Synthetics
Koavone smells like a complex, woody floral with balsamic, pine, amber and violet nuances.
Luebke, William tgsc, (1988): Woody floral pine balsam violet methyl ionone
IFF: Woody, floral complex with amber and violet nuances. a highly diffusive product that can be used to enhance amber notes. at high levels an aldehydic, pine needle oil effect is realised
Pell Wall Perfumes: Woody floral-violet, toffee, balsamic, ionone-like. diffusive
In scent & chemistry the odour of koavone is described as being “somewhere between n-methyl alpha ionone and isomethyl-alpha-ionone, with pronounced orris facets and an additional woody-ambery character.” they go on to suggest that most orris effects in perfumery are created by “touching up different ionone and methyl ionone qualities with woody (e.g. koavone…) and fatty green-floral odourants such as (2e, 6z)-nona-2,6-dienal.”