Hay Absolute
Odour
Powerful and extremely sweet, quite diffusive, coumarin-like and faintly herbaceous, very uniform and tenacious. The undertone is almost jam-like sweet, reminiscent of figs or preserved prunes in odor type.
Flavour
Could be used in flavors, but the coumarin-ban is, at least ethically, extended to such natural products which contain significant amounts of coumarin.
Blends well with
Common adulterants
- deertongue extract
- flouve
- melilotus extract
- methyl coumarins
- synthetic coumarin
- tonka extract
- woodruff extract
See also
Used as a blend partner in
Notes
There is a distinct difference among hay absolutes extracted from hay without flowers, with flowers, or with seed. An absolute is also prepared from Alpine grass (Hierochlea Alpina) by a Grasse perfume house. Plain compositions of natural and synthetic materials are occasionally offered under the label 'hay absolute'.
Full Arctander text
#### Hay Absolute.
The term "**Hay**" in this place refers to the type "new mown hay", also called "foin coupé". This type of fragrance has been desirable for perfume base creations for many decades, and it is quite surprising that a "natural" new mown hay product was not developed long before it did appear on the market.
There are various kinds of **Hay**** ****Absolute**** **available, and it is hard to give exact data on starting materials, processing or yields. The botanical material is extracted with petroleum ether to produce a concrète. The absolute is prepared by alcohol washing of the concrète.
Generally, the commercially available **Hay Absolutes **are viscous liquids, dark amber, dark green or brownish green in color, occasionally they are soft masses of olive-brown color. The odor is powerful and extremely sweet, quite diffusive, coumarin-like and faintly herbaceous, very uniform and tenacious. The undertone is almost jam-like sweet, reminiscent of figs or preserved prunes in odor type. There is a distinct difference among the hay absolutes extracted from hay without flowers, with flowers, or with seed. See also monograph on **Flouve**** ****Absolute**.
An absolute is also prepared from "Alpine grass", **Hierochlea**** ****Alpina**, by a Grasse perfume house.
**Hay**** ****Absolute**** **is used in perfumery not only in "new mown hay" bases, or in combination with flouve, melilotus, tonka, woodruff, deertongue, etc., but also as an individual note to be introduced whenever a truly herbaceous-sweet undertone is required: in lavender, fougère, chypre, colognes, tea-notes, "tabac"-notes, forest-notes and various bouquets. Interesting effects are obtained with hay absolute in jasmin bases, orange flower bases, etc. Hay absolute could be used in flavors, but the coumarin-ban is, at least ethically, extended at such natural products which contain significant amounts of coumarin. Flouve absolute (which *may** *contain coumarin!) is slightly superior to hay absolute in respect to versatility in flavor use.
**Hay**** ****Absolute**** **is produced in France only, and in very limited quantities. However, the demand is weak, and an increased production is quite possible since the botanical material is present. The absolute may be adulterated with deertongue extract, flouve (no economical gain), melilotus extract, tonka extract, woodruff extract, synthetic coumarin or various methyl coumarins, etc.
Occasionally, plain compositions of natural and synthetic materials are offered under the label "hay absolute". True **Hay Absolutes **do exist, however.
See also **Hay**** ****Oil,**** ****Flouve**** ****Absolute,**** ****Flouve**** ****Oil.**