Define Bay Rum

I like Bay Rum. I like Aftershave Balm rather than splash. I have been working my way though samples and find a LOT of variation in what is provided as Bay Rum. Stirling Bay Rum ASB smells fabulous but has so much cinnamon oil it irritates more than soothes. Elvado (vegan?) "classic" is mostly clove scented.

Can anyone define Bay Rum and also recommend a Bay Rum ASB that soothes without irritation please?

Bay Rum aftershave was originally a distillate made from Rum and the leaves of the West Indian bay tree, Pimenta racemosa. These leaves have a mild clove scent naturally, but some makers add additional clove. Cinnamon, other spices, and citrus oils are also often added. Nowadays most makers just use SD alcohol or other plain neutral alcohol rather than rum. The one thing that must remain, that defines it as a bay rum is Pimenta racemosa, either from the addition of bay oil or from the leaves themselves.

Saint Charles Shave makes a great balm and it comes in both Bay Rum and Bay Rum w/ a Twist (lime). I'm a big fan of their products.

Burt's Bees used to make a Bay Rum balm that was absolutely amazing. You can occasionally still find a bottle of it, but it's usually expensive.

Here's an interesting history of Bay Rum
http://www.stjohnsbayrum.com/pages/three-generations-of-st-johns-bay-rum

A personal favorite.

I've been impressed by Captain's Choice Bay Rum aftershave. Inexpensive, top-notch scent, and it soothes and heals the face. I've also tried the Captain's Cat-o-Nine-Tails Bay Rum - it has extra alcohol for a pronounced initial burn. Same scent, same soothing qualities - just two minutes of what-the-heck was I thinking.

You can still get Bay Rum that's 70% bay oil and 30% alcohol. It's sold as an antiseptic in the Caribbean, and it makes a very mild aftershave.

A basic Wikipedia definition is:
It is a distillate that was originally made in Saint Thomas "and probably other West Indian islands"[SUP][3][/SUP] from rum and the leaves and/or berries of the West Indian bay tree, Pimenta racemosa.[SUP][4][/SUP] Other ingredients may be citrus and spice oils, the most common being lime oil, oil of cloves[SUP][5][/SUP] and cinnamon. It was first made fashionable in New York[SUP][6][/SUP] and other American cities before it was available in Europe.[SUP][7][/SUP][SUP][8]

[/SUP]That said, there are many variation in bay rum aftershaves and cologne out there. From the very simple alcohol and bay tree oil to the complex variations with all sorts of spice components. I like trying different brands and many vendors offer samples.

OccamsBadger said:

I've been impressed by Captain's Choice Bay Rum aftershave. Inexpensive, top-notch scent, and it soothes and heals the face. I've also tried the Captain's Cat-o-Nine-Tails Bay Rum - it has extra alcohol for a pronounced initial burn. Same scent, same soothing qualities - just two minutes of what-the-heck was I thinking.

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+1, one of the great ones! Don't forget to join CaptainsClub