Strike dark, wild heart
Hidden in bitter green
The camphor mist
Where the shadows of fleshy leaves
Merge with the furry breath
Of black soils
Strike dark, wild heart
To the rhythm of distant drums
By glowing fires
Beyond the lurking eyes
In the underbrush
Strike dark, wild heart
Under the black silk
Rain-soaked blossoms
On my skin
Strike dark, wild heart
Because it’s not the sun
That makes the moon shine
But the darkness
***
The small Swiss manufactory N.O.A.M. - short for New Oceans And Meridians - aims to open up foreign worlds to us through olfactory means and invites us to leave familiar paths and expand horizons with complex, original scents made from the highest quality raw materials. In the case of Dark Heart of Papua, this journey leads us with a seamlessly blended mix of hand-picked oud and patchouli varieties right into the dark green hell of a tropical jungle.
Hand on heart: I don’t know much about oud and often have trouble distinguishing it from patchouli, depending on the provenance. Dark Heart of Papua seems designed to finally blur this elusive boundary for me. After a sparkling green opening with plenty of minty camphor, underscored by slightly smoky galbanum, where I perceive a minimal hint of barn-like oud, the fragrance reveals rugged woods that gradually become softer, eventually crumbling into a bitter, earthy jungle floor rooted deep in vetiver.
Leather-animalic notes have left their paw prints here, leading to ink-bitter moss paths, until unexpectedly flower petals shimmer. Occasionally, fine threads of smoke and bitter herbs curl through the picture, yet the fragrance, in all its darkness, becomes a softly whispering floral leather.
Dark Heart of Papua maintains a masterful balance between preserving the raw originality of the essences used and the artisanal finesse of a self-taught exceptional talent, creating a pull in all conceivable shades of green that makes at least my wild dark heart beat a little faster.
Thank you very much, dear Svezenkar, for unexpectedly sparing me from sniffing an empty vial.
Once again, a true delight, your evocative description that pulls me right into the experience with every fiber of my being, even without knowing the scent itself.
Thank you for your "flower-leather-soft whisper" in your verses!
Wonderful text! So beautifully written, and I follow you into the scent picture with your description of the notes (even though my fragrance preferences are currently quite far from the direction of many artisan labels).
Interesting text! But that still won't make Oud and Patchouli appealing to me :-D Still, the brand sounds intriguing! Are there any less animalic-musty scents, more in the 'green' direction?
A dark poem, this scent! Very beautifully and congenially captured. (Only the word "hell" in the prose part bothers me.) Regarding the boundaries between fragrance notes: The spectrum is so broad with some special raw materials that it’s not always easy to distinguish. I had the privilege of smelling and comparing half a dozen different Oud oils from various origins. An incredible range of facets! There simply isn’t THE Oud, just as there isn’t THE Patchouli or THE Vetiver. A certain blur remains, and the fact that individual notes can carry aspects of others makes it all the more exciting. When, as here, a whole array of different Oud and Patchouli varieties are artfully combined in a fragrance, it’s simply the apotheosis of a dark jungle scent, where boundaries become completely irrelevant.
A poem like a prayer from the depths of the soul, really beautifully written. And I'm a bit relieved that I'm not the only one who sometimes has to search for scent boundaries - especially with oud, I've only taken a brief look from afar at the possible scent dimensions.
I can hear the heartbeat of the drums behind the green pulsing mists. ♡
An amazing journey.
A gifted author.
An exceptional perfumer.
A fantastic review.
This scent is so wonderfully mysterious and versatile! Your words enchant it even more. - PS: No cocoa for you? I definitely get it, like bitter chocolate-patchouli.
Unfortunately, I hardly know any fragrances from the brand, but what I regularly read about them really appeals to me. Thank you for introducing me to this gem.
You've found very fitting words for this exceptional fragrance. This wild jungle green, in all its shades, its complete purity, and the skillful, loving craftsmanship behind it all make this scent what it is. I'm so happy for you!
Although I found the scent not very "perfumey," your enthusiasm is contagious! And since NOAM is regularly sold out, it won't bother me to look for other things. I think the painted labels are absolutely beautiful!
And once again, I willingly stumble into your images, which are so beautiful and hypnotic (and are made from two materials that are among the most challenging for me, but I don’t smell, I breathe it in).
You must have picked something special for the anniversary review - everything I've known from N.O.A.M. so far has been great, I'm glad a bottle has found its way to you…
A lovely description from you, surely a good scent, but what about perfume? I can't make much sense of these vials, tubes, and the dozens of fragrance notes in them! For me, a good perfume starts with a beautiful bottle! I'm following this development with interest, though!
Thank you for your "flower-leather-soft whisper" in your verses!
Rroo ka do ka do goong ka do ka roo ka doong doong.....
a poem drums
it drums so beautifully
if only the prices weren't so high
An amazing journey.
A gifted author.
An exceptional perfumer.
A fantastic review.
I'm now listening a bit longer to the drums from afar ☺️
I'm so happy for you!
Wonderful review. 🙏