A process for preparing 4-cyclohexyl-2-methyl-2-butanol, comprising: a) reaction of styrene with isopropanol at elevated temperature to obtain 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2-butanol, and b) heterogeneously catalyzed hydrogenation of 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2-butanol over a catalyst suitable for ring hydrogenation of aromatics, where the molar ratio of the styrene used in step a) to the isopropanol used in step a) is in the range from 1:below 5 to 1:0.5.