Hyraceum

Say ithye-RAY-see-um

Phenolic, urinous and tarry-leathery, with barnyard, wild-honey and scorched-earth warmth.

What it is: Natural absolute from petrified urine-and-dung middens of the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis).
Where it comes from: southern Africa
When you smell it: Dry-down: hours later.
What perfumers do with it: Cruelty-free animal note; stands in for civet and castoreum in leather, oud and animalic accords.
Worth knowing: Some hyrax middens have built up over tens of thousands of years; scientists use them to reconstruct ancient climates.
Also called: Africa stone; hyrax absolute or tincture

Not on the label of any of the 232 perfumes read so far.

Sources