161 

 187.-" RUM AROMA." 



SERIES of articles have lately been published in the 

 Bulletin of the Botanical Department, Jamaica, under 

 the above title. 



It will be remembered that in the July number of the Agricul- 

 tural Record for 1892, in *' Notes of Fermentation," I showed that 

 the Trinidad method of distillation gave " spirit almost devoid of 

 flavour," and pointed out that an examination of the processes 

 followed in Jamaica for the production of the so-called " German 

 Rum" wovild give interesting results. 



Work in this direction has since been taken up by Mr. Percival 

 H. Greg, with a large amount of success, and his results are in course 

 of pu.blication in the above-mentioned periodical under the head of 

 " Rum Aroma." 



Mr. Greg's investigation has not yet been concluded but the 

 articles published in August and September, 1895, and January, 

 1896, appear to demonstrate that the experiments are being con- 

 ducted with the greatest care, and that it is highly probable, 

 that definite conclusions of the greatest importance to planters will 

 ultimately be arrived at. 



Without attempting a review of these articles, it appears from 

 the papers referred to that the Aroma of Rum depends largely upon 

 the boiling house treatment of the cane juice, and the development 

 of a certain and peculiar kind of yeast or fermenting organism which 

 Mr. Greg calls " No. 18." 



Mr. Greg concludes his third article as follows : — " It is obvious 

 " however that even the practical side of the question is far from 

 " being exhausted and an ever widening field of investigation is 

 "opened up. If one may be allowed to theorize a little, there seems 

 " sufficient grounds for concluding from the results which I have up 

 " to now attained, that though the Aroma of Rum is in the first 

 " instance derived from the soil, that this influence is chiefly potential 

 " not actual ; that it is latent, dormant, and only brought into 

 " existence during the process of manufacture. If this should prove 

 " to be the case, it would seem to hold out a hope that much may be 

 " done to improve our Rum both for the home trade in England and 

 " for export to Germany." 



Some may say, but if we do make a fine flavored Rum in 

 Trinidad we shall never sell it ! That remains to be seen ; and is 

 not such a proposition hard upon the common-sense of the English 

 buyers, who would thus be openly accused of not knowing a good 



