure if it contains guaiacol.

Sounds nice. Do you know of any fragrances which use it to a noticeable degree? (Designer preferably)

 

[saminlondon]

Choya nakh (toasted sea shells) sounds intriguing but it's not commonly used.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Vintage oakmoss-based/containing fragrances, especially the one preceding current restrictions, always had a mellow, inoffensive but still pleasantly noticeable residual, marginal smokiness to me (dosed to achieve a minimal, yet just right right amount of quality smoky suggestions)

 

[swfinluv1]

Sounds nice. Do you know of any fragrances which use it to a noticeable degree? (Designer preferably)

I realize this is an old thread but if you're still interested, Aftelier Perfumes has a guaiacol isolate available if you'd like to try layering.

 

[HORNS]

There’s the aromachemical in Comme des Garçons 2 Man which smelled like a snuffed candle.

 

[Foamywax]

Bulgari black contains a "smoke" note.