In short
Ethyl undecylenate (ethyl 10-undecenoate) is a waxy, fruity ester with a creamy, soapy body and cognac-like warmth. It is used in boozy and dried-fruit accords.
What Ethyl Undecylenate smells like
Fraterworks describes ethyl undecylenate as waxy fruitiness — clean, soapy and unexpectedly smooth — with a creamy sweetness and warm, cognac-like undertones lending boozy richness, and suggests it for rum, brandy and dried-fruit compositions. It notes a fatty character if overdosed. Gerard Mosciano's evaluation, as The Good Scents Company publishes it, is fatty, waxy and fruity with sweet, creamy and soapy nuances; the same database's full-strength listing adds clean and cognac-like.
- Leading note
- Waxy fruit
- Supporting facets
- Soapy, creamy, cognac
- Character
- Smooth
What makes Ethyl Undecylenate distinctive
A fruity ester with a winey, cognac-like warmth.
How Ethyl Undecylenate is used
Used in rum, brandy and dried-fruit accords, and to lift creamy-soapy florals.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Ethyl Undecylenate differs from similar materials
- Guavanate
- Guavanate is tropical guava and mango with a creamy side; ethyl undecylenate is waxy and soapy, its fruit warm and cognac-like rather than tropical.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Made from undecylenic acid, which is obtained from castor oil; the record is classed as semi-synthetic on that basis.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Semi-synthetic
- Odour family
- Fruity / Gourmand
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Ethyl 10-undecenoate, Ethyl undec-10-enoate
- CAS number
- 692-86-4
- Molecular formula
- C13H24O2
- Molecular weight
- 212.33 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- ethyl undec-10-enoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 12729, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 24 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory report it as not meeting the GHS hazard criteria (236 of 236 reports). Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Cognac Oil (Green)
Essential oil · Fruity / Green — winey, fruity, oily, cognac
-
Ethyl Maltol
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Fruity — candyfloss, caramel, sweet, jammy
-
Aldehyde C-11 Undecylenic (10-Undecenal)
Aroma chemical · Aldehydic / Floral — aldehydic, waxy, clean, ozonic
Ethyl Undecylenate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Rum CO2 Extract.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Ethyl Undecylenate is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Ethyl Undecylenate
Is Ethyl Undecylenate natural or synthetic?
Ethyl Undecylenate is semi-synthetic: it is made by chemically modifying a natural raw material.
What is the CAS number of Ethyl Undecylenate?
692-86-4. It was checked against PubChem on 24 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Ethyl Undecylenate?
Ethyl Undecylenate is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Paper Accord and Stone Nave. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 12729, checked 24 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Fraterworks — Ethyl Undecylenate — distributor's description.
- PubChem — ethyl undec-10-enoate (CID 12729) — odour database.
- The Good Scents Company — ethyl undecylenate (with Mosciano's evaluation) — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.