Infinity Bottle Project Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2 High Proof Bourbon Review

Posted on 12-June-202112-June-2021 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2 Review

reviewed 10-June-2021

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2:

This second tasting of our Whiskey for the Ages Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon (WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2) is in a word AMAZING. The nose is inviting with fruit sweetness, spices and oak which are all present on the palate along with lots of pleasant heat. This pour finishes medium long, with nice spicy sweet warmth … I look forward to sampling the next full bottle to discover how this Infinity Bottle Project continues to evolve.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2 VITAL STATS:

Category: Infinity Bottle Bourbon
Region: a blend of high proof bourbons from around the USA
Source: See the table below
Infinity Blended Mash Bill*: 73.85% corn, 7.65% rye, 5.94% wheat 12.56% malted barley
Barrel Char*: #3.4
Barrel entry proof*: 124
Age: nas due to many entries from different bottles Infinity Blend
ABV*: 61.72% (123.44 Proof)

*Calculated

Click to learn more about Infinity Bourbon Projects.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, three ounces were poured into a Glencairn and then enjoyed neat.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2 NOSE:

At first waft, WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2 has a strong ethanol bite accompanied by scents of sherry, fruit tree blossoms and faint sweet corn. Then come aromas of ripe blackberries, tart caramel apples and sweet cherries in allspice, powdered ginger and white pepper. The fruit sweetness is bolstered by brown sugared graham cracker crust, faint milk chocolate, rich vanilla, brown sugar, buttery caramel, and maple syrup. Continued nosing brings light fresh-cut sawdust and smoky-sweet barrel char. This is an inviting nose.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2 PALATE:

I sense alcohol heat on the tongue when the first sip is held. When the mouth acclimates, the fruit aromas along with some new ones pass through to the palate: sherry, wheaty grain, blackberries, sweet Montmorency cherries and plums. Allspice, ginger and pepper are all amplified and cinnamon red hots make an appearance as well. And so do the sweets: brown sugared graham cracker crust, with rich vanilla, buttery brown sugar caramel, and maple syrup provide a nice home for a hint of toasted almonds. All these flavors dominate as dry old oak and smoky-sweet barrel char mix with the soft essence of old leather chaps.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2 is solid an well blended. At first sip it is quite silken, but it becomes rough and gritty after a few moments. In the Glencairn, many fat and thin long lasting clinging legs linger. When they finally do break, the liquid returns to the mahogany colored pool, leaving a fat droplet crown which lasts much longer than one might expect.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2 FINISH:

WftA Neck Pour Infinity R2 has a medium long finish which builds to a slow and soft wheaty burn. The sweet cherries and plums fade in on cinnamon, and pepper. The sweets of rich vanilla and buttery caramel are subdued as are the toasted almonds. But now dry oak and the smoky sweetness and leather are more noticeable. And when the last dram is downed, caramel covered oak sawdust wafts from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 93/100

Will I continue with the Infinity Bottle Project? YES
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

While it is impossible for true comparisons because of the nature infinity blends, the score shown above is similar to what I gave after my reviews of Booker’s 2021-01 Donohoe’s Batch, Colonel EH Taylor Barrel Proof B8, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A118, Larceny Barrel Proof B520, Maker’s Mark Private Select – Idaho Director’s Cut 6, and Weller Full Proof.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW 2 TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Reviews

High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1

Posted on 30-January-202130-January-2021 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1

Original review written January 26, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1: For our first attempt at an Infinity Bottle, I think that it is fairly well-blended and offers a unique taste that definitely stands out from the bottles that contributed to its creation. 91/100

VITALS:
Region: USA
Category: Infinity Bottle Project
Source: For whiskey input details reference the table below
Infinity Blended Mash Bill*: 72.53% corn, 10.47% rye, 5.37% wheat 11.63% malted barley
Barrel Char*: #3.5
Barrel entry proof*: 122
Age: nas due to multiple entries
Infinity Blend ABV*: 60.45% (120.9 Proof)
_{*(calculated values)}

Learn more in FaceBook’s Infinity Bottle Experiment group.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this special project here!

SETTING:
Sit on the banks of a lake surrounded by a pine tree forest on a misty day. Let nature surround you completely, with sounds of wind through trees and water sweeping onto the shores… all while fresh, clean air enters your lungs. I think our Infinity Bottle would be a great addition to such an atmosphere and make us feel more at one with the world in our own, unique bubble.

Photo by Derick Berry on Unsplash

NOSE:
As the glass warms, I find baking spices emerging that make for a very warm tone overall. Ginger and brown sugar seem most readily apparent, but there is caramel here also and maybe a bit of dark fruits, like figs. On deep draws, the alcohol can sting a little, but as a whole, I’d say that the alcohol is relatively subtle and adds just to the dimension of the pour. Considering the majority of the bourbons used to create this edition of the Infinity Bottle aren’t heavy in caramel or baking tones, this nose does come at a bit of a surprise, though it is not unwelcome. It comes across as rich in character, backed by wood and maybe even a hint of leather that add to the complexity and fullness.

PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: It has a tingle with little provocation, but otherwise feels very smooth when it just sits on the palate.
– Balance: While there are other flavor dimensions present, the hero is definitely age and earth. With the extra subtle intricacies, it makes for a complex and entertaining sip.
– Visual: Tawny in color, there are closely packed legs that drop quickly and leave behind a clinging droplet crown.

– Taste: The first sip is full of warmth, but not the baking spice warmth that I was expecting. Rather, it’s an earthy warmth, like an old oak or even nutrient-rich soil. This isn’t to suggest that this tastes like dirt, rather to the contrary, I’d say that it tastes more organic or natural than anything else. There is an alcohol tickle already present here without the Kentucky chew, which I quite enjoy, especially knowing that this is our high proof bottling. Nevertheless, I can let it sit on my tongue for a good long while without feeling any kind of significant discomfort.

With the bite is a little bit of cherry and a bitter nut that I’d say is closest to hazelnut. It works to make the sip very pleasant while not being overwhelmingly one thing or another. A little bit of vanilla wants to peek out too, but it seems to be struggling to fully commit to its presence.

The Kentucky chew takes a long while to reach burning levels, and when it does, the bitter nut hits hard with the cherries and now figs chasing at its heels. A bit of pepper wakes up here with the burn, but it fades back out quickly. The pause immediately following the chew has the old oak coming back, mingling with the bitter nut again and leaving an interesting aftertaste behind.

FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Long. I can feel the warmth linger in my mouth, and I know the deeper I get into this glass, the warmth will move to my throat and chest also.
– Between Sips: Bitterness sits the strongest at the back of my palate along with a traditional bourbon warmth and aged earth. It almost has a parchment age quality to it (no, I do not eat paper). It makes for a very fascinating pause, to be sure.

– No More: The age definitely continues to persist as I get further into the glass, but the other flavors like the cherry and vanilla stick around also and do seem to be growing in boldness, which makes every next sip exciting. Meanwhile, the heat and warmth do continue to grow, as I predicted they would.

The empty Glencairn is spicy, warm, and full of barrel char. It’s incredibly pleasant while also being very different from other empty Glencairns that I have smelled before. Truly a unique pour start to finish while still remaining familiar all at once.

WORTH THE PROJECT?
Absolutely. I think we will have a great deal of fun with this project as we continue to add more bourbons and drink more of them out of the bottle. It keeps the bunker fresh and original, while also preserving some of the favorites we have found along the way.

RATING: 91/100

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Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews

WftA Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1

Posted on 04-January-202112-June-2021 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Whiskey for the Ages Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon Review #1

31-December-2020

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW #1:
This first sample of our Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon is dark and full of fruit and wood. The blend tastes old, has fantastic depth, a little heat and all-in-all, our first infinity bourbon is a hit. I look forward to discovering how this Infinity Bottle Project changes over time.

WHISKEY FOR THE AGES NECK POUR HIGH PROOF INFINTY BOURBON REVIEW #1 VITAL STATS:
Category: Infinity Bottle Project
Region: USA
Source: For whiskey input details reference the table below
Infinity Blended Mash Bill*: 72.53% corn, 10.47% rye, 5.37% wheat 11.63% malted barley
Barrel Char*: #3.5
Barrel entry proof*: 122
Age: nas due to multiple entries
Infinity Blend ABV*: 60.45% (120.9 Proof)
_{*(calculated values)}

Learn more in FaceBook’s Infinity Bottle Experiment group.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, three ounce pours of our Whiskey for the Ages High Proof Infinity Bourbon were made into two Glencairns and enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her thoughts on our first infinity blend here!

NOSE:
Our Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon has little to no burn upon first nosing, but I could sense the alcohol is there. Further wafting brings deep sensations of sherry soaked blueberries and dark currents while spices of cinnamon, clove, white pepper, and rye treat the nose. I also picked up caramelized burnt sugar and woody caramel, along with traces of roasted pinenuts in dark chocolate covered toffee. But the most prominent aroma in this infinity blend is heavy, strong, old oak and smoky-sweet toasted-wood, which pairs nicely with its hazy barrel spice and musty aged leather.

PALATE:
The first sip of our Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon has a slight alcohol bite. As sensed on the nose, this is a wood forward blend, having lots of heavy, strong, old oak in each sip. There are traces of sweet corn, dusty grain, and a touch of hay and in its smoky sweet toasted woodiness as pepper and rye mix with cinnamon infused dark currant, fig and raisin mincemeat. This infinity blend pour is dark and tastes old with only a hint of burnt and woody caramel sweetness. The blend passes the aromas of elements of hazy charred barrel spice and musty aged leather to the mouth.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Our first infinity blend pour is solid and well-blended. It smells and tastes old, is rich and deep, full bodied and quite viscous and oily. In the Glencairn, fat legs form quickly and cling between each sip. When they finally do plunge into the flame colored pool, the inverted droplet crown lasts much longer than expected. As I enjoyed this blend, I felt it was somewhat reminiscent of Old Forester 1897 but with greater age, depth and heat. When the Glencairn was emptied, I poured the 1897 and my thoughts were confirmed.

FINISH:
Our Whiskey for the Ages Neck Pour High Proof Infinity Bourbon finishes exceptionally long and offers pleasant lingering warmth. As sensed on the nose and palate, the finish has plenty of dried dark fruits of currents, raisins and figs soaked in cinnamon, pepper and rye infused sherry which add depth to its burnt dark caramel toffee. As the pour is downed, well aged old oak and smoky sweet barrel char linger on the palate.

MY RATING: 90/100
Will I continue with the Infinity Bottle Project? YES

While it is impossible for true comparisons because of the nature infinity blends, the score shown above is similar to what I gave after my reviews of Booker’s 2019-01 Teresa’s Batch, Booker’s 2019-04 Beaten Biscuits, Eagle Rare 10 yr Old Bourbon, Four Roses Single Barrel, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, Maker’s Mark PS – ID Dir Cut 7, Old Forester 1920, Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Stagg Jr. Batch 11, Stagg Jr. Batch 12, and Weller 12 Year Old.

Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Reviews