Important Synthetic Flavor Compounds - Part 5 (methyl phenyl acetate, methyl para-tert-butyl phenyl acetate, dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate, methyl cinnamate, 2,6-dimethyl phenol, guaiacol, 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, eugenol, methyl anthranilate, vanillin)

Editor

09 Mar 2026 • 7 min read

Flavor compounds that flavorists need to know - part 5: methyl phenyl acetate, methyl para-tert-butyl phenyl acetate, dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate, methyl cinnamate, 2,6-dimethyl phenol, guaiacol, 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, eugenol, methyl anthranilate and vanillin

These are part of the 128 compounds that John Wright recommends every flavorist needs to know and work with.

Part 5 (methyl phenyl acetate, methyl para-tert-butyl phenyl acetate, dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate, methyl cinnamate, 2,6-dimethyl phenol, guaiacol or 2-methoxy phenol, 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, eugenol, methyl anthranilate, vanillin)

Methyl Phenyl Acetate

FEMA Number: 2733
Flavor Note(s): Honey, rosy, floral, fruity, green, slightly waxy-fatty. It has a sweet, fruity-floral character with a distinct honey-like nuance and the rosy floral aspect of the phenyl group .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Phenethyl alcohol (softer rose, less honey), phenylacetic acid (honey, more animalic), methyl phenylacetate (honey, but the ester itself), and other rose ketones.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with phenethyl alcohol, phenylacetic acid, and other floral and fruity notes in honey, rose, jasmine, and berry flavor complexes .
All Potential Applications: Honey, rose, jasmine, tropical floral, berry, and pear flavors for beverages, candies, and baked goods .
General Usage Levels: Used at low to moderate levels. Due to its strong, diffusive sweetness, it requires careful handling and is typically used in the low ppm range in finished products .
Important Considerations for Flavorists: It is a pale yellow clear liquid with a flash point of 200°F (93°C) . It should be stored in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from light and moisture . It is Food Grade, Kosher, Halal certified, and non-GMO. It is approved for use in China, Canada, Japan, Korea, and other countries . FEMA GRAS.

Methyl Para-Tert-Butyl Phenyl Acetate

FEMA Number: 2690
Flavor Note(s): While specific organoleptic notes were not detailed in the search results, as an ester of a substituted phenyl acetic acid, it likely provides a sweet, fruity-floral character with a unique tenacity and depth due to the bulky tert-butyl group.
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Other phenyl acetate esters like methyl phenyl acetate (lighter, more honey-like) or ethyl phenyl acetate.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Would likely be used with other floral and fruity notes to add depth and longevity to a flavor profile.
All Potential Applications: Flavoring agent for food and beverage applications .
General Usage Levels: No specific information found in search results, but likely used at low levels due to its potency.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: It has a flash point of 212°F (100°C) and a shelf life of 36 months when stored properly . It is Food Grade, Kosher, Halal certified, and non-GMO. It is approved for use in China, Canada, Japan, Korea, and other countries . FEMA GRAS.

Dimethyl Benzyl Carbinyl Butyrate

FEMA Number: 2394
Flavor Note(s): Floral, green, herbal, musty, and berry with a fresh melon nuance. The odor is floral, green, fruity, spicy, and waxy with a seedy, berry nuance .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Other benzyl carbinyl esters, ionones (berry-floral), and other esters with fruity-melon character.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with other floral, green, and fruity notes in berry, melon, and complex fruit flavor compositions.
All Potential Applications: Berry, melon, and other fruit flavors for beverages, candies, and baked goods.
General Usage Levels: Used at low levels, typically in the range of 0.5 to 10 ppm in the finished product.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: A colorless clear oily liquid with a flash point >212°F TCC . It is insoluble in water. Store in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from heat and light. Proper storage yields a shelf life of 24 months or longer . FEMA GRAS.

Methyl Cinnamate

FEMA Number: 2698
Flavor Note(s): Sweet, balsamic, strawberry, cherry, cinnamon. The flavor is cinnamyl, balsamic, spicy, fruity, mango, and papaya-like .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Ethyl cinnamate (softer, more fruity), cinnamyl acetate (floral-fruity), and other cinnamic acid esters.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with other fruit esters and aldehydes in strawberry, cherry, and tropical fruit flavors (mango, papaya). Also used in spice and balsamic flavor complexes.
All Potential Applications: Strawberry, cherry, mango, papaya, cinnamon, and balsamic flavors for beverages, candies, baked goods, and chewing gum.
General Usage Levels: Used at low to moderate levels. In finished products, typical usage ranges from 5 to 50 ppm.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: It appears as white crystalline fused solid with a flash point of 286°F TCC (141°C) . It is soluble in alcohol, dipropylene glycol, and fixed oils. Food Chemicals Codex listed . FEMA GRAS.

2,6-Dimethyl Phenol

FEMA Number: 3249
Flavor Note(s): Sweet, medicinal, phenolic, rooty, coffee. It has a characteristic phenolic, medicinal, and smoky odor with a rooty, coffee-like nuance .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Guaiacol (more smoky, less rooty), 2-methylphenol (cresol, more tarry), 4-ethylphenol (animal, smoky).
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with other phenolic compounds, pyrazines, and furanones in coffee, smoke, nut, and savory flavor complexes to add authentic smoky and roasted notes.
All Potential Applications: Coffee, smoke, bacon, nut, and some meaty and savory flavors for beverages, candies, and savory applications.
General Usage Levels: Very potent. Used at very low levels, typically from 0.1 to 5 ppm in the finished product.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: It appears as a white to yellowish orange solid with a melting point of 45-47°C . Flash point is 173°F TCC. It is soluble in hot water and alcohol . As a phenolic compound, it can be a skin irritant. FEMA GRAS.

Guaiacol (2-Methoxy Phenol)

FEMA Number: 2532
Flavor Note(s): Phenolic, smoky, spicy, vanilla, woody, medicinal, savory, meaty. It has a high odor strength and is best evaluated in a 1.00% solution or less . The flavor is woody, phenolic, bacon, savory, smoky, and medicinal .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: 4-Methylguaiacol (more smoky, vanilla), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (sweet, smoky, bacon-like), and other alkyl phenols and guaiacols.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with other phenolic and smoky compounds (cresols, xylenols) and pyrazines in smoke, bacon, coffee, vanilla, and roasted nut flavors.
All Potential Applications: Smoke, bacon, coffee, vanilla, whiskey, roasted nut, and some medicinal and savory flavors for beverages, candies, baked goods, and savory products.
General Usage Levels: Very potent. Used at very low levels, typically from 0.1 to 5 ppm in the finished product.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: Colorless to pale yellow clear oily liquid to solid with a melting point of 28-32°C . Flash point is 180°F TCC (82°C). It is soluble in alcohol. Occurs naturally in many foods including coffee, cheese, whiskey, and roasted peanuts . FEMA GRAS.

2,6-Dimethoxy Phenol (Syringol)

FEMA Number: 3137
Flavor Note(s): Smoky, phenolic, balsamic, bacon, powdery, woody, sweet, medicinal. It has high odor strength and is best evaluated in a 1.00% solution or less . The flavor is sweet, medicinal, creamy, meaty, vanilla, and spicy .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Guaiacol (smoky, but less bacon-like), 4-methylguaiacol (smoky, vanilla), and other methoxy phenols characteristic of wood smoke.
Compounds Often Used Together With: A key component in smoke flavors. Used with guaiacol, methylguaiacol, and other phenolic compounds in bacon, ham, smoke, grilled meat, and whiskey flavors.
All Potential Applications: Smoke, bacon, ham, grilled meat, whiskey, vanilla, and coffee flavors for beverages, savory products, and confectionery.
General Usage Levels: Extremely potent. Used at very low levels, typically in the range of 0.01 to 2 ppm in the finished product.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: It appears as a white to tan powder with a melting point of 54-57°C . Flash point is 284°F TCC (140°C). It is soluble in alcohol. Occurs naturally in beechwood tar creosote, coffee, maple syrup, smoke from hardwoods, tea, and whiskey . FEMA GRAS.

Eugenol

FEMA Number: 2467
Flavor Note(s): Spicy, clove, woody, sweet, phenolic. It is the primary character-impact compound of clove oil, providing its warm, pungent, and sweet-spicy aroma.
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Isoeugenol (softer, more floral-clove), methyl eugenol (spicy, but less intense), clove oil.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used with other spice notes (cinnamon, allspice) and sweeteners in clove, spice, and some fruit and savory flavor complexes.
All Potential Applications: Clove, spice blends, baked goods, chewing gum, candies, and oral care products.
General Usage Levels: Used at low to moderate levels. In finished products, typical usage ranges from 5 to 100 ppm, depending on the desired spicy intensity.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: In China, it is regulated as a synthetic food flavor and can only be used for that functional purpose, with specific applicable food categories and maximum content limits as per NHC regulations . Store in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from light. FEMA GRAS.

Methyl Anthranilate

FEMA Number: 2682
Flavor Note(s): Fruity, grape, orangeflower, neroli, musty, floral, powdery. It is the classic "Concord grape" character, with a sweet, fruity, and distinctive musty-floral nuance . The flavor is sweet, fruity, grape, musty, and berry .
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Ethyl anthranilate (grape, but less intense), dimethyl anthranilate, and other anthranilate esters.
Compounds Often Used Together With: An essential component in Concord grape and other grape flavors. Used with ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, and other fruity esters to build authentic grape profiles. Also used in berry and citrus flavors for floral depth.
All Potential Applications: Concord grape, other grape varieties, berry, citrus (orange flower), and fruit punch flavors for beverages, candies, baked goods, and chewing gum.
General Usage Levels: Used at low to moderate levels. In finished products, typical usage ranges from 5 to 50 ppm.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: Pale yellow to dark yellow clear liquid to solid with a melting point of 23-24.5°C . Flash point is 220°F TCC (104°C). It is Food Chemicals Codex listed . Occurs naturally in grapes, orange flower, jasmine, and various citrus oils . Store in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from light. FEMA GRAS.

Vanillin

FEMA Number: 3107
Flavor Note(s): Sweet, creamy, vanilla, heliotrope-like. It is the primary character-impact compound of vanilla, providing the characteristic sweet, creamy, and comforting vanilla aroma.
Compounds That Render Similar Flavor Note: Ethyl vanillin (more intense, sweeter, creamy), vanillyl alcohol, vanillin acetate, and other vanilla extracts.
Compounds Often Used Together With: Used extensively with ethyl vanillin, maltol, and other sweet and creamy notes in vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and fruit flavors for a vast range of applications.
All Potential Applications: Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, coffee, fruit, and dairy flavors for beverages, baked goods, candies, dairy products, and countless other food applications.
General Usage Levels: Used at moderate to high levels. In finished products, typical usage can range from 10 to 500 ppm or higher, depending on the application.
Important Considerations for Flavorists: White to off-white crystalline powder. Store in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from light. FEMA GRAS. d

###