2-Methylbutyraldehyde has a powerful, choking odor with a peculiar cocoa and coffee-like flavor when diluted. It has a sweet,
slightly fruity, chocolate-like taste. May be prepared by oxidation
of sec-butylcarbinol isolated from fermented fusel oil; the dl-form
from sec-butyl magnesium bromide and formaldehyde; by reduction of methylethylacetic acid.
Reported found in apple juice, berries, grapes, papaya, peach, kohlrabi, onion, leek, peas, potato, bell pepper, tomato, peppermint and spearmint oil, breads, cheeses, milk, egg, fatty and lean fish, meats, beer, cognac, rum, cocoa, coffee,
tea, filberts, peanuts, pecans, oat flakes, soybean, olive, passion fruit, plum, beans, mushrooms, trassi, macadamia nut, tamarind,
cardamom, rice, quince, lovage leaf, pumpkin, sweet corn, laurel, malt, clary sage, truffle, clam, scallops, squid, Chinese quince and
Roman chamomile oil, black currant and Swiss cheese.
characteristics at 10 ppm: green, fruity, musty with a berry nuance, musty, furfural and rummy, with
nutty and cereal notes, caramel and fruity undernotes.
