There is a unique barber shop located in downtown Lexington Ky. - one like no other. This traditional style-and-shaving parlour is called The Rooster's Nest. Catering to the man that once was and now coming back strong, The Rooster's Nest rejuvenates the place a man needs to be and where any age can go to get a proper trim and shave.
While providing a unique atmosphere with impeccable service, The Rooster's Nest also carries products that follow suit. The one product that brought me through their door was the handmade Bourbon Beard Oil that the owner makes himself. Now on their fourth batch, they have seen a wave of success with this tonic. After speaking with Jason Glass, the owner, I found that just like bourbon, a good "mash bill" for beard oil is just as important as its oak-aged counterpart.
Jason, the creator of The Rooster's Nest wanted to make a beard oil that is close to home. While experimenting with different mixtures and over 7 months of trial and error, he finalized his first batch. The contents include sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, hemp, jojoba, tobacco oil and of course bourbon. Makers Mark was used in batch one. After his first batch sold out, batch two was quickly created. This was the oil The Four Barrels tested. Batch two was tweaked and the bourbon was changed to Bulleit. They felt the viscosity was too thick on the first run and wanted to find a better balance with the alcohol content.
So what makes a good beard oil? Many believe that it's the scent but a good oil is so much more. Most beard oils are generally based on one of the following ingredients like grape-seed, jojoba, argan, or coconut oil. Choosing the right ingredients will in-rich one's bead in nutrients and interact with ones skin. No one wants an itchy beard or break outs. After trying the bead oil for a couple of weeks, I found that it created great results. On my first day I noticed the fragrance of the oil and the unique ingredients. The tobacco was most notable and was more of a natural scent that was pleasant and carried a strong musk smell that one would expect from a men's parlour shop.
I've always come to believe my skin was sensitive to oils and dirt. Growing up, I had skin issues like most boys did. As I applied the Bourbon Bead Oil each day I found that it did not effect my skin in any negative way. In fact I noticed that it softened my beard and provided hydration to both my hair and the skin on the surface. By the second week, I could feel that my beard was less coarse and easy on the touch.
The Rooster's Nest is now up to batch four and they feel they have nailed it. Not wanting to share all their secrets, they continue to adjust their ingredients to find that perfect blend of what they are searching for. With the current batch, they also adjusted the packaging. The tonic now boasts a dropper to extract the oil. The team feels this will offer a cleaner application and enhance ease-of-use for the user. The creators also shared some future ideas that got my beard tingling and I will leave you with two words, bourbon and rum. You will have to visit their parlour to find out what it is. It will be worth the trip.
"There
was a time, not so long ago, when a man could head down to his local
barber shop to get a great haircut, a hot lather straight razor shave,
and relax in a place where a man could be a man. That place still
exists, it's The Rooster's Nest Barber Shop and Shaving Parlour.
Visiting The Rooster's Nest is like stepping back in time to a place
where men shined their shoes, kept a tight crease in their pants, and
they sure as heck kept their hair looking sharp. From the 1955 barber
chairs to the walls full of pictures of a time long since gone, The
Rooster's Nest is the perfect place to get one of our “13-Step Straight Razor Shaves”.
Put a record on the hi-fi, grab a drink out of our old fridge, thumb
through an issue of “Bachelor Pad” magazine, and relax in a real man's
sanctuary. A real barber shop isn't a thing of the past. Come on down to
The Rooster's Nest. Its a place you can call your own."
bottles currently go for $25.00
Check out their social media outlets below:
Website
Also, check out our store and order your own Bourbon Nation T-shirt today! www.bluegrassbourbonco.com
