The structure determination confirms the stereochemistry of the title compound, C
21
H
35
NO
3
, obtained as an intermediate in the enantioselective synthesis of deoxynojirimicine analogs. The system contains a pyrrolo[1,2-
a
]azocine backbone, which was synthesized by a domino process involving a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. The incorporation of a chiral auxiliary (−)-menthyl, whose stereocentres are not involved during the synthesis, enables the assignation of absolute configuration. The crystal structure features O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the hydroxy groups as donors and the carbonyl groups as acceptors, which link the molecules into chains running along [010].