BAY RUM by The Dandy Gent

The word “traditional” is one that often gets mixed up with “heritage” when we talk about perfumes, because each harks back to a past time. The latter is more geared to a company or style, whereas the former can broaden out to encompass a particular scent or preparation. This idea of a “traditional” fragrance can easily be aligned to many that are still in production, and also those that have been discontinued, but there is one that has stood the test of time. Bay Rum is a perfume that has been enjoyed for decades, in both salons and at home, and The Dandy Gent is championing its barbershop revival.

Bay Rum is a really interesting fragrance because, in a nutshell, its history is well and truly shrouded in a combination of invention and reality. It is often referred to as a singular tincture of the West Indian Bay tree, or it is a blend of bay leaves and lime, or it has even been afforded the notoriety of being a way of beating the restrictions of a prohibition age. Whichever the true origin of this legendary scent, it’s a fragrance that has graced both aftershave bottles and shaving soap. With so many fragrances to choose from, can it still survive in today’s marketplace?

The world of IT and perfume is not one that instantly goes together, but that’s exactly where we find ourselves when we take a look at The Dandy Gent. Shane O’Shaughnessy had originally worked alongside his grandfather, who was a barber, and it was a profession that called Shane back after he decided to step away from the IT computers and cables. He returned to his roots and, alongside his wife, set up his first barbershop in Derby. The success saw him expand the business into the realm of potion and pomades, and it’s this side that has heralded some fascinating restorations.

Shane’s grandfather made his own preparations, all carefully recorded in his notebook, and these have been revisited for a modern audience. I’ve written about his Macassar Oil before, a hair and beard smoother, but his version of the legendary Bay Rum cologne is also deserving of a much wider audience. Shane has been very careful not to extend the scent into too many products, currently just the aftershave splash and the traditional beard oil, but the scented experience is a delicious hark-back to a more traditional time. With so many new perfumes available every month, isn’t it time to take a scented look over your shoulder?

Bay Rum from The Dandy Gent comes in a classic blue apothecary bottle, as a nod to the history of the scent, and opens with the traditional note of clove. Excitingly bright, you then get touches of candied citrus peel, nutmeg and cinnamon, which continue the spiced quality, before a hint of caramel adds a delicate sweetness to the blend. As the cologne develops in the skin, a further note of charred oak comes through, before a final whisper of ginger completes a deliciously spicy scent. Bay Rum fragrances are often dismissed as simple affairs, but Shane has shown that there is still a lot to discover in honest simplicity.

Bay Rum Aftershave Splash is available from The Dandy Gent website at thedandygent.co.uk priced at £19.99 for 100ml. [Sample provided by The Dandy Gent]