Ethyl Maltol has a sugary, caramelized, strawberry-like smell reminiscent of cotton candy. It is a very strong ingredient, usually used in high dilution to sweeten blends or in conjunction with vanilla notes. When used in perfume, we would recommend you to use a dilution of 1% or less.
Small amounts along with fruity notes contribute to realistic fruit accords.
In particular, pineapple, strawberry and peach/nectarine/apricot are fragrance notes that can be realized by using Ethyl Maltol.
Jean Claude Elena, in his book Diary of a Nose, suggests that Ethyl Maltol in combination with Allyl Hexanoate can create an effective illusion of the smell of fresh pineapple. He says, "This exotic fruit needs only a few elements to unfold. A simple molecule called Allyl Hexanoate smells like pineapple, but also reminds us of some apple varieties; the differences between two smells are sometimes only slight. To get the right pineapple smell, it is important to add Ethyl Maltol."
He also points out that this substance, in combination with gamma-Octalactone and Stemone, can create an effective illusion of the smell of ripe figs. He says, "Stemone gives the impression of mint leaves or fig leaves, it depends on what I want to express with it." For the smell of ripe figs, Ellena recommends adding Ethyl Maltol. For the smell of dried figs, on the other hand, Iris Concrete.
In addition, Elena suggests that Ethyl Maltol, in combination with Fructone and, if necessary, Methyl Anthranilate, can create the illusion of a strawberry scent. In contrast to Aldehyde C16, which is supposed to smell like strawberries, Ellena prefers the following fragrance chords:
Fructone with Ethyl Maltol
And for wild strawberries:
Fructone
Ethyl Maltol
Methyl Anthranilate