Angel's Share
The angel's share is the portion of aging spirit lost to evaporation through the barrel over time, commonly a few percent of volume per year, varying by climate, warehouse position, and barrel.
Evaporative loss is not uniform: upper floors of a rickhouse run hotter and lose more, and hot, dry stretches pull volume while pushing proof up. Because the lost spirit was made from grain you paid for, the angel's share is a real cost. Tracking it per barrel turns it from a year-end surprise into a number you can forecast and price around.
How much is the angel's share each year?
Evaporative loss runs roughly 2 to 6 percent per year, higher in hot, dry warehouses and on upper floors, and can total around 30 to 40 percent over a long maturation. Because the rate varies by position and season, two barrels filled the same day can lose different amounts, which is why tracking it per barrel matters.
Why does the angel's share matter financially?
The spirit that evaporates was made from grain you already paid for and aged at your expense, so it is a real cost, not a rounding error. Carrying the loss into cost per proof gallon and barrel valuation turns a year-end surprise into a number you can forecast and price around.
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