A Memorable Anniversary (Part II)

When last we left this rambling description of our 2015 trip to Scotland and Iceland (in search of Bjork, by way of reminder), we were at the Abernatthhhhhhhy Distillery, a subsidiary of DeWar’s Scotch Whiskey emporium.

Specifically we referred to the Angels' Share.  Following is the Pith version of it.  For those of you nodding off at the mere thought of such a discourse, I understand.

Scotch has just three ingredients--water, yeast, and barley.  After the distilling process a clear liquid with about a 70% alcoholic level.  It is then placed in oak, or sometimes other wood casks to age.  It is there that scotch whiskey obtains its color.

Here’s the rub.  While in the cask, it begins to evaporate at the rate of about 2% per year.  The pic to the left demonstrates this aging and evaporation process. As I recall the cask on the left has aged 12 years and the one on the right has aged 24 years.

The increased cost of 24 year old scotch is caused by 1) the supply is reduced through evaporation; 2) the storage costs, and 3) the flavor absorbed by additional time in the cask.

The Scots have dubbed the evaporated portion of the cask as The Angels' Share. Some clever lads made a movie out of this process and, like scotch, it's pretty good.

Two things about this charming little story:

1. An actual biological phenomenon occurs as a result of the process of distilling, fermenting, and the evaporation of whisky--in addition to the actual whiskey of course.  One can smell it in the immediate vicinity of the distillery--a distinctly pungent, not unpleasant, aroma.  But also interesting, at least to us me was the fact that trees in the immediate vicinity form this black fungus as a result. 2. A wonderful little movie, of course available on Netflix was made about the distillery process and specifically about the Angels' Share.  The movie, cleverly, is called The Angels' Share.

Here is our guide, Dennis, who explains the cask opening.

We came away with some whiskey, which we have christened the Hodag’s Share.  Marketing it this way in Scotland will no doubt prove challenging.

It was a long, long ride back to Edinburgh and arrived well after dark, tired and not a little dirty. But still we stopped in the 'hood for a surprisingly delightful French dinner. Perhaps the best part was that the maitre d' kept apologizing for seating us in our own room. It made it even more special.