Reverend Thoma is a Lutheran pastor. He thoroughly enjoys whisky. Yes, really.

In the Bible, the Greek word for “angel” is ἄγγελος (angelos). It means, quite literally, “messenger.” It is the root of the word εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), which is “evangelical” or “good news,” which is also translated as “Gospel.” In the Book of Revelation, the pastors of the churches are called angels because they serve as messengers. Pastors are the ones tasked with preaching and teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

All that being said, distillers refer to the portion of whisky that evaporates during the aging process as the “angels’ share” or sometimes the “angels’ portion.” The longer a whisky ages, the more the angels appear to take, sometimes being greedy enough to steal away as much as forty percent of a full barrel.

Reverend Thoma really likes his whisky, and so, as you can see, the name fits.

In the end, there are few things in this life that Reverend Thoma claims to truly love. His Lord, his wife, his children, his family (both biological and “chosen”)—these all hold that station. There are few things in this life that he admits enjoying just enough that they call with regularity across the chasm between love and delight, petitioning a more prominent place in his life. Whisky is one of those things.

The Angels’ Portion—a full-bodied demonstration of Reverend Thoma’s skills as a humorist—is principally dedicated to exploring life with a whisky in hand, while simultaneously fulfilling the the ancient words, “Τὰ ἅγια τοις ἁγίοις,” which is, “The holy things for the holy ones.”