Royall Bay Rhum (1962)
by Royall Lyme of Bermuda

Your basic bay rum. Nothing fancy, no frills all purpose shave lotion. It's a little sweet and a little spicy for my tastes and burns like the dickens. I would go for Dominica Bay Rum if I were interested in this "manly" Hemingway type genre--it is a pure bay leaf and rum without vanilla or cinnamon.

14th November, 2009.

Not so clove-y as Burts Bees Bay Rum, but with better longevity. Very masculine, very bracing and (yes), tgl is spot on in his analysis: VERY medicinal.

Like Santa Maria Novella's Pot Pourri? (And I do.) If so, then you'll love this modestly priced gem. If not, avoid it as you would the bubonic plague.

16th February, 2009.

Bergamot, Lavender, Lemon, Neroli, Orange, Rosemary
Carnation, Cedar, Nulg, Orris Root, Tonka
Amber, Musk, Oakmoss, Tonka

I’ve long been a fan of bay rum scents, Royall’s Bay Rhum has a really nice thing going on in the opening with the citruses, lavender, and bay – a complex bay rum accord that is invigorating, lively, and bright. A part of the invigorating liveliness is the clove note that maintains a respectable subservience in the opening accord. The bay note stays through the middle level of the fragrance where it joins with cedar and carnation, and, with the combination of all these spicy things, the accord becomes too clovey… the clove takes over the accord and reigns supreme: It becomes overbearing in middle notes. The fragrance seems depleted shortly after the arrival of the base. There is really not much of a drydown except for a clove dominated skin scent that lasts at most an hour on my skin. This is a nice scent – well constructed, very good notes, not the worst longevity, but I’m still looking for a traditional bay rum that doesn’t turn into cloves.

23rd August, 2008. (Last Edited: 24th December, 2009.)

Gentlemen, I have called this meeting to discuss the overlooked element in Royall Bay Rhum. That, dear colleagues, is C-L-O-V-E-S! I am not talking about a little bit of a spicy note. I am talking about a great big guy banging a huge brass gong labeled ‘cloves’ until my head hurts. I am more than a little surprised that no one has mentioned this 800-pound gorilla. One reviewer’s phrase “medicinal harshness” hints at it. Think of the infamous scene in the movie “Marathon Man” where the Laurence Oliver character (a dentist) is torturing the Dustin Hoffman character. He alternately probes an exposed tooth nerve and then applies oil of cloves, which soothes the pain. Well, here the cloves IS the pain and the torture, and it is a medicinal harshness indeed. I don’t get green bay-leaf notes, nor menthol/mint ones, nor coniferous or pine notes. Any of those would be nice. Oh, did I mention that I do get clove notes? Now, a little clove can add a charming barbershop aura to a scent, and I like some fragrances with that hint. But this is relentless, over-the-top, and a scrubber. Peace be unto those who like it, I am not among that select crew. If, as one reviewer suggests, there are worse ones than this… I shudder to contemplate such a thing.

20th August, 2008.

Objectively, a crisp coniferous scent. Not powdery. Not sweet. Crisp. Like those scented pinecones you see in the stores around Christmastime. A nice scent and well-balanced... just needs to last longer.

13rd August, 2008.

Bay Rhum harks from a strange and distant land . Faded Hemingway photos, San Juan Hill, forgotten rituals of masculine virility. A terpene, medicinal harshness far removed from what the contemporary incarnation of the beau would think of labeling as "fragrance." All-purpose lotion, a very 19th-century concept, diametrically opposed to the notion of hi-tech eye-wrinkle cream for men over 40 (one for the left, one for the right eye). Disinfects minor injuries, kills bugs, polishes boots, will do if whisky is not to be had. Don't forget your bottle when you go out roughin' it with Mark Twain.
Quite honestly I prefer Royall Spice.

20th June, 2007.