RUM (according to

See also:

• SKEAT, WALTER WILLIAM (1835– )

Skeat, a corruption of

See also:

• MALAY

Malay brum or bram; the

See also:

• ADJECTIVE (from the Lat. adjectives, added)

adjective " rum," i.e. " queer," being a distinct word, in Gipsy rem)  , a potable spirit' distilled chiefly from fermented cane-sugar . It is mainly the produce of the West Indian Islands, notably Jamaica, and of Demerara . There are two' kinds of Jamaica rum, namely, " common " or " clean " rum, and " flavoured " or " German " rum . The latter is used almost entirely for purposes of blending with lighter types of spirit . Compared with other potable spirits such as whisky and brandy, the Jamaica rums are distinguished by their very high proportion of secondary products, particularly of the compound esters . Among the latter butyric " ether " (ethyl butyrate) predominates . The Demerara rums are of a lighter character . Rum has a deep brown colour imparted by caramel or by storage in sherry casks, or, most generally, by both . " Tafia " is an inferior quality of rum produced in the French colonies . " Negro " rum, which is the lowest quality of all, and into the wash for which the debris of the sugar-cane enters, is consumed locally by the coloured workers . The spirit prepared from beet-sugar molasses cannot be regarded as rum, for, unless it is highly rectified, it possesses a disagreeable odour and taste . Fictitious rum is, however, sometimes prepared from highly rectified beet spirit and rum " essence "—a mixture of artificial esters (ethyl butyrate, &c.). birch bark oil and so on .

Highly rectifiedbeet spirit is also occasionally used for blending with genuine rum, particularly with the " flavoured " or " German " rum . The latter name originated in the fact that this

kind of rum was exported very largely to Germany for the purpose of blending . The general composition of various kinds of rum is manifest from the annexed table . The consumption of rum in the United Kingdom has fallen off considerably of late years, con-currently with the general tendency of the public towards lighter and " drier " alcoholic beverages (see SPIRITS) .