MALTOL

Maltol has a sweet smell associated with caramel and jam-like fruit. In perfume, it can help suggest cooked sugar or give fruit a richer, confectionery character. This makes it useful in gourmand compositions, where the scent recalls edible treats, but its effect depends on the other materials and how much is used. A little sweetness can sit within a much drier fragrance.

Maltol is a specific molecule, distinct from ethyl maltol; the two names are not interchangeable. It is also different from malt, the prepared cereal grain. Suppliers offer both synthetic maltol and a documented naturally sourced grade from sugar cane, so the name alone does not specify its origin. “Praline” describes a possible sweet association, not another chemical name for maltol or proof of nuts, chocolate or actual sugar in a perfume.