Fusel Oil
Best Quality Goods supplies fusel oil to clients across the globe. We can tailor the final product to your specific needs, whether that’s by sourcing it from a preferred geographic region or providing it with a particular certification. And all backed up by the very high service standards for which Best Quality Goods has become known.
What is fusel oil?
Fusel oil, also known as iso amyl alcohol, fusel alcohol or fuselol, is a by-product of alcoholic fermentation. A fusel oil is one of a variety of mixtures of different ‘higher alcohols’, and contains 60-70% amyl alcohols and in particular isoamyl alcohol. Isoamyl alcohol can be extracted from fusel oil either by shaking the fusel oil with a strong brine solution to separate the oil from the brine or, more commonly, by distilling it.
Fusel oil gets its name from the German word ‘fusel’, which means ‘bad liquor’. Excessive concentrations of fusel oils in alcoholic drinks can create so-called ‘off’ flavours that ruin the taste of drinks like vodka and lager, where the alcohol should be tasteless ethanol. However, in some alcoholic drinks, such bourbon, rum, cider and traditional ales, a small presence of these ‘fiery’ fusel oils forms a key part of the drink’s flavour profile.
Uses of fusel oil
Fusel oil itself is used as a high boiling point solvent, for example in the lacquer industry. It also serves as a fragrance enhancer in the cosmetics industry. But for many, fusel oil is most important for its role as a raw material in other chemical processes.
As mentioned, fusel oil is a source of isoamyl alcohol. Isoamyl alcohol is a much sought-after product, as it can be used as a solvent or in esterification to produce various products, including amyl acetate. Amyl acetate has an attractive banana or pear odour and is a raw material in the production of synthetic banana oil. In fact, it is a key ingredient in many other synthetic fruit flavours, from apricot and orange to cherry and plum, as well as various whiskey flavours. It is also widely used to give a pleasant scent to all sorts of non-food products from perfumes to polishes.
Certifications
All our products are ISO 22000 certified and compliant with REACH. Additionally, we can certify your product as Kosher, Cosmos-approved, Ecocert, USP Grade or GMO-free. More information can be found on our certifications page.
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