Angel's Share, Devil's Cut and Jim Beam Bourbon

For those of you not familiar with the unique culture and language found in bourbon country, let me introduce you to some of the more entertaining phrases. It just so happens I live very near the Jim Beam distillery, which is just down the road from the bourbon capital of the world, Bardstown Kentucky.

Each year many people travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail through scenic country back roads and experience the small town charm of Kentucky. Of course in between all that, frequent stops are made to the many bourbon distilleries dotted on the trail map. Each distillery offers something different and special in it's own right, but being a neighbor to Jim Beam, I guess it's OK for me to show a little favoritism.

Not long ago, while going through my daily mail, I noticed a postcard with a Jim Beam bourbon barrel and the phrase White Dog Smokers in bold white type. The postcard was an invitation stating "Come As Friends - Leave As Family". They wouldn't have had to twist my arm too much anyway, but the promise of amazing smoked BBQ and a little taste of bourbon was irresistible.

So back to the purpose of this post, bourbon country culture and language. After reading the invitation I was left with the question - what is a White Dog Smoker? As it turns out, the phrase "White Dog" refers to bourbon at a particular stage, before it's placed in the barrels, and the liquid is still clear . . . or white. Many people know White Dog by it's other commonly used name . . . Moonshine. You really should visit Jim Beam distillery (or others) and learn about the fascinating process of making bourbon. Their yeast strain is over 200 years old!

So then what is a White Dog Smoker? Now we know what White Dog is and the "Smoker" part I guess is just a good ole fashion BBQ get together.

Moving on, let's talk about the phrase "Angel's Share". When I first learned about this one it really cracked me up! Once white dog is placed in the wooden barrels, during it's aging process of 4 to 8 years, some of the bourbon will evaporate through the barrel. Apparently it is enough to be noticeable so that when the full barrels have finished their aging process are opened, their not as full anymore. What evaporates into the air is called the "Angel's Share". Now what is even more amazing is that when you visit Jim Beam distillery, or any other distillery for that matter, you will notice the growth of a pitch black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, on the exterior surfaces of buildings, trees and other vegetation, and anything else that happens to be nearby.

This is a really freaky thing to see with your own eyes! The tree colors of Spring and Fall can especially make for some amazing photo opportunities.

Too keep this post as short as possible, I'll close with the mention of "Devil's Cut" which is kind of the opposite of "Angel's Share". after aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrels, some of the bourbon was absorbed by the wood of the barrel. So in the end, bourbon barrels are really full, and they aren't really empty. Old timers and locals have known about this for a long time. In fact, bourbon lovers living close to distilleries used to do their best to get hold of the empty barrels and could manage to squeeze out the remaining bourbon. Although it's really not literally a squeezing process and is probably time consuming, complicated work, those with the know how were rewarded with some of the tastiest bourbon available.

Recently Jim Beam has introduced a new product named "Devil's Cut" they describe as, "A distinctly bold bourbon with rich flavor unleashed from deep inside the barrel wood".

So, let me know if you enjoyed my bourbon post and if you think I should dive down this rabbit hole a little deeper.