CLOVE LEAF OIL – a spicy, warm, aromatic essential oil with hints of clove, dry wood, and soft leather.

Warm and spicy, slightly woody and oriental fragrance. The essential oil is obtained from the leaves and sprigs of cloves in the carnation-growing areas of northeastern Madagascar. Distillation occurs through "direct distillation," which is the same as aqueous distillation. These plants are mostly very primitive. Clove stems are almost always found among the leaves and sprigs, but these only appear during and immediately after the harvesting of the clove buds (in Madagascar, only one bud is harvested per year). It is estimated that of the 1,000 tons of clove oil produced annually in Madagascar, approximately 80% is obtained from the leaves and 20% from the clove stems. The oil is usually bottled, but a large quantity of oil with a high eugenol content, sold separately, can be obtained by distilling the raw material with a "high stem content."

In its raw, natural form, clove leaf oil is dark brown, often purple or purple-brown, and may have some residue or cloudiness. Wholesale producers in Madagascar and France carefully filter and dehydrate the oil before shipping it for export, typically obtaining oils with a very high eugenol content. In Europe or the United States, the crude oil is generally rectified (steam or vacuum distillation) before being used in perfumery or flavorings. However, most clove oil is used in the chemical industry for the extraction of eugenol, which ranges from 82% to 88%. The oil also contains a significant amount of the sesquiterpene caryophyllene, which is extracted in the production of eugenol. Caryophyllene is used in perfumery, particularly in the production of certain essential oils, such as cubeb oil, black pepper oil, and others. Recently, caryophyllene has been used as a raw material for the production of exciting new fragrance compositions. Neither eugenol nor caryophyllene are yet produced synthetically on an industrial scale.

The aroma of crude clove leaf oil is quite pungent, phenolic, slightly sweet, with a "burnt bread" note, and is clearly distinct from the eugenol aroma and clove bud oil. Woodiness and dryness are probably the most characteristic notes of clove leaf oil.

Rectified clove oil (sometimes called redistillate) is pale yellow and transparent; it has a sweeter scent than crude oil, is less pungent and burnt, but still slightly dry and woody. Its scent is much closer to that of eugenol. Rectified clove oil can be used in all types of spicy perfume compositions. However, in soap making, the risk of discoloration at higher concentrations must be considered. Lye, in the presence of a significant amount of clove oil, leads to brown, iron, and purple-violet discoloration. On the other hand, only eugenol alone imparts a typical spice aroma. None of its non-phenolic derivatives (methyl eugenol, eugenol acetate, etc.) impart such a spicy effect to perfumes. Therefore, there is no substitute for clove oil or eugenol if the hydroxyl group (-OH group) in the eugenol molecule is occupied or "inactivated." Consequently, there are no white soaps that contain significant amounts of eugenol or clove oil. Soaps with a spicy scent are usually colored amber or brown ("Windsor," etc.), masking the color change.

In the production of food flavorings, clove bud oil and sometimes clove bud extract are preferred, as these products convey the true flavor of cloves to a greater extent and are much more complex than simple "eugenol" flavorings. The minimum amount of clove leaf oil (unrefined) is only one-third the normal amount for a high-quality clove bud oil. However, the flavor of clove leaf oil is not suitable for food use. It does not reproduce the aroma of clove buds as many consumers know them. The noticeable strength of the clove leaf oil's aroma is likely due to the presence of lower aldehydes, furfural, etc., which are often present in the essential oils of leaves and other green plants. Eugenol extracted from clove leaf oil is used in pharmaceutical and dental products, in the synthesis of vanillin, and in the production of eugenol derivatives. Eugenol is not produced synthetically on an industrial scale, and clove oil is the cheapest raw material for extracting this important aromatic substance. In terms of production, clove oil is among the top 12 essential oils in the world.