Outlaw Soaps Review
If you’ve been reading Bourbon & Banter for a while, you’re aware that I love products that try to capture the essence of the bourbon lifestyle.
If you’ve been reading Bourbon & Banter for a while, you’re aware that I love products that try to capture the essence of the bourbon lifestyle. From Dish Whiskey and Distillery in a can to candles that incorporate leather, tobacco, and woodsmoke, I’m always interested in trying out products that cater to bourbon lovers. So when I received an email from the good folks at Outlaw Soaps, I was all ears.
Outlaw Soaps is a way to connect yourself with happy memories, good places, inspiring environments, and, more than anything, to remind you to live your best life.
Founded by Danielle and Russ in March of 2013, “Outlaw Soaps is a way to connect yourself with happy memories, good places, inspiring environments, and, more than anything, to remind you to live your best life.” Born out of a desire to reconnect with the places they loved (and were too busy to visit due to their day jobs), Outlaw Soaps has become a full-time enterprise that now allows them to live life to the limits while making new friends around the world. (Read more about the Outlaw Soaps origin story on their website.)
A week or so after that initial email, Outlaw Soaps sent me a care package stuffed full of some of their most popular products that also aligned perfectly with my personal preferences obsession with all things whiskey. Here’s a complete list of what they provided:
- Hair of the Dog (whiskey soap with a splash of coffee)
- The Gambler Body Wash (bourbon, tobacco, and a little leather)
- The Gambler Solid Cologne: Bourbon, tobacco, and leather in your pocket
- The Gambler Spray Cologne: bourbon, tobacco, and leather
Everything arrived packaged artfully in custom designed sleeves and containers that cleverly illustrated the Outlaw Soaps brand. I’ve caught myself re-reading the packaging on several occasions just because it’s so well done. And being that the box contained soap and cologne I was greeted with the most pleasant aromas as I opened the box and unpacked the products.
HAIR OF THE DOG
BRAND NOTES:
Whiskey Soap as the absolute best version of itself: Mixed with coffee. What a fricken’ amazing way to shower your morning to a brilliant start.
This isn’t any ol’ sock-ya-in-the-mouth-with-whiskey hangover cure soap, this is a smooth blend of fine bourbon whiskey mixed with rich tobacco, and finished with a sweet kiss of coffee.
It’s like a relaxing massage of scents, washing away your concerns and troubles of the day. It won’t make you smell like a distillery, either.
Give it a try, satisfaction 100% guaranteed that you’ll love it.
POPS' NOTES:
How can you not fall in love with a bar of soap named “Hair of the Dog”? Sure as hell is a better name than Dial, Zest or Lever 2000. And take a look at that packaging and the bar’s color swirls. It’s a handsome looking bar of soap to be sure. It also smells great. While I didn’t pick up on any aromas of bourbon, there was a delicious smell that reminded me of creamy mocha and my grandfather’s cigarette tobacco from a pouch.
I gave up using bar soap years ago in favor of body wash, so it was a little tricky at first trying to get this bar to lather up to my expectations. However, I eventually got into the swing of things and put the soap through its paces. After finishing my shower and drying off I could still smell the soap, but the scent was pretty faint. So much so that I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting it to leave a stronger scent on my body.
Overall I think the Hair of the Dog is a solid product for those that regularly use bar soap. Keep in mind though that the product needs to be stored away from water after your shower to prevent it from getting soggy and disintegrating ahead of its time.
THE GAMBLER BODY WASH
BRAND NOTES:
Being a Gambler isn’t just about taking chances, it’s about a way of looking at the world: Either it’s a good hand, or it’s a raw deal.
A gambler also knows that a raw deal can be a good hand, but it’s up to who’s holding the cards. Fortune, more than beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Luck is our own.
Bourbon, tobacco, and a little leather.
Sit down, shuffle up, and deal me in.
POPS' NOTES:
Now we’re talking – a body wash that promises a mix of bourbon, tobacco, and a little leather. Oh yeah!
Once again I’m not picking up any bourbon or whiskey notes, but man, oh man, there’s a ton of tobacco and leather on the nose with just a hint of menthol on the back end. It’s not as well balanced as the Hair of the Dog bar soap, but it’s intriguing. Very intriguing.
Being a body wash, I found it much easier to get worked into a lather, but I found myself being a bit stingy with it because the bottle is significantly smaller compared to my regular body wash. It didn’t affect my ability to get clean but had me thinking about the cost of using it on a daily basis.
The body wash’s residual scent was much stronger after I dried off from my shower. It was not only stronger but smelled better than it did when smelling it straight from the bottle. Somehow the soap’s interaction with my body smoothed out the aroma. That’s chemistry I can get behind.
Overall, I prefer The Gambler body wash to the Hair of the Dog bar soap. It’s stronger post-shower scent and ease of use (quicker to lather up and no soggy mess post-shower) makes it the clear preference for my hygiene routine.
Outlaw Soaps
THE GAMBLER SOLID COLOGNE
BRAND NOTES:
Being a Gambler isn’t just about taking chances, it’s about a way of looking at the world: Either it’s a good hand, or it’s a raw deal.
A gambler also knows that a raw deal can be a good hand, but it’s up to who’s holding the cards. Fortune, more than beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Luck is our own.
Bourbon, tobacco, and a little leather.
Sit down, shuffle up, and deal me in.
Our solid colognes are made in small batches (of just 15!) right here in the USA. They come in very giftable and reusable kraft boxes that have an abbreviated version of the above description, and contain one of a dozen different quotes. The 1 oz twist-top tin is perfect for carrying in your pocket all day.
All our scents are skin-safe and long lasting. Because we feel like scent is a personal thing to be shared between you and those literally closest to you, these are subtle scents. They will not overpower a crowded elevator or make you “that guy with all the cologne.” They’re designed to create an ambiance, not an impact.
POPS' NOTES:
I have a confession. Before receiving these products from Outlaw Soaps, I had never heard of solid cologne. I didn’t know it was a thing. But now I do, and I’m a better man as a result.
Just like The Gambler body wash, the solid cologne version promises a mix of bourbon, tobacco, and leather. While the bourbon continues to be missing from the mix, it delivers on the other aromas. Unlike the body wash that required integration with my body chemistry to balance out, the solid cologne is nose ready from the moment you open its container. I’m not a chemist, but I think the addition of coco butter added a much-needed richness that helped to round out the scent profile.
Once you warm the solid cologne by swirling your finger along the surface, you simply apply on your pulse points (wrists and neck). And just like that you’ve upped your scent profile with a warm and inviting aroma that according to my wife smells, “like a man who drinks bourbon should smell.” High praise indeed.
I may be new to the solid cologne concept, but The Gambler has made me a believer. Its small container is easy to carry with no fear of leaking or shattering. It’s already become part of my daily commuting bag and will always be within reach when needed. I strongly suggest you consider doing the same.
THE GAMBLER SPRAY COLOGNE
BRAND NOTES:
Being a Gambler isn’t just about taking chances, it’s about a way of looking at the world: Either it’s a good hand, or it’s a raw deal.
A gambler also knows that a raw deal can be a good hand, but it’s up to who’s holding the cards. Fortune, more than beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Luck is our own.
Bourbon, tobacco, and a little leather.
Sit down, shuffle up, and deal me in.
A pocket-sized vial of the Wild West. Bring it with you wherever you go and make it your signature scent!Our solid colognes are made in small batches (of just 15!) right here in the USA. They come in very giftable and reusable kraft boxes that have an abbreviated version of the above description, and contain one of a dozen different quotes. The 1 oz twist-top tin is perfect for carrying in your pocket all day.
POPS' NOTES:
More bourbon, tobacco, and leather? Sure, why not.
The Gambler Spray Cologne is the only product I sampled that contained any booze – grain alcohol to be exact. It didn’t deliver those missing bourbon notes, but it did serve to roughen the aroma up a bit. Technically grain alcohol should not add much to the scent profile, but its interaction with the other fragrance oils resulted in an aroma that is spicier and more floral than the other products.
The sprays small size and plastic bottle make it easy to carry on your next adventure ensuring that you’re always ready to take corrective action for any offending bodily odors. However, I found it to be a little too floral for my taste – perhaps as a result of not mixing well with my body’s chemistry (I’ve had that happen before).
Now that I’ve finished all testing of their products and written my review notes I have to admit that I’m totally jealous of what Danielle and Russ have accomplished with Outlaw Soaps. They’ve built a successful business (making and selling very cool products which you should definitely buy and try for yourself) around what they find fun and interesting. And in their own words, “It’s not for everyone… We get a lot of bruises in the regular course of life. Our hair is usually a mess. I probably have dirty fingernails. But it’s our life, and it’s pretty damn fun.”
We all have to chart our own course while doing the best to keep our dreams in sight. I’m thrilled to have met Danielle and Russ and look forward to our new friendship. And I will do my best to channel their passion and mission as I continue to grow Bourbon & Banter on our quest to help people around the blog #DrinkCurious.