Cachalox
Note Profile
About
Cachalox is a Firmenich captive molecule in the ambroxan family. It smells warm, dry and ambery, with a woody depth and a mineral, crystalline edge. It is a synthetic stand-in for the warmth of natural ambergris, not for its full complexity.
Scent Profile
Cachalox smells warm, dry and ambery, close to the warmth of natural ambergris. A woody depth sets it apart from plainer ambroxan materials, giving it more structure than radiance. Underneath sits a clean, musky skin-warmth that clings the way ambergris does, and a mineral, crystalline edge cuts through the amber. It is dry rather than sweet, with no smoke in it at all.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
Cachalox is made by synthesis. Firmenich holds it as a captive, so it is not sold to third parties on its own. It reaches perfumers inside Ambrox DL, a Firmenich blend that the supplier Fraterworks describes as 70% racemic Cetalox and 30% Cachalox. No CAS number, structure or manufacturer olfactive sheet for the molecule itself could be found. The name points at the sperm whale (cachalot), the animal that produces natural ambergris, but nothing animal is used to make it.
Usage in Perfumery
Used as a base note for warmth and longevity. Agoratopia describes it as 'a strong, ambery foundation that enhances the complexity and longevity of a fragrance' and pairs it with resins, woods and florals. In practice a perfumer meets it as the woody-depth part of Ambrox DL rather than as a material weighed on its own.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Cachalox
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Cachalox appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.