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Bootlegger’s Bay Rum Scent Breakdown

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently mixed together some Bootlegger’s Bay rum, and I’ve really fallen in love with it. There’s been a hundred and one posts about it, but not many dedicated to breaking down and describing the resulting scent. Although I’m no expert, I thought I’d give it a shot for anyone wanting to know what it smells like.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Bootlegger’s Bay Rum is a B&B born mix of three commercial aftershaves:
• 1 part Pinaud Virgin Island Bay Rum
• 1 part Superior 70 Alcoholado
• 1 part Master Bay Rum

Naturally, the resulting mix has scent elements of all three, so let me lay out the primary profiles of each.

Pinaud VIBR: Off the bat, you get a nose full of clove. Once that settles, you’re greeted with warm holiday-like spices and cinnamon. There’s also a sweetness that underpins it all; not quite vanilla, but sweet and light in the same way.

Superior 70: this stuff is straight alcohol and West Indian bay extract, and that’s exactly what it smells like. Most describe West Indian bay as clove-y, and that’s mostly true. But it’s as if you took cloves and made it into a fresh, green, and very slightly herbal scent. That’s what real bay smells like. Honestly, it’s amazing how this stuff smells both warm and green/leafy at the same time.

Master: This also is mainly scented with West Indian bay extract, so it smells sort of similar to Superior 70. It loses that fresh leafy note, however, and replaces it with a sweet mellow undertone. As though you let Superior 70 caramelize and darken. The scent is mild — however, Master’s main purpose in the mix is its absurd amount of glycerin. This helps moisturize the resulting concoction.

So, what do you get when you mix these three? The new scent opens up with Superior 70: fresh, leafy, clove-y, bay; there’s no mistaking it. Underneath all this lie the spice and sweetness of VIBR: a sweeter and warmer clove, cinnamon, and vanilla-like sweetness. The Master’s doesn’t really present strongly — maybe a bit in the overall mellow sweetness as it dries down. But man can you feel it’s glycerin.

Overall, Bootlegger’s smells like real bay leaves wrapped in sweet and warm spices; i.e. it smells exactly how a bay rum should. It’s almost amazing how a 1:1:1 mix can make such a complex and well behaved aftershave.

If you’ve made Bootlegger’s before, how would you describe the scent? Agree, disagree? Everyone’s nose is different, but this is what mine tells me!
 
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Are these the other two ?
Amazon is way over priced but seems some other small companies might sell these ?

Just never sure where to get and if this is the correct ones :)
 

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OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Are these the other two ?
Amazon is way over priced but seems some other small companies might sell these ?

Just never sure where to get and if this is the correct ones :)

Yep, those are them. When I first started experimenting with the Original Bay Rum back in 2010, I could buy a 12 ounce bottle of Pinaud Virgin Island from Walgreens for $6 and some change in the shaving aisle.

I could also get Superior 70 from the same Walgreens for $1.50 in the ethnic section, as it was marketed as a medicinal rub instead of an aftershave. It wasn’t really known by many wet shavers back then, before I introduced it on the forum in my Bootlegger’s Bay Rum back in early 2011.

It has become quite popular since then with many pure bay rum ‘purists’. And not only has it gone up in price significantly since then, but it’s also harder to find if not shopping online.

A 12 ounce bottle of Master was easily picked up at Sally’s Beauty Supply back then for $6 before they quit stocking it also. So at least back then, I could easily and very inexpensively, mix up a 36 ounce lifetime supply of a classic and authentic smelling Bay Rum for about $14.

The good ole’ days…. ;)
 
thanks and YUP can relate to that pricing :)

for fun conversation the prices of some of the artisan ones are just to much for me in the sense of lasting no longer or less and no better face feel in general and not knocking them more power to them :)
just going to put that $ into some nice EDT EDP or whatever and enjoy the cheaper AS I am loving just as much and do not think about using as much as I want :)
whats funny is the wife always complements me smelling good when I put on Pinaud Clubman and Today with my cheap Cremo spice & something (forgot the exact name) cologne :)

got a bottle of pinaud vanilla a bit ago and not a fan at all on its own so might try that one you have with I think its english leather and the other pinaud special reserve or something :)

also might just have fun with some cheap ones doing various blends for fun as I do love to play with this shaving stuff
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
thanks and YUP can relate to that pricing :)

for fun conversation the prices of some of the artisan ones are just to much for me in the sense of lasting no longer or less and no better face feel in general and not knocking them more power to them :)
just going to put that $ into some nice EDT EDP or whatever and enjoy the cheaper AS I am loving just as much and do not think about using as much as I want :)
whats funny is the wife always complements me smelling good when I put on Pinaud Clubman and Today with my cheap Cremo spice & something (forgot the exact name) cologne :)

got a bottle of pinaud vanilla a bit ago and not a fan at all on its own so might try that one you have with I think its english leather and the other pinaud special reserve or something :)

also might just have fun with some cheap ones doing various blends for fun as I do love to play with this shaving stuff
I feel what you are saying. When I began experimenting back in 2010 with Bootlegger’s, Artisan brands hadn’t really became a thing yet and that’s where my focus started in creating aftershave mixes that took ordinary drugstore splashes and turned them into something better than just ordinary?

Artisan aftershaves are really good stuff for those who want to spend their money on it.
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I still like Superior 70 straight. After a BR soap shave it's the perfect finish.

Doesn't last all that long, but it's the scent I judge all other Bay Rums by.
If you like simple and basic, it doesn’t get anymore simple or basic then Superior 70. :)
 
If you like simple and basic, it doesn’t get anymore simple or basic then Superior 70. :)
I've also used it as a liniment. When my knees are aching, I can apply some Sup 70 and message really well. After the alcohol evaporates the remaining oil lubricates so you're not stretching the skin. I get a real deep message that helps some with the pain. And the mild scent doesn't linger long so I don't smell like Aspercreme or Absorbine Jr. :thumbsup:
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I've also used it as a liniment. When my knees are aching, I can apply some Sup 70 and message really well. After the alcohol evaporates the remaining oil lubricates so you're not stretching the skin. I get a real deep message that helps some with the pain. And the mild scent doesn't linger long so I don't smell like Aspercreme or Absorbine Jr. :thumbsup:

I use it on mosquito bites. Takes the itch right away. I still have two full bottles from the original case I bought back in 2010. I have made gallons of Bootlegger’s with it over the years. :)
 
To that using as bug bite I could see that :)

When I lived in Central America Avon skin so soft was the go to mosquito repellant I always said it only works cause they land fall over and get stuck in it :)

Sure other places its known as that to
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Can anyone recommend the best source for all 3? (best as in lowest price shipped)

It’s the shipping from various places that raise the price of obtaining all three, so unless you have Amazon Prime or can find free shipping from an online store?

However, even with the cost of shipping, if one considers that even with shipping costs, after getting all 3, you can make a whopping 36 ounces of Bootlegger’s Bay Rum which is an entire lifetime supply of an excellent bay rum. 36 ounces? That’s 2 pounds and 4 ounces of bay rum!

I personally think that’s a great deal even with shipping costs when compared to the prices of getting just 4 ounces from many artisan bay rums.

Bootlegger’s Bay Rum is a great classic smelling and great feeling bay rum that’s simple to make and simple in how it works. Nothing complicated and nothing expensive.

Simple and cheap. I like simple & cheap. The way it should be. :)
 
It’s the shipping from various places that raise the price of obtaining all three, so unless you have Amazon Prime or can find free shipping from an online store?

However, even with the cost of shipping, if one considers that even with shipping costs, after getting all 3, you can make a whopping 36 ounces of Bootlegger’s Bay Rum which is an entire lifetime supply of an excellent bay rum. 36 ounces? That’s 2 pounds and 4 ounces of bay rum!

I personally think that’s a great deal even with shipping costs when compared to the prices of getting just 4 ounces from many artisan bay rums.

Bootlegger’s Bay Rum is a great classic smelling and great feeling bay rum that’s simple to make and simple in how it works. Nothing complicated and nothing expensive.

Simple and cheap. I like simple & cheap. The way it should be. :)
That's it, I can't take it any more.

...and I have Amazon Prime so Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion.

I'll report back.

I have all it takes to make it.

Waiting on a couple more hot sauce bottles to empty, so I can do several at one time.

I'd like to put a few away to get some age on them.

:001_smile
Do you repurpose Cholulah bottles, and if so, did you paint one of the wood caps green? I remember seeing someone here some time ago that does that, and thought maybe that was you.
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I have all it takes to make it.

Waiting on a couple more hot sauce bottles to empty, so I can do several at one time.

I'd like to put a few away to get some age on them.

:001_smile

Very smart thinking. I do the same. I like to go ahead and mix up all 36 possible ounces of Bootlegger’s Original Bay Rum and then decant them into 6, 6 ounce glass bottles.

I’m currently using an open bottle that has about 3 years on it sitting in a dark, cool storage closet. It’s only a 1/4 empty and will probably take another two to three years to finish. When I eventually do, I have 4 more bottles in storage. If I’m still healthy and kicking with all my wits and scruples by the time there are only two left?

I will make more. There isn’t a better Bay Rum splash then aged Bay Rum. :)
 
That's it, I can't take it any more.

...and I have Amazon Prime so Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion.

I'll report back.

All 3 bottles of Bootlegger's components en route. I've been using too much of my vintage Avon Bay Rum lately, so I'm looking forward to having 36 ounces of the highly regarded Bootlegger's to swim around in.
 
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