January Scent Project Northern Flicker via the brand
Deep let us breathe the ripeness and savor of balsam,
Tears that the pines have wept in sorrow sweet.~ excerpt from Among the Pines by Lucy Maud Montgomery
John Biebel of January Scent Project
Artisanal perfumer John Biebel of January Scent Project is one of those polymaths who rarely sleep: self-taught perfumer, fine artist, photographer, musician, writer, editor, and professional user experience designer. In addition, there are his innovative abilities as a cook, overall handyman, indomitable traveler, and lover of languages. John’s considerable gift as a nose nothwithstanding, it is always a joy and privilege to smell whatever he has put his hand to, because it’s bound to be unique. In a world rife with ego, he is the exception: modest, cordial and sincere, you would be hard-pressed not to take a shine to him. When I became aware of his latest composition Northern Flicker, I decided to buy it blind rather than ask him for a sample – because I believe in supporting our artisans.
Ida’s giclée print of Pine Bough from John’s Walden series
John Biebel is a native New Englander: born in Connecticut, he lived in Massachusetts for a long time before moving to Rhode Island. He has been smitten with Walden Pond over the years and has depicted it in all seasons. I mention this because January Scent Project Northern Flicker is a labor of love which reflects his lifelong affection for natural settings. When I learned that he had employed exquisite pine absolutes and other conifers (which were sourced locally in the Americas), I immediately associated these with John’s admiration for the native woodland woodpecker and his Concord rambles. All the moving pieces fit together.
January Scent Project Northern Flicker perfume construction via flyer included with the fragrance
Every aspect of Northern Flicker is infused with intention – right down to the designation of aromatic materials. Who else would classify them as a) air notes; b) bird notes; c) needle notes; and d) tree notes – instead of the customary pyramid/triad configuration? Each stage is a movement in a scented symphony. John’s overture echoes the brisk, tonic nature of the great outdoors through his choice of both crisp and mellow mint tones in concert with bergamot and a radiant dash of Hedione: they make the air shimmer with a clarion-bright luminosity. How do we arrive at the bird itself? To evoke the animalic with an eye/nose towards veracity, John has created both feathery and darker musk accords. These he combines with that rarity in perfume – fossilized amber, which is not a blend of vanilla, labdanum and benzoin – nor is it styrax (liquidambar). This format yields a smoky, tarry, leathery oil possessed of dry woody facets which are overlaid with pine and balsam, richly complex in character. A touch of the tropical ginger lily harmonizes, adding just the measured amount of intense sweetness and floralcy for balance. Our flicker foreshadows the forest; it dovetails.
January Scent Project Northern Flicker and fir boughd via the brand
Needles comprise the intense jamminess of conifers; they are balsamic and nigh edible in their allure. Poplar bud absolute contributes its nuances of honey, fruit, and resin – as well as excellent fixative qualities; no wonder Edmond Roudnitska included it in his famous Prunol base. I swoon over balsam fir, and would love to get my nose on his antique absolute; a peppery touch of clove for piquancy, a tangy black currant leaf accord – and our third phase is complete. Finally, the accompanying tree notes are conjured via smoky vetiver, the sweet dry (cedary) warmth of hiba wood, resinous labdanum, tobacco, and a fruity Trat oud from Thailand. The woodland anthem and portrait of the Northern Flicker in its environs is consummate. Northern Flicker is a limited edition eau de parfum which wears like an extrait, with marvelous tenacity. Its naturalism is vibrant and sans pareil; if you crave a sylvan breath of fresh air, it’s a fine choice. Walden. Thoreau. Northern Flicker.
Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald,
Ich hört die Vöglein singen;
Sie sangen so jung, sie sangen so alt,
Die kleinen Waldvögelein im grünen Wald!
Wie gern hört ich sie singen! ~ from Des Knabens Wunderhorn (Gustave Mahler), text attributed to poets Ludwig Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano
(Translation: I went joyfully through the green wood, I heard the little birds sing;
They sang so young, they sang so old,
The little woodland birds in the verdant forest!
How gladly I heard them sing!)
Air notes: peppermint (US), spearmint (US), Hedione, bergamot;Bird notes: white musk accord, dark musk accord, fossilized amber, ginger lily; Needle notes: Ponderosa pine (US), pine absolute (France), clove, poplar bud absolute, antique balsam for leaf (~ 80 years old), blackcurrant leaf accord; Tree notes: vetiver Java, Japanese cypress (hiba wood), cistus labdanum, tobacco absolute, oud Thailand (Trat region)
I purchased my own bottle. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
January Scent Project Northern Flicker in box courtesy of the brand
Thanks to the generosity of perfumer John Biebel, we have one bottle of January Scent Project Northern Flicker for one registered ÇaFleureBon reader worldwide (to countries which can receive shipments from the U.S. which excludes Russia and Ukraine). To be eligible please leave a comment on this site with what strikes you about Ida’s review and where you live. Giveaway closes 2/18/2025
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