Tobacco Leaf Absolute

#### Tobacco Leaf Absolute. From various species of **Nicotiana **(the tobacco plant) come the leaves which, in the cured state, are known as tobacco. An infinitely small percentage of the world production of these cured leaves ends up in the perfume raw material factories to be processed into concrète by petroleum ether or benzene extraction. The concrète is then extracted with alcohol to yield an absolute. This extraction is carried out in France and in the U.S.A., occasionally in other countries. The "Virginia" type of tobacco leaves is generally preferred, although other types have been used. **Latakia Absolute **is presumably produced from the Turkish or Syrian Latakia tobacco leaves. **Tobacco Leaf Absolute **from **Concrète **is a dark brown, semi-solid mass of strong, almost repulsive odor, faintly reminiscent of cigar tobacco. The color is somewhat prohibitive for the extensive use of this material, but there are several decolorized or almost colorless products available. By extraction of the tobacco leaf material with special solvents, and subsequent co-distilling the extract with a high-boiling, odorless solvent in a molecular still, a pale amber-colored, viscous liquid is obtained. In dilution, it has a typical cigar-tobacco fragrance. **Anhydrol**** ****Tobacco**** **(Givaudan) is a product of this type, however somewhat diluted due to the special method of distillation. It yields similar odor effects. **Resinoine Incolore Tabac **(P. Robertet & Cie.) is another product of this type, a powerful concentrate of the tobacco leaf odor. Steam distillation of the cured tobacco leaves has been attempted. It yields an essential oil which, on dilution, produces an odor fairly reminiscent of the tobacco odor. Due to the tremendous size of the tobacco industry, there has been extensive research on this subject, and those interested will easily find ample literature about the aromatic principles in the cured tobacco leaves. It is interesting to note that *phenylacetic acid *is a major constituent. This material has been used for half a century in artificial tobacco flavors (for shag and cigarettes). **Tobacco Leaf Absolute **(or **Anhydrol **or **Resinoine Incolore**, etc.) are used not only in the "tabac" type of modern or aldehydic perfumes, but also for "dry" and "masculine" effects in fantasy types, in Oriental blends, etc. These materials blend well with sandalwood, castoreum, labdanum, clary sage, vetiver, bergamot, methylionones, cedarwood derivatives, etc., and they produce effects which are very hard to imitate or match (with other materials).