In short
Oakwood CO2 extract is made from toasted oak chips, often barrel-making offcuts. It smells of a wine barrel: woody, vanillic, dry-fruity and smoky.
What Oakwood CO2 Extract smells like
dsm-firmenich lists its oakwood chip SFE extract as woody, vanilla, phenolic, fruity and liqueur-like; Osmoz describes oak-wood extract as dry and liqueur-like with light dry-fruit and vanilla tones. Fraterworks, whose extract is made from offcuts of wine-barrel oak, calls it the scent of smoky, newly sawn oak; Hermitage Oils makes it from medium-toasted chips and finds an aged grade balsamic, with vanilla-cream and rum-like notes.
- Leading note
- Oak
- Clear facets
- Vanilla
- Supporting facets
- Smoky, dried fruit, boozy
- Character
- Warm, dry
What makes Oakwood CO2 Extract distinctive
The barrel itself: oak, toast and vanilla, as in a cellar.
How Oakwood CO2 Extract is used
Used for barrel, whisky and wood effects in woody, gourmand and boozy accords.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Oakwood CO2 Extract differs from similar materials
- Whisky Lactone
- Whisky lactone is the single molecule behind oak's coconut note; oakwood CO2 is the whole toasted wood, with vanilla, smoke and dried fruit.
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
No CAS number specific to the CO2 extract was confirmed. One supplier notes it does not dilute in oils or IPM because of its water content.
Identity and classification
- Type
- CO2 extract
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Woody / Gourmand
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Also known as
- Oakwood CO2, Oak wood extract
- Botanical source
- Quercus robur L.
No CAS number is shown: suppliers use different identifiers for this material, and none could be confirmed as its own.
Safety and compliance
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
-
Whisky Lactone
Aroma chemical · Woody / Gourmand — oak, coconut, woody, sweet
-
Vanillin
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy
-
Cognac Oil (Green)
Essential oil · Fruity / Green — winey, fruity, oily, cognac
Oakwood CO2 Extract is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Rhumacetal.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 8 published formulas
Oakwood CO2 Extract is an ingredient in 6 perfume formulas and 2 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Oakwood CO2 Extract
Is Oakwood CO2 Extract natural or synthetic?
Oakwood CO2 Extract is natural. It is an extract obtained from plant material with carbon dioxide under pressure (supercritical or subcritical), with no solvent left behind.
Which published formulas use Oakwood CO2 Extract?
Oakwood CO2 Extract is used in 8 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Apple Cellar, Beeswax Throne and Dark Rum Cabinet. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- dsm-firmenich — Oakwood chip SFE — manufacturer's description.
- Osmoz — Oak (Quercus robur) — published perfumery reference.
- Fraterworks — Oakwood CO2 60% TEC — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.