Terpinolene: Smell, Formula, CAS Number and Pine Terpene Guide

What is terpinolene?

Terpinolene is a colourless liquid terpene built from ten carbon atoms. Chemists classify it as a cyclic monoterpene: two isoprene units joined into a single six-membered ring with a double bond inside the ring and another sitting outside it. Its formula is C10H16 and its molecular weight is 136.23 g/mol, according to PubChem’s terpinolene record.

You will also see it called alpha-terpinolene, delta-terpinene or isoterpinene. Its systematic name is 1-methyl-4-propan-2-ylidenecyclohexene. The name is a reminder of its close relatives, the terpinenes and terpineol, which share the same carbon skeleton.

If you are new to the topic, our guide to what terpenes are covers the basics before the detail below.

What does terpinolene smell like?

Terpinolene has a fresh, sweet pine aroma. PubChem’s entries describe the odour as “sweet, pine” and “pine-like”, and its flavour as somewhat sweet with a citrus character. In practice, many people read it as a lighter, greener pine than the sharp resin of alpha-pinene, with a floral, herbal lift on top.

That mix is why terpinolene suits so many blends. It sits between three worlds: the conifer note of pine, the brightness of citrus and the soft sweetness of flowers. Smelled on its own and undiluted it can come across as solvent-like, so flavourists judge it in dilution and in context rather than from the bottle.

Here is how those impressions break down in a finished aroma:

• Top: a fresh, slightly citrus brightness that fades first.
• Middle: sweet pine, herbal and lightly floral notes.
• Base: a woody, resinous finish when it is paired with heavier terpenes.

What are the key facts about terpinolene?

The table below puts terpinolene next to three other common terpenes so you can compare the numbers. Data comes from PubChem records for each molecule.

A few more figures help with handling. Terpinolene has a density of about 0.86 g/mL at 15 C, so it floats on water. It is practically insoluble in water, at about 9.5 mg/L, but mixes freely with ethanol and dissolves in oils. Reported flash points differ between data sources, from about 37 C to 64 C closed cup, so treat it as flammable and keep it away from heat and flames.

Where is terpinolene found in nature?

Terpinolene occurs in the essential oils of many plants, usually as a minor component. It is best known from tea tree oil. The international standard for tea tree oil, ISO 4730, allows terpinolene at 1.5 to 5% of the oil, and a typical sample in one published review contained about 3.1%. The same review notes that a distinct “terpinolene chemotype” of the tea tree plant exists, which is a variety whose oil is dominated by terpinolene instead of the usual terpinen-4-ol. You can read the table yourself in the review on PubMed Central.

Beyond tea tree, terpinolene is reported in conifer oils, nutmeg, cumin, lilac and apples, where it adds a fresh, piney-sweet note to a larger mixture. Amounts vary with plant variety, region and how the oil is extracted, so figures from one study should never be treated as a universal number.

It also appears in the cannabis plant. In lab reports on dried flower, terpinolene is less often the leading terpene than myrcene, caryophyllene or limonene, but a handful of well-known varieties such as Jack Herer, Ghost Train Haze and Durban Poison are widely reported as terpinolene-led. Cannabis flower is a controlled drug in the UK and Elite Terpenez does not sell it; we mention strain names only because they are common flavour references for makers.

How is terpinolene different from limonene and pinene?

Limonene and terpinolene are isomers: both are C10H16, both are cyclic, and they differ only in where the double bonds sit. That small change moves the smell from orange peel to sweet pine. It is a good example of why the formula alone never tells you how a terpene smells.

Alpha-pinene, covered in our pinene guide, is also C10H16 but has a bicyclic structure and a sharper, resinous pine smell. Terpinolene is usually described as softer and sweeter than pinene, with more herbal and floral colour. Limonene, myrcene and terpinolene together are common building blocks of a citrus-pine flavour.

Two other relatives are worth knowing. Alpha-terpinene and gamma-terpinene are further C10H16 isomers found alongside terpinolene in tea tree oil. They carry a woody, lemony, herbal smell and are usually met as part of a blend instead of on their own.

How is terpinolene sourced?

Terpinolene reaches a finished flavour or aroma profile by one of three routes:

• Isolated or fractionated from essential oils: the molecule is separated out of conifer, tea tree or other oils and used as a building block. It can also be made commercially by rearranging pinene from turpentine.
• Present in a whole plant extract: terpinolene alongside the other terpenes the plant made, as in cannabis-derived terpenes (CDTs).
• Present in a botanical blend: terpinolene combined with other botanical-derived terpenes (BDTs) to recreate a target aroma.

Which route suits you depends on whether you want one clean pine-citrus note or a layered, strain-like profile. A layered profile usually smells more natural, while an isolated note is more predictable from batch to batch.

Which Elite Terpenez profiles have a pine-and-citrus aroma?

Elite Terpenez sells many profiles with a fresh pine and citrus direction across the Premium, Natural, Classic Strains and DNA lines. We do not state the contents of any profile, so the table shows each profile’s listed aroma notes only. Profiles with a pine-and-citrus aroma such as these are a good place to start:

For a bright, pine-led direction, start with the two Jack Herer profiles. For a sweeter, floral take, look at Ghost Train Haze. For a spiced, anise-like twist on pine and citrus, try Durban Poison. To browse more, see the Premium Line and Natural Terpenes collections, or the full Flavour Catalogue.

For cannabinoid content of any profile other than the Diamond Line, contact us and we will confirm before you order. Diamond Line terpenes contain no THC or other cannabinoids.

What does terpinolene pair with?

Terpinolene is a connector. It bridges citrus and pine, and it softens heavier earthy or spicy notes. Use these pairings as a guide when you plan a blend or choose between profiles:

These are separate profiles from the Elite range, each with its own listed notes. They show the direction of the pairing and say nothing about what any bottle contains. If you want a lemon-forward companion, see our guide to citral.

How do makers use terpinolene for flavour and aroma?

Makers reach for a terpinolene-style profile when they want a clean, fresh, slightly sweet pine rather than a heavy, resinous one. It reads as light and green, which suits clear liquids, drinks and confectionery as well as fragrance work. It also pairs easily with citrus when you want a lift without a pure fruit note.

A few practical points:

• Build, do not stack: pair a piney profile with a sweet or floral one to avoid a flat, single-note result.
• Start low: fresh pine notes read as clean at a low dose but can turn harsh or solvent-like when overdone.
• Test small: run a small batch, wait a day, and re-smell it before scaling.
• Expect drift: terpenes oxidise in air, and aged pine can smell flat or like old turpentine.

What are the starting cuts and handling rules?

Terpene profiles are concentrated and must never be used undiluted. Elite Terpenez’s starting cuts are 6% for vape cartridges, 4% for concentrates, 2% for tinctures, 1% for edibles, 0.5% for beverages and 3% for topicals. Use the terpene mixing calculator to turn a percentage into a weight, and always test a small batch first.

Terpinolene has a notable hazard profile. PubChem’s classification lists it as a flammable liquid that can be fatal if swallowed and enters the airways, irritates skin and can cause an allergic skin reaction in some people. Wear gloves and eye protection, keep it away from children, pets, heat and flames, and work in a ventilated space. For general workplace guidance, see the HSE’s COSHH basics. Products are for adults (18+) only.

Storage

Store terpene bottles tightly closed in a cool, dark place; refrigerated is ideal. Light, warmth and air all speed up oxidation, so a half-empty bottle left open will lose its freshness faster than a full, closed one. Decant what you need and reseal promptly.

If a pine-citrus profile starts to smell flat, resinous or sharply solvent-like rather than fresh, it has probably aged, and it is better to test a fresh bottle than to adjust your recipe to compensate. Label the date you opened each bottle so you can track how long it has been in use.

Sizes and bulk

Profiles come in 2 ml, 5 ml and 10 ml bottles. For larger runs, ask about bulk on the wholesale and bulk page. Free UK delivery on orders over £80.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to build a fresh pine and citrus flavour? Browse the Premium, Natural and Classic Strains ranges, order samples in 2 ml bottles, or contact us for bulk quantities and to confirm anything about a profile before you order.