I finally learned why old growth pine smells like vanilla when you cut it

Hugo Craig · 2026-10-07T17:50:03.337608+00:00

Was resawing some reclaimed longleaf pine from a barn in Georgia last month and the whole shop smelled like a bakery, so I looked it up and found out it's a chemical called vanillin that the tree makes as it ages. I always figured it was just the resin or something, but apparently trees over 80 years old build up way more of it, which is why the new stuff from the yard smells totally different. Has anyone else noticed this with other old woods, or is it just a pine thing?

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I finally learned why old growth pine smells like vanilla when you cut it | Carpenters - Opinions Matter