Bay Rum!

Ever since I started Traditional Wet Shaving back in 2014, I’ve heard about Bay Rum. Not the sweet, golden, elixr from Jamaica (although it does contain some of that). No, I’m talking about the classic, manly fragrance probably worn by your Great-Grandfather or Grandfather. Heck, depending on your age, your Dad might have had some Bay Rum in his medicine cabinet. No matter which YouTube channel you watch dedicated to Traditional Wet Shaving, someone has a video that features it. With so many people talking about Bay Rum, I thought I’d check in to it.

There are some stories going ‘round that Bay Rum started in the 16th century when pirates / sailors would try to cover their stench by rubbing bay leaves on their skin. I’m not so sure that’s true (and I’m not the only one), but it makes a good story.

What is true, however, is that the fragrance started in the West Indian Islands — Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, etc. From what I found, the first Bay Rum was created in the late 1830’s by A. H. Riise, a Danish pharmacist living in St Thomas. He noticed that the native peoples were taking Bay leaves (Pimenta Racemosa[1]), mixing it with rum, and using it for medicinal purposes. It was a native tincture used as a cure-all. In this advertisement from the 19th century, Riise shows all of the ways one can use his Bay Rum — 

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Double_distilled_bay_rum_back.jpg

During World War II, John Webb, a U.S. Naval Officer stationed in the Virgin Islands, noticed the same fascinating event as Risse did a hundred years before. He, too, created a Bay Rum using the local plants, rum, and spices. He packaged his “St John’s Bay Rum” and shipped it to the U.S. and Europe. Saint John’s Bay Rum is still being manufactured today.

Being a guy who’s really into classic things — bow ties, pipe smoking, traditional wet shaving, etc. — I just had to try some Bay Rum. Since I had been on the quest for my unique, signature fragrance, I thought Bay Rum might be it. So I started searching the Internet for clues for what would be the best Bay Rum available. I mean, if you’re going to go all in, you might as well get the best, right?

My searching led to a lot of different Bay Rums. A. Lot. I contacted different manufacturers and got some samples from the following makers: Captains Choice, Stirling Soap Company, Wet Shaving Products, and others. And while all of these were good, I still hadn’t found what I was looking for (sorry U2). I’d read where others suggested different brands— St John’s Bay Rum, Pinaud Clubman Bay Rum, Ogallala Bay Rum, and Taconic Bay Rum — but I wasn’t about to purchase full bottles in my pursuit of “my” Bay Rum. I mean, what if I didn’t like it and now I’ve got a full bottle of stuff I can’t stand? It’s not like I could return it. I had to find another way.

In my quest I happened upon a YouTube video that showed how to create one’s own Bay Rum aftershave. It’s a fantastic video that I highly recommend. Watching that video got me excited! My thought was, as I told my family, if I really like Bay Rum, it would be cool to create my own.

The creator of the video is Douglas Smythe. Along with his wife Frances, Douglas curates soaps, fragrances, and other Traditional Wet Shaving items at Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. Because of that video, I ventured over to PAA and searched for Bay Rum; there are many variations of the stuff. Douglas’ original version, Clásico Bay Rum, started about eight years ago in his kitchen. He wasn’t even an artisan soap maker at the time; he just put it together for an article. When the writers / publishers got the soap, they asked Douglas when he was going to release it! And the rest, as they say, is history.

At the time I checked out his website, Douglas’ latest Bay Rum creation was Atomic Age Bay Rum — “The Way Bay Rum was Meant to Be!” According to the write up, no one had “really delivered yet when it comes to a deep, complex and smooth rendition of Bay Rum.” Atomic Age was at least 5 years in the making and has a couple of things that set it apart from other Bay Rums — West Indian Bay Hydrosol and charred oak barrels. That’s right, Douglas matures Atomic Age Bay Rum in charred oak barrels just like the best Caribbean rum (and he should know, he lived in Central America for several years). While other makers use fragrance oil and distilled water for their Bay Rum fragrances, Douglas uses fragrance oil, Bay essential oil, and West Indian Bay Hydrosol. That is, he distills the Bay leaves to get the essential oil and the hydrosol (also called “flower water”) is the byproduct. Here’s a link to his video where he shows that process.

As you can tell, Douglas is the King of Bay Rum (my words, not his). While Bay Rum may have been popular in bygone generations, Douglas was rocking it when his contemporaries were wearing the latest “fragrance of the day.” I honestly think that one of the reasons Bay Rum is making such a strong comeback is because of Douglas’ efforts. Really.

The first thing I ordered from Douglas was a 100ml bottle of Atomic Age Bay Rum. And let me tell you, it’s lives up to the hype! This stuff is amazing. All of the components are blended in such a balanced way that even die-hard Bay Rum haters like the stuff (I really don’t know if you can even trust someone who doesn’t like Bay Rum)! It’s that good.

But what does it smell like?

That’s a good question! Some say it’s woodsy, sweet, and spicy. Some will say there’s a clove note to it. Some others will pick up on some citrus. I’ve found, however, that the general descriptions pale in comparison to trying the stuff out yourself. As I mentioned above, there are plenty of companies that offer samples of their fragrances. Here’s a link to PAA’s Atomic Age Bay Rum sample. Their samples are just a buck and you’ve got access to a lot of different fragrances, not just their Bay Rums. Just click on the drop down arrow and choose which one you’d like to try out.

I’m now about half-way through my second (or is that third) bottle of Atomic Age Bay Rum. And while I really dig the stuff, I wanted to try the one that started it all — the Clásico Bay Rum (which uses 100% essential oil[2]). I ordered some samples and an atomizer so I could spray it, too. When the box arrived, I opened it and took out one of the samples. Once I pried off the cap (those little buggers can be trouble), I was met with that classic Bay scent. And Douglas is right; it’s not as deep as the Atomic Age version. This has more middle and bright notes and I’m not getting the depth of the Atomic Age. It’s still amazing and I think I might like it better but it’s really too close to say for certain. What I’ve been doing, though, is using both! I use Atomic Age as an aftershave and then spritz Clásico as the highlight.[3]

In another video (on another highly recommended YouTube channel — I’d Lather Be Shaving — which Douglas co-hosts with Matt Pisarcik of Razor Emporium), Douglas mentions that Bay Rum was used as an antidepressant. And I can testify to that! Every time I put on one of Douglas’ Bay Rum colognes, I instantly get a smile on my face. No joke! Every time. It just makes me feel better. Maybe it’s just “all in my head,” but I actually made a mental note the other day when I spritzed some on. There was a sense of — “ah” — while I grinned like a Cheshire cat!

So there you have it. My take and recommendation of Bay Rum aftershave and cologne. If you’ve not tried any yet, treat yourself and get some samples. Then get ready to be carried away to the bright, blue waters of the Caribbean.

~~~

In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC 

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[1] This isn’t the stuff in some of your favorite foods. That’s Laurus nobilis, a completely different species.

[2] There’s nothing wrong with using fragrance oil. It's just that some essential oils don’t exist in nature. As Douglas told me, “Strawberry [doesn’t exist in nature] so, as perfumers, we need to rely on them. Some people want only essential oils and I'm like, ‘Sure. But remember, snake poison is also all natural.’ :)”

[3] I do this with all my post shave products. I’ll start with a “deeper” aftershave and then accent it with a “brighter” cologne. In the case of PAA’s Bay Rum, they’re both cologne strength and will last the entire day.