Juniper berry CO2 extract

Gin, pine resin, pepper, green berry, a little wood. Rounder and sweeter than the oil; resin and fruit show more than sharp terpenes.

Juniper berry CO2 extract has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index. Monoterpenes such as α-pinene oxidise easily; oxidised terpenes increase skin sensitisation risk.

Limonene is present and is an EU-labelled allergen above threshold. Store dark, sealed and cool with little headspace.

Juniperus communis is a coniferous shrub spread across the northern hemisphere. The berry is a fleshy female cone that takes about two years to ripen from green to blue-purple. Berries are harvested by beating branches and collecting the fall.

The Balkans, including North Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia, are a major source of wild juniper berries for the European market. Most output goes to gin.

CO2 extraction uses compressed carbon dioxide as the solvent. Under subcritical conditions CO2 takes mainly the volatile fraction, giving a product called a select extract. Under supercritical conditions it also takes lipids and non-volatiles, giving a total extract. On depressurisation the CO2 evaporates completely and leaves no solvent residue.

The CO2 extract keeps sesquiterpenes and resin that the oil loses, so it smells rounder and more like a crushed dried berry. α-Pinene and myrcene ratios vary with source and ripeness.

In perfumery juniper CO2 serves resinous tops in colognes, woody accords and gin-themed fragrances. It pairs with citrus, cardamom, pepper, cedarwood and vetiver.

The word gin derives from genever, the Dutch name for juniper. Dutch genever was the forerunner of English gin.

Juniper CO2 is usually a pale yellow liquid that dissolves well in ethanol. It is best bought in quantities used quickly, since terpenes oxidise fast once opened.