Olibanum Absolute

#### Olibanum Absolute, so-called. Products offered under this name are usually prepared directly from **Olibanum **by alcohol extraction. The term "**Resin Absolute**" is generally applied to alcohol extracts of the crude botanical. A true **Absolute **should be prepared by extraction of the olibanum resinoid (see monograph) with ethyl alcohol, chilling, filtering and evaporating of the extract. This method will usually yield products of lighter color, particularly if the resinoid has been prepared by extraction with petroleum ether. In this case, the yield is considerably lower than the yield by benzene extraction. The commercially available **Olibanum Absolutes **can therefore generally be considered to be concentrated tinctures of olibanum. Alcohol will dissolve from *65% *to *85% *by weight of the crude olibanum. According to the quality and, particularly to the age of the olibanum, and also considering the mesh size, this material contains various amounts of alcohol-insoluble matter. However, the saturated alcoholic solution of olibanum (oil, resin, etc.) will dissolve certain components which would not be soluble individually in alcohol. This is where the difference between the so-called "resin-absolute" and the true absolute arises. The former type will cause more problems in perfume compounding or in the finished goods (e.g. aerosols, lotions, etc.), than will the truly alcohol-washed product. The difference between hot extracted and cold extracted resin-absolutes has been discussed in the monograph on **Myrrh**. It is actually possible to completely exhaust crude olibanum with ethyl alcohol without the application of heat, exclusively by stirring and repeated extraction. If the mixed extracts are chilled and filtered, and then cautiously evaporated at slightly reduced pressure, the resulting absolute will be of superior odor quality and excellent solubility. This type of olibanum extract competes favorably with the two-step- extracted, "true" absolute from the resinoid. **Olibanum**** ****Absolute**** **is a solid, but somewhat plastic mass of pale amber color (particularly pale when cold processed), and it has the characteristic odor of olibanum: it is free from terebinthinate or so-called "paint-can"-like odor. It has a fresh balsamic, yet dry and resinous, slightly green odor with a typical, fruity-green topnote and great tenacity. The oily-green topnote can remind one of unripe apples or certain fruit-esters. Olibanum absolute is usually prepared by the large users themselves since the preparation demands great knowledge of the raw material, and a strict control of the olibanum to be extracted. **Olibanum**** ****Anhydrol**** **and other, similar specialties are produced by molecular distillation of an extract of olibanum prepared with a highboiling, odorless solvent (see **Anhydrol**—Part One of this book). The absolute is used as a fixative with its distinct lemony-green, dry, fresh-balsamic note as a special effect. In combination with spice oils, particularly with a high grade cinnamon bark oil, olibanum absolute creates quite surprising odor complexes. A typically "powder"-effect in fragrance is obtained with combinations of olibanum, cinnamon bark, cinnamic alcohol, nitromusks and coumarin or coumarin derivatives. Excellent modifications are produced with ionones, methylionones, labdanum extracts or cistus oil (so-called), mimosa absolute, orange flower absolute, muguet bases and numerous other materials or compositions. A truly "Oriental" note can be created basically with sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, olibanum absolute and cinnamon bark oil for further perfume developing work.