Abstract: The invention includes (6E)- and (6Z)-isomers of 3,6-dimethyloct-6-en-1-ols and 6-ethyl-3-methyloct-6-en-1-ols and their mixtures. The mixtures are free from their corresponding oct-5-ene double bond isomers. Processes of preparing odorant compositions containing these compositions are also provided.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with odorant compositions which contain macrocycles, namely 15- to 17-membered compounds of the formula: wherein the dotted line signifies an optional additional bond, X and Y stand for methylene or C2-12-polymethylene, optionally substituted with an additional methyl group, and A signifies hydrogen or methyl in the case of the unsaturated compounds and methyl in the case of the saturated compounds, with the proviso that the unsaturated compounds are present to more than 80% in the cis form when A signifies hydrogen and are present to more than 50% in the cis form when A signifies methyl, with the exception of Z-oxacyclopentadec-6-en-2-one (15-membered ring), Z-oxacycloheptadec-8-en-2-one (17-membered ring), and Z-oxacycloheptadec-11-en-2-one (17-membered ring), a process for the manufacture of the compounds of formula I and the use of the compounds of formula I as odorants.