Thread: Bay Rum Please

A note on the aftershaves that say they are made with "real bay rum." I might have this wrong, but all the sources I've read on this indicate that the confusion of the beverage called bay rum and the aftershave made with the oil of the bay leaf is largely accidental. The following statement appears on the Turtle Bay page. If it's really true that the drink and the essential oil-based aftershave are pretty much unrelated, I don't know what the point would be of adding "real bay rum" to an aftershave that already contained the oil of the bay leaf anyhow.

The Bay tree (Pimenta racemosa), or the West Indian Bay tree, is the source for the essential oil used in the production of Bay Rum (including Turtle Bay Premium Bay Rum products). This Bay tree, a plant in the Myrtle family, is also known as the "Bay Rum" tree, confusing it as the source of distilled rum, the island drink. This has become an acceptable name (especially in the Virgin Islands) because of an early association during the production of rum. However, Bay Rum essential oil is derived from the Bay tree, while distilled rum spirits are a by-product of sugar production (sugar cane, or Saccharum officinarum.)

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

A note on the aftershaves that say they are made with "real bay rum." I might have this wrong, but all the sources I've read on this indicate that the confusion of the beverage called bay rum and the aftershave made with the oil of the bay leaf is largely accidental. The following statement appears on the Turtle Bay page. If it's really true that the drink and the essential oil-based aftershave are pretty much unrelated, I don't know what the point would be of adding "real bay rum" to an aftershave that already contained the oil of the bay leaf anyhow.

The Bay tree (Pimenta racemosa), or the West Indian Bay tree, is the source for the essential oil used in the production of Bay Rum (including Turtle Bay Premium Bay Rum products). This Bay tree, a plant in the Myrtle family, is also known as the "Bay Rum" tree, confusing it as the source of distilled rum, the island drink. This has become an acceptable name (especially in the Virgin Islands) because of an early association during the production of rum. However, Bay Rum essential oil is derived from the Bay tree, while distilled rum spirits are a by-product of sugar production (sugar cane, or Saccharum officinarum.)

Well, according to Wikipedia:

Bay rum is the name of a cologne/aftershave lotion.[2] Other uses include as under-arm deodorant and as a fragrance for shaving soap, as well as a general astringent. It is a distillate that was originally made in Saint Thomas "and probably other West Indian islands"[3] from rum and the leaves and/or berries of the West Indian bay tree, Pimenta racemosa.[4] Other ingredients may be citrus and spice oils, the most common being lime oil, oil of cloves[5] and cinnamon. It was first made fashionable in New York[6] and other American cities before it was available in Europe.[7][8]

So, "real" bay rum should technically made with rum, West Indian bay leaves/berries/essential oils, and any other essential oils the maker desires to make the scent unique.

Most modern makers of bay rum simply use straight alcohol (what type I'm not sure), since it makes for a better carrier agent and has virtually no scent, as well as essential oils.

Well thank you for that. You have solved the mystery for me.

No, thank you for the review on the Turtle Bay Bay Rum... I've got a flask in my wish list on Amazon, which I should be purchasing this weekend!

wow just got my first ever sniff of bay rum (im a nineties kid). a website over here sells 100ml ogalalla bay rum for a pound so i thought i would try it. i read a lot of people wanting that perfect scent of what they think a Victorian barbershop would smell like. This scent is what a Victorian dentists would smell like!