🥃 Angels' share
Part of whisky, cognac or rum that evaporates through the cask wood during ageing: in Scotland about 1–2% a year, in Cognac about 2.5%, in the Caribbean up to 10%.
Angels' share is the name distilleries give to the part of a spirit that evaporates through the wood of the cask during ageing. Scotch whisky loses about 1–2% of its volume a year, cognac about 2.5%, and rum in the hot Caribbean climate averages 7%, sometimes up to 10%.
Where the name comes from. The phrase derives from the French «la part des anges»: as a joke, the angels take their share from every cask. The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails cites cognac as the main example: by its estimate, the region loses each year the equivalent of about thirty million bottles.
How it works. An oak cask is not airtight, so both water and ethanol pass through the staves. Which one leaves faster depends on the humidity of the warehouse. In damp Scottish warehouses with 80–90% relative humidity, more alcohol is lost and the strength in the cask falls. In dry stores more water evaporates, so the spirit gets stronger.
What else affects it. A smaller cask has more wood per litre, so losses are higher; young spirit also evaporates faster. Some producers top up casks with fresh spirit to offset the losses. The alcohol vapour feeds the black mould Torula compniacensis, which coats the walls and roofs of cognac cellars with a dark film.
Why it matters to you. Because of the angels' share, old whiskies and cognacs are rarer: the longer the ageing, the less liquid remains in the cask. The «cask strength» label means the whisky was not diluted, so its strength depends on these losses and on the climate of the warehouse. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Cask type | oak casks; the smaller the cask, the bigger the losses |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | Scotch — at least 3 years in oak (SI 2009/2890); losses build up every year |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | in a damp warehouse the strength falls, in a dry one it rises |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Angels' share → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Cognac, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Rum
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Cask Strength Whisky
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that only alcohol evaporates from the cask?
No. Both water and ethanol evaporate. In a damp warehouse the alcohol goes faster and the strength falls; in a dry one it is the water, and the strength rises.
How much whisky does the angels' share take?
In Scotland, about 1–2% of the volume a year, which is 2–4 litres from an American cask of 191 litres, according to The Whiskey Wash.
Why are the losses bigger in the tropics?
Because of the heat: according to the Oxford Companion, rum in the Caribbean loses on average 7% a year, sometimes up to 10%.
Where does the name «angels' share» come from?
From the French «la part des anges». It is most often linked to cognac, which loses about 2.5% of its stock each year.
What is the black film on the cellar walls in Cognac?
The mould Torula compniacensis, which feeds on alcohol vapour from the casks and coats the walls and roofs of the cellars.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey — American whiskey from a mash of at least 51% corn, stored in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV or more.
Similar
🥃 Sour mash · 🥃 Chill filtration · 🥃 Sazerac · 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel · 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky · 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (Spirits & Distilling): «angel's share» — la part des anges; Cognac about 2.5 % a year (~30 million bottles); Caribbean ~7 %, up to 10 %; Torula compniacensis
- The Whiskey Wash, Paul Hughes: Whiskey Science — Looking at the Angels' Share (1.06.2016; water and ethanol; 80–90 % RH in Scotland; 1–2 % a year)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: Scotch Whisky matured in Scotland in oak casks for at least 3 years
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)