What's new

which bay rum to try after VIBR?

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Tried Superior 70 this morning...

It's definitely different from VIBR. Almost like a totally different fragrance. Agree? Maybe more "manly" and even more old-barber-shop than VIBR.

And the sting is different: instead of a 2-second sharp burn that disappears as with VIBR, it comes on strong for a few seconds and then smolders for a good long while.

Which is all neither here nor there. Maybe I'll grow to like it. But so far, I'd say VIBR is more for me.

Now that you have PVIBR and Superior 70, if you picked up a bottle of Master Bay Rum which is cheap and mixed the three? You would have about 64 ounces of Bootlegger’s Bay Rum which is a lifetime supply of Bay Rum. :)
 
Tried Superior 70 this morning...

It's definitely different from VIBR. Almost like a totally different fragrance. Agree? Maybe more "manly" and even more old-barber-shop than VIBR.

And the sting is different: instead of a 2-second sharp burn that disappears as with VIBR, it comes on strong for a few seconds and then smolders for a good long while.

Which is all neither here nor there. Maybe I'll grow to like it. But so far, I'd say VIBR is more for me.
I consider superior 70 a more traditional bay rum, PVIBR I don’t think is. You could say Superior 70 is traditional bay rum and Ogallala at the other end of bay rums. Pinauds is somewhere in the middle, but more towards the spicy Ogallala side. There are hundreds of different takes on bay rums and all bring something unique to the table.
You really can’t go wrong buying the cheaper versions, it will at least give you a sense on what you like in a bay rum.
 
another vote for TOBS!!
excellent balance of scent, skin toning, briskness, longevity; just right amount of cloves and alcohol.

mike's lavender art of shaving fether taylor of old bond street bay rum june 29 2018.jpg
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Bay Rum unfortunately does not belong to the Italian barbershop tradition, hence my knowledge on this specific product is very limited. That said, I find Captain's Choice amazing and my overall #1 pick.
 
Not an expert, but having eleven, yes eleven, different Bay Rums has helped shape my opinion on what is worth having, and believe me, some are a waste. Allow me to mention Colonel Conk Bay Rum. A mild warm spice, the clove is subdued, a hint of vanilla, so some sweetness exists. There is a richness to Colonel Conk Bay Rum that is nice. And the old-fashioned apothecary bottle it comes in is neat. If there is a Bay rum which will gain complements, this one will, at least it has for me. It beats the pants off of many Bay Rums, even some of the ones that are blathered about on this site.
 
Not an expert, but having eleven, yes eleven, different Bay Rums has helped shape my opinion on what is worth having, and believe me, some are a waste. Allow me to mention Colonel Conk Bay Rum. A mild warm spice, the clove is subdued, a hint of vanilla, so some sweetness exists. There is a richness to Colonel Conk Bay Rum that is nice. And the old-fashioned apothecary bottle it comes in is neat. If there is a Bay rum which will gain complements, this one will, at least it has for me. It beats the pants off of many Bay Rums, even some of the ones that are blathered about on this site.
I agree.
Colonel Conk is pungent and complex, with a multi-spice profile. Not traditional, but strong and satisfying.
Taylor's is more controversial. Some swear by it, but to others it's off-putting or at least, an acquired taste. Medicinal overtones have been alleged.
St Johns and Royall are bay rum specialists, so you might want to try them, just to see how they interpret it.

Gents come to bay rums with their own pre-conceived notions and prejudices about what it should be. To-day, bay rums are a world of their own.
Bay rum was created in the early 1800's in the West Indies from a few local ingredients. It was simply the leaves or seeds of the bay tree, macerated and steeped in rum. Sometimes West Indian lime was added. That's all! It was applied to ward off stinging insects (such as mosquitos), the pleasant scent was a secondary benefit. It was exported to England in Victorian times and gained popularity across the empire as a cheap after-shave. It gained a foot-hold in the Americas at the same time.

Pinaud has been making it since the late 1800's. It originally came in glass tomb-stone bottles just like Lilac Vegetal. They made it part of their cheap Clubman line in the 1940's. It's been in plastic bottles since the 1980's, and benefits from decanting into glass. You can use an old Lilac Vegetal bottle, as long as you wash it out well. Some one here did that, even transferred the bay rum label over to it. It matched perfectly. Ingenious!
 
I agree.
Colonel Conk is pungent and complex, with a multi-spice profile. Not traditional, but strong and satisfying.
Taylor's is more controversial. Some swear by it, but to others it's off-putting or at least, an acquired taste. Medicinal overtones have been alleged.
St Johns and Royall are bay rum specialists, so you might want to try them, just to see how they interpret it.

Gents come to bay rums with their own pre-conceived notions and prejudices about what it should be. To-day, bay rums are a world of their own.
Bay rum was created in the early 1800's in the West Indies from a few local ingredients. It was simply the leaves or seeds of the bay tree, macerated and steeped in rum. Sometimes West Indian lime was added. That's all! It was applied to ward off stinging insects (such as mosquitos), the pleasant scent was a secondary benefit. It was exported to England in Victorian times and gained popularity across the empire as a cheap after-shave. It gained a foot-hold in the Americas at the same time.

Pinaud has been making it since the late 1800's. It originally came in glass tomb-stone bottles just like Lilac Vegetal. They made it part of their cheap Clubman line in the 1940's. It's been in plastic bottles since the 1980's, and benefits from decanting into glass. You can use an old Lilac Vegetal bottle, as long as you wash it out well. Some one here did that, even transferred the bay rum label over to it. It matched perfectly. Ingenious!
I also enjoy a Bay Rum AS with fewer ingredients. I make two homemade versions; one with 8+ extra nontraditional ingredients and one with only three.
 
Top Bottom