When distilled beverages are aged in wooden barrels, a portion of the liquid is lost to evaporation through the pores of the wood. For a spirit like rum which is distilled in tropical and warm temperate regions, the loss can reach (exceed?) 10% annually, whereas spirits aged in colder climates might lose 1-2%. The alcohol “lost” due to evaporation is called “the angels’ share”.
University of British Columbia has a page on their website called Botany Photo of the Day. Today’s picture is of Baudoinia compniacensis (the second word sounds a bit like ‘cognac,’ and has the same derivation).
