Black Tea Fragrance Base THE 71795 SA (Firmenich) – Black Tea Accord
THE 71795 SA by Firmenich – Black Tea from the Lab
A cup of strongly brewed black tea with a plate of dried plums on the side: that sums up the impression of this Firmenich base. The name is simple – “thé” is French for tea, 71795 is the internal number. It gets interesting once you look at the manufacturer's data.
Contents
- What is THE 71795 SA?
- What does it smell like?
- The structure – a tea impression without tea
- Role in the formula
- Quick reference: chemistry and safety
- FAQ
1. What is THE 71795 SA?
THE 71795 SA is a finished perfumery base by Firmenich (today dsm-firmenich), not a single substance. It does not appear in the manufacturer’s public catalogue; the manufacturer's data is only available through trade. As a mixture, it has no CAS number of its own.
2. What does it smell like?
Freshly brewed black tea comes first: bitter-sweet, warm, with the slightly tannic dryness of a strong infusion. Underneath lies a soft, fruity sweetness reminiscent of dried fruit. On the blotter the base lasts around 120 hours.
3. The structure – a tea impression without tea
According to the manufacturer's data, 70–80 % of the base is a single ester: 1,1-dimethyl-2-phenylethyl butyrate (CAS 10094-34-5), known in perfumery as dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate. It smells fruity, towards plum and dried fruit – exactly the sweetness you notice in the base.
Next come 15–20 % 2-phenylethyl acetate (CAS 103-45-7), an ester with a rosy, honey-like character, and smaller amounts from the ionone family: methyl alpha-ionone (2.5–5 %), (E)-1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)pent-1-en-3-one (0.5–1 %) and alpha-iso-methyl ionone (0.1–0.5 %). Ionones stand for violet and orris – and beta-ionone is also one of the aroma compounds found in real black tea.
The result: a base with no tea extract at all that builds a convincing black tea from a fruity ester, a rose-honey ester and violet ketones.
4. Role in the formula
THE 71795 SA is used as a heart note, up to about 5 % in the perfume concentrate. It serves as the core of tea accords and can be taken in different directions:
- Osmanthus tea: osmanthus adds an apricot-like, slightly leathery facet to the dried-fruit sweetness.
- Milk oolong: lactones add a creamy, milky softness.
- Bright tea: ginger and lemon make the accord fresher and spicier.
- Dark tea: honey, rum or cognac add warmth and depth.
Combined with Green Tea Givco 228 it gives an accord of green leaf and dark infusion.
5. Quick reference: chemistry and safety
Full data is on the product page. In short: colourless to pale yellow liquid, flash point above 100 °C, insoluble in water. Classification according to the manufacturer's data: signal word “Danger”, H318 (serious eye damage) and H411 (toxic to aquatic life), plus EUH208.
FAQ about THE 71795 SA
Does THE 71795 SA contain real tea?
No. According to the manufacturer's data, the base consists of a fruity ester, phenylethyl acetate and ionones. The tea impression comes from how these materials work together.
What does the name mean?
“Thé” is the French word for tea. 71795 is the base’s internal number at Firmenich.
Where does the dried-fruit note come from?
From the main component, 1,1-dimethyl-2-phenylethyl butyrate (70–80 %), an ester with a fruity plum character.
What can the base be combined with?
With osmanthus, lactones, ginger, lemon, honey, rum or cognac – depending on the kind of tea you want.