What are the principal components of coconut taste, and how do they differ between fresh and stale coconuts?

I don't have more than a basic knowledge of chemistry and the information I have I translated from a German book on spices and seasoning. All errors are therefore mine. The book is basically a description of a huge amount of spices, herbs and other seasonings, as well as a description of the chemistry involved which leads to the taste.

The difference in taste between coconut milk (if canned, as I assume) and fresh coconut water is easily explained. Canned coconut milk is basically a purée of coconut flesh mixed with water, which is why it has a different taste. Sadly, the book did not contain information on whether or how the flavour compounds (is that the correct word?) differ from coconut flesh to coconut water.

The book gives the following flavour compounds as responsible for the taste:

?-Octalactone described as tasting creamy and of caramel

?-Octalactone sweet and fatty

2-Nonanone fruity, sweet and earthy

Limonene lemon and turpentine

Responsible for the smell are the following (I have no idea what the letters and number in the parenthesis are supposed to mean, I'll simply include them):

10% Caprylic acid (C 8:0)

10% Decanoic acid (C 10:0)

50% Lauric acid (C 12:0)

15% Myristic acid (C 14:0)

10% Palmitic acid (C 16:0)

5% Oleic acid (C 18:1)

I hope this helps somehow.

I have a fond attachment to coconut and can't do without it on a daily basis. I always use fresh coconut. Fresh coconut always is sweet and tasty in that sense. Also freshly squeezed home made coconut is tastier than store bought ones. The reason may be coconut has so much milk stored in the flesh which is tastiest when consumed fresh . Shelf life of coconut is not that longer if broken once. As days goes by it begins to get ripe losing the liquid content and dried up. You can very well taste the difference. Also if unused for a long time it gets spoiled, and the taste can be easily be found inedible. Ripe coconuts if not rotten can be sun dried and used in dishes it calls for, or can be used to obtain coconut oil. I hope it will all make sense only if you start using fresh coconut on a regular basis. Thanks.