Bay Rum Question

[Buxwheat]

Also posted in Frag Forum, since this is about AS's, colognes, and soaps, but more so, bay rum scent in general:

I bought a brush a few months back from another B&B member. When it arrived it smelled great. I asked him what soap he had been using: MW Bay Rum. I decided right then that I must like Bay Rum. (Years ago I didn't like the smell at all, but my only experience was with Royall and Dominca.) I am now buying different bay rums. The first one I got was a sample of Captain's Choice. Although it is billed as not having any clove in it, it smelled like it did to me, and lots of cinnamon. Pretty good, but I'm glad I only bought a sample. Next I found Honeybee Gardens. I already had their Sandalwood and liked it so I picked up their bay rum. This one I really like. Reminds me of the MW bay rum soap. So now I have pulled the trigger and ordered the Ogallala sampler and a puck of the plain bay rum soap. I hope that these will impress me enough to try others, including the Dominica and Royall. Maybe even Masters and Pinaud. I better just get samples of all of these because my cabinet is beginning to get overrun with AS's. The consequences of yet another AD.


So how would you compare the Ogallala, Royall, and Dominca using the MW bay rum soap scent or the HBG as a standard, or even against Captain's Choice?


Thanks for the input. Awaiting my shipment from Nebraska.

 

[dcobranchi]

I've only tried the Master, but it is about as basic as you can get. Three ingredients: water, bay leaf oil, and alcohol (in that order). Smells great and lasts a long time.

 

[ChiefBroom]

I've tried Pinaud (it came with some other stuff I bought on BST), Dominica Original and w/ Lime, and Captain's Choice. I don't care much for the Pinaud, and neither does my wife. My favorite by far is the Dominica with Lime, but I also like and use the other Dominica as well as Captain's Choice. It really comes down to personal preference. I agree with you, however; the CC strikes me as a little too "spicey" for my taste, although I don't think clove is an ingredient.

 

[wagstaff]

I've tried a pretty wide range of Bay Rums at this point, but... it's been literally decades since I smelled the Royall Bay Rhum, and I've not tried the HBG, so your baselines are not familiar to me. CC has no clove at all, so whatever spice you're not liking is not cloves. Pinaud's VIBR is very clovey indeed. But if that's not what you're not-liking in the CC, maybe you do like cloves and just don't know it?

I like them all; for my own tastes, I like cloves, but I like them very understated. I like the "sweet" smell ok, but also like that very understated. CC is probably my favorite day to day, mostly because of the face feel. I like the scent. It's a tad too sweet for me. If you like sweet, you'll like the Ogallala. Which is way too sweet for me (at least their basic is; they have the flavored varieties, which are a different thing). Gilbert Henry is somewhat milky, a good healer of razorburn, slightly sweet. Krampert's is probably my favorite for after a bad shave -- just really healing; it is not too sweet, but it is more clovey. I like the Dominica with Lime a bunch, for smell. Regular Dominica is good, too. Both of those last a bit less, and I prefer the way CC makes my skin feel.

None of which ought to influence you, really... except insofar as sorting out what sorts of things you like and don't like in terms of 1) clove or 2) other spice scents, 3) "sweetness" in the scent, and 4) what you expect your AS to do as far as face-feel -- a refreshing thing after a perfect shave, or a more healing thing after a less stellar shave, is how I think of them.

CC has become my own favored daily juice. I'm quite curious about the HBG. It's a toss-up for function, still, between Krampert's and Gilbert Henry for after a more irritating shave. Krampert's is a much better price and pretty magically healing (it says on the label "if you need more moisturizing, use more!" -- and it does work that way). I wish the clove scent were less. I wish the GH scent was less sweet, but that's a lesser issue to my nose.

I've used the Dominica and the Dominica with lime a few days in a row, since I got samples from Garry. Those are more "daily, after a good shave" sorts of things for me, too. I like them a bit less than the CC. (With Lime a whole lot more than without, too).

Finally, for me, Emsplace makes an after shave and after bath splash that hits the right notes for me. It's not sweet. The cloves are very subdued. I'm going to guess it'll be too spicy for you, scent wise, because it's got other spiciness to it. Heavily witch-hazel based, acts as lighter fare as far as face-feel.

 

[ChiefBroom]

<snip>I've used the Dominica and the Dominica with lime a few days in a row, since I got samples from Garry. Those are more "daily, after a good shave" sorts of things for me, too. I like them a bit less than the CC. <snip>

Great response! Although Dominica, especially w/ lime, is my favorite Bay Rum (so far), I agree with your comment. It doesn't feel "curative" to me (like, say, Musgo). But it's refreshing. Many days I'll use Musgo and/or Proraso after shaving and splash on some Dominca in the afternoon just because it feels good.

 

[wagstaff]

I'm with you on the Dominica with Lime being super refreshing. I've been using something else as my "afternoon splash" on occasion, but that might be the replacement.
I also just ordered some more samples and will be getting one of the Captain's Cat 'o Nine Tails. I'm actually scared of it, a bit; I don't mind the burn after a bad shave to show me how bad, but I don't like the burn for burn's sake, I don't think. But I liked the original product so much that the curiosity for the Cat was just too much.

In addition to the HBG, I want to try St. John's Bay Rum, also. (And some others I've seen mentioned on recent threads...) But price is an impediment. That and... I have enough AS for the moment.

 

[doug1066]

I am a fan of the Dominica. The others either have too much allspice or cinnamon in them for me.

 

[ChiefBroom]

I don't mind the burn after a bad shave to show me how bad, but I don't like the burn for burn's sake, I don't think. But I liked the original product so much that the curiosity for the Cat was just too much.

In addition to the HBG, I want to try St. John's Bay Rum, also. (And some others I've seen mentioned on recent threads...) But price is an impediment. That and... I have enough AS for the moment.

I used to be into burn-for-burns-sake with alum. I loved it. But I noticed it was starting to cause little tiny wrinkles, or at least I'm pretty sure it was. And when I quit using it, they went away.

The more expensive Bay Rums I've tried in stores smelled and acted more like colognes, which isn't what I want from a Bay Rum.

 

[Buxwheat]

Thanks for the responses, especially wagstaff and ChiefBroom. I think this gives me an idea of what to try next. For those who haven't tried HBG AS's, they are made with natural ingredients and oils as well as a dose of witch hazel, so they are pretty healing and leave a good face feel. CC had some burn to it which I don't mind and indeed left a good face feel. Maybe I don't recognize clove, I thought I did, so maybe clove is not the scent that I am not liking so much. The CC Cat 'o Nine Tails sounds interesting! Probably evokes the Macaulay Clulkin response to Brut in "Home Alone". After trying the Ogallalas when they arrive, I'll get some samples of the ones mentioned in the above replies.

Thanks again, Gents.

 

[ChiefBroom]

I've seen several comments to the effect users thought CC was a bit clovey, but the maker (who is a B&B member) clarified that clove is not an ingredient. I wonder what it is we're smelling. It's not bad, just a distinguishing quality that some like more than others.

 

[TheVez2]

Here are the Bay Rums I have tried.

Captain's Choice: Top notch, exactly what you expect when you think of bay rum. Great balanced scent. The Cat 'o Nine Tails, is the same but adds a good burn. It's not an instantaneous burn, but one that slowly progresses. It peaks out with a nice hot burn.

Ogallala Bay Rum: Only tried a sample of this but I remember it being pretty good. Not quite as good as Captain's Choice, but similar.

Dominica Bay Rum Lime: I love this one just for the lime. A great island scent. Not sure how the bay rum itself is, but I'd guess it's similar to Ogallala.

Pinaud Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum: Very spicy and clovey. Great bay rum scent, and lots of instantaneous burn. The burn is more intense than Cat 'o Nine Tails, and lasts longer in my experience. Lots of alcohol, not very moisturizing.

Master Bay Rum: Only bay oil in this one, no spicyness at all. This one is very sweet. High glycerin content makes it kinda sticky.

Superior 70 Bay Rum: Very cheap and simple. Bay Oil scented, but has a great scent. Very light on your face. The best bang for your buck, hands down. But still kinds one dimensional.

I used to mix Pinaud and Master (dubbed PinMaster). It is a great balance of the two, tones down the heat of the Pinaud, and also the stickiness of the Master. The scent is great and balanced as well.

Then I discovered adding in the third component of Superior 70. We have called the Pinaud/Master/Superior mix "Bootlegger's Bay Rum". The balanced scent created by the three of these is amazing. Definitely puts Bootlegger's in the caliber of Ogallala or Captain's Choice. It is cheap and easy to make. This is now my go-to bay rum.

 

[BC1]

The best Iv'e tried so far, is St. Johns Bay Rum, but it's costly. Very refined and complex. Captain's Choice is less than half the cost, but is very different. It has a thick sweet chutney kind of smell to it and does have a nice face feel. Royal was spicy though not as refined as the St. Johns. Both had a lighter feeling on the face, more of a light cologne. Superior 70 is very much like Masters, very one dimensional, but cheap ($2.50). I add glycerin to this one.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Here are the Bay Rums I have tried.
<snip>
Then I discovered adding in the third component of Superior 70. We have called the Pinaud/Master/Superior mix "Bootlegger's Bay Rum". The balanced scent created by the three of these is amazing. Definitely puts Bootlegger's in the caliber of Ogallala or Captain's Choice. It is cheap and easy to make. This is now my go-to bay rum.

Great post!

 

[Buxwheat]

Great post!

X2! As cheap as they are, I might have to buy all three just for the "Bootlegger's Bay Rum" experience. (At this time inside my head I hear Jimi singing, "Have you ever been experienced?")

 

[ChiefBroom]

X2! As cheap as they are, I might have to buy all three just for the "Bootlegger's Bay Rum" experience. (At this time inside my head I hear Jimi singing, "Have you ever been experienced?")

I'm headed to Walgreen's and Sally's shortly.

And it would seem were are from the same era.

 

[wagstaff]

I used to be into burn-for-burns-sake with alum. /snip The more expensive Bay Rums I've tried in stores smelled and acted more like colognes, which isn't what I want from a Bay Rum. .

That was what I was trying to find out about the Cat 'O Nine, though... alum is not just the burn for burn's sake. You might have loved it for that reason! But it is antiseptic. It serves that function. Like alcohol burn. I really like the CC, and was trying to find out if the "burn" does something functional or is just for those of us who like... the burn. And I think it's all about being 'invigorating". Still, I'm gonna try it!

I like this Bootlegger's idea, in part just for how inexpensive it is. I don't know how to get all three of those ingredients easily. Online may have to be the way, should I go that route. (I also don't have a way to print up the groovy labels!)

Could you elaborate on smelling/acting like colognes? Does that mean more alcohol, no glycerin or other moisturizer ("acting")? And is the smelling more about longevity of scent? Or intensity? Or something else? I'm really new to colognes, trying to figure that out. I have some of the Ogallala because I bought the bonanza pack. It's surprisingly short-lived, so probably not typical. At least on my skin.

 

[FauxPax]

Maybe I was born yesterday, but what does MW stand for?

Also posted in Frag Forum, since this is about AS's, colognes, and soaps, but more so, bay rum scent in general:

I bought a brush a few months back from another B&B member. When it arrived it smelled great. I asked him what soap he had been using: MW Bay Rum. I decided right then that I must like Bay Rum. (Years ago I didn't like the smell at all, but my only experience was with Royall and Dominca.) I am now buying different bay rums. The first one I got was a sample of Captain's Choice. Although it is billed as not having any clove in it, it smelled like it did to me, and lots of cinnamon. Pretty good, but I'm glad I only bought a sample. Next I found Honeybee Gardens. I already had their Sandalwood and liked it so I picked up their bay rum. This one I really like. Reminds me of the MW bay rum soap. So now I have pulled the trigger and ordered the Ogallala sampler and a puck of the plain bay rum soap. I hope that these will impress me enough to try others, including the Dominica and Royall. Maybe even Masters and Pinaud. I better just get samples of all of these because my cabinet is beginning to get overrun with AS's. The consequences of yet another AD.


So how would you compare the Ogallala, Royall, and Dominca using the MW bay rum soap scent or the HBG as a standard, or even against Captain's Choice?


Thanks for the input. Awaiting my shipment from Nebraska.

 

[TheVez2]

Mystic Water Soap.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Could you elaborate on smelling/acting like colognes? Does that mean more alcohol, no glycerin or other moisturizer ("acting")? And is the smelling more about longevity of scent? Or intensity? Or something else? I'm really new to colognes, trying to figure that out. I have some of the Ogallala because I bought the bonanza pack. It's surprisingly short-lived, so probably not typical. At least on my skin.

I was afraid someone might ask that. My use of the term in this context was entirely subjective, although I suspect there's an underlying objective basis for it. I offered the comment without thinking about it much, and before this past year I was never into aftershaves and still am not into colognes, although I picked up a bottle of 1903, which I don't like nearly as well scent-wise as the shaving cream or the balm.

All of that said, based on experience with these things over the past year and my general sense of how the terms are used, I think of an AS as being simpler (i.e., less complex), in both scent and formulation. Also less intense, so that it's refreshing to splash on a goodly amount of AS, and then maybe do it again a few hours later just because it feels good, whereas doing that with a cologne would likely part the halls and clear the elevators for the rest of the morning. I also think of colognes as being longer lasting than aftershaves. And finally, it would never occur to me to massage on, let's say, 1903 cologne (or pick any other) for it's conditioning, rejuvenating, and/or invigorating effects, whereas I do exactly that with Musgo Real, Proraso, and Dominica Bay Rum, et al. aftershaves.

Again, this is speaking from my sense, not any dictionary (which I haven't consulted) sense. I'd be interested to hear what others think.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I used to be into burn-for-burns-sake with alum. I loved it. But I noticed it was starting to cause little tiny wrinkles, or at least I'm pretty sure it was. And when I quit using it, they went away.

The more expensive Bay Rums I've tried in stores smelled and acted more like colognes, which isn't what I want from a Bay Rum.

Alum didn't have a "burn", to me, I'd call that in the "sting" category, much the same as you get from alcohol based AS splashes, only it lasts longer. The Cat'O'Nine bay rum will have some of that sting as well, since alcohol is a component, but what happens after that is an actual warmth/heated feeling that builds to a peak of a burn feeling, then fades off.

I'm not sure what others are smelling when they get cloves from either of the Captain's Choice bay rums, since I get almost no spice scent from them. Faint hint maybe of cinnamon or cardamom. Either way, what I like most about the Captain's Choice stuff is that is has no perfumey/powdery component. Nothing sweet and such to it. I picked up a sample of Master's Bay Rum, and it has a very powder smell to it, so the sample has not been used after the first test on my arm.

Ogallala is my other keep it in stock. Mostly witch hazel for a base, so alcohol sting is minimum/non-existent. Again, it has no artificial perfumey/powdery scent, but definitely has spice/cloves heavy on the top notes, but they fade back pretty fast. The other Ogallala I've been loving is the Lime and Peppercorn Bay Rum they have. I confess, I mix that one a few drops to the rest being Captain's Choice in my palm and use it that way.