Continuous process for the production of d,l'menthol

In a process for production of d,l-menthol by contacting a starting material which is a compound having the carbon skeleton of menthol and which is convertible to d,l-menthol by catalytic hydrogenation, and having at least one double bond and being substituted in the 4-position by oxygen, with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst for hydrogenation of said starting material, in a contacting zone, at a temperature, pressure, and residence time sufficient for the hydrogenation to form said d,l-menthol, the improvement which comprises employing as said catalyst a cobalt-manganese catalyst containing 20 to 25% by weight of manganese, based on the total quantity of cobalt and manganese, and activated with up to 1% by weight of copper based on the total weight of the catalyst, and operating the process continuously by continuously introducing said starting material and hydrogen into the contacting zone and continuously withdrawing the d,l-menthol from the contacting zone.