MOLECULE
Also named 2-methoxyphenol in SmellBook’s evidence.
Named in 3 VERIFIED claims about 4 Atlas entries: Wood Smoke, Cardboard, Popcorn, Wet Cardboard.
Key odorant · the claim says “among its most potent odorants”
A gas chromatography–olfactometry study of condensed mixed-hardwood smoke found phenolic compounds such as guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol and 4-methylsyringol among its most potent odorants, alongside compounds such as 2,3-butanedione.
Scope: Supports the odorants of one condensed hardwood smoke studied for food smoking; open fires, other woods and burning conditions can differ. CLM-WOODSMOKE-001 ↗
Key odorant · the claim says “among the most intense”
Aroma extract dilution analysis detected 36 odour-active compounds in cardboard, with vanillin, (E)-2-nonenal, γ-nonalactone, 2-methoxyphenol and δ-decalactone among the most intense, and moistening the cardboard released them extensively.
Scope: Cardboard samples analysed in one study; cardboard varies with its fibres, recycling and storage. CLM-CARDBOARD-001 ↗
Linked to the odour · the claim says “may be partly responsible for typical popcorn aroma”
A comparison of popped popcorn hybrids suggested that volatiles including 2-furfurylthiol, methional, 4-vinylguaiacol, 2-pentylfuran, guaiacol and 2-acetylpyrrole may be partly responsible for typical popcorn aroma.
Scope: Six hot-air-popped hybrids; the links are correlations stated tentatively by the authors, without olfactometry. CLM-POPCORN-001 ↗
Key odorant · the claim says “among the most intense”
Aroma extract dilution analysis detected 36 odour-active compounds in cardboard, with vanillin, (E)-2-nonenal, γ-nonalactone, 2-methoxyphenol and δ-decalactone among the most intense, and moistening the cardboard released them extensively.
Scope: Cardboard samples analysed in one study; cardboard varies with its fibres, recycling and storage. CLM-CARDBOARD-001 ↗
LHGVFZTZFXWLCP-UHFFFAOYSA-NChecked against PubChem and Wikidata on 2026-10-02 (identifier check run 37063263965). Every name SmellBook uses must resolve to the same single PubChem compound.
SmellBook lists a molecule only where a VERIFIED claim names it, in the role and scope that claim states. A molecule reported in a smell's evidence is not the whole smell: most smells come from many compounds together, and the studies measured particular samples, such as one cultivar, an essential oil or a cooked product.
Permanent identifier smellbook:molecule:guaiacol · Graph record (JSON)
Cite as SmellBook. (2026). guaiacol (molecule). SmellBook knowledge graph, Strategy Phase 369. smellbook:molecule:guaiacol. https://smellbook.com/molecules/guaiacol
Dataset history In the SmellBook dataset since Strategy Phase 369.