A Little on Captain’s Choice Aftershaves

Rumor has it that the idea for Captain’s Choice Aftershave started with a candy bar craving and a stop at the drugstore. One day while stopping for a Milky Way, Scott Brennecke, the creator of Captain’s Choice, sampled the different scents of the aftershaves on the shelf and didn’t care for any of the options.  While standing there he thought maybe he could make his own.

Recently, I connected with Scott and had a rather lighthearted chat where he filled in the blanks for the story.  He pointed out that only the seed for the idea was planted during that trip to the drugstore; the final formula for Captain’s Choice Bay Rum would still be months away.  Those months were spent testing different formulations and scents until he had a great product. 

Captain's Choice Aftershaves

In October 2011, the first fragrance, Captain’s Choice Bay Rum, was launched to many positive reviews.  The second fragrance, Cat O' Nine Tails, would be released close to a year later in September, 2012.  During our conversation, Scott mentioned that Cat O’Nine Tails was developed for users who craved a stronger aftershave burn than the standard Bay Rum provided.  During the development, he tested many formulations ... some where there was a little too much burn.  We had a laugh as Scott described it as reminiscent of the Macaulay Culkin’s aftershave scene from Home Alone.  Apparently, artists really do suffer for their work.

 

In the short time that they’ve been around, Captain’s Choice released four fragrances: Bay Rum (2011), Cat O’ NineTails (2012), Lime (2013), and North (a special collaborative effort released in 2014 to limited distribution), a shave cream soap (2013), and a line of shave bowls (2013).  The aftershave packaging has also evolved in the short Captains Choice story arc as well.  Once available in a clear bottle with a light, parchment styled label, it is now presented in an amber bottle with darker, richer label.  When asked the reason for the change, Scott wanted the direction of the packaging to be classic, timeless, masculine, with a slight nautical theme going forward.  Personally, I like the design and think Captain’s Choice was able to accomplish just that. 

"Old Style" Captain's Choice Bottles and Labels. (Jan 2013)
Photo Source: TheShaveNook

I asked Scott what is currently in development at Captain’s Choice? Is there anything in the making that we could anticipate?  The response was better than I could have expected.  Scott alluded to a new Sandalwood scented aftershave that’s in the works and could potentially be out by Christmas 2014.  Personally, I’m not sure what to expect. But what I could anticipate is that the sandalwood aftershave would have that distinct Captain’s Choice quality to it.

Do you have a favorite scent?  What do you think about a Captain’s Choice Sandalwood scent?  Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know.