The Angel’s Share: Scotland’s Whisky’s Greatest Secret

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Transcript

00:00Scotland and whiskey go together like legends and myths, but every year something strange happens

00:06inside whiskey distilleries. When whiskey is left to age in wooden barrels, it doesn't just sit

00:12there. Slowly it disappears. About 2% of the whiskey seeps through the wood and evaporates

00:18into the air every single year. Distillers have a name for this loss. They call it the angel's

00:23share, not because angels actually drink it, but because it feels like the whiskey vanishes into

00:29the heavens. And here's the twist. This loss isn't a mistake. It's essential. As the whiskey evaporates,

00:36harsh and unwanted compounds fade away, leaving behind smoother, richer flavors. Without the

00:42angel's share, whiskey would taste sharp, rough and almost undrinkable. So every great bottle of

00:48whiskey exists because some of it had to be sacrificed. The angels may be a myth, but the

00:54science behind them is very real.