On 2/19/2018 11:59 AM, John Doe wrote:
Yes, the "sap pocket" explanation makes perfect sense,
especially since nothing else does.

It appeared to be moist wood, not liquid. Been there for
decades.

Learn something new every day. Now I know natural turpentine
smells like.

Thanks to the replies.

The scent of pine can hang around for a very long time whether there is a
pitch pocket or not. While doing a remodeling project a couple of years I
used some 2X4 lumber left over from demolition for blocking. The scent of
the wood was as fresh as I've come to expect from fresh lumber even though
it had spent 50+ years in the wall.