Infinity Bourbon Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

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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Start your Own Infinity Bottle Project

Posted on 04-January-202101-October-2023 by whiskeyfortheages

After reading the lead-in to this post, some of you may be thinking, what is an Infinity Bottle Project, and just maybe, do I need to start one? Well curious friend, read on …

Or tap to hear our Infinity Bottle Projects Podcast.

On New Year’s Eve, 2020 Hannah and I enjoyed a bourbon which ticked nearly all my boxes. It was deep, had dark fruits on the nose, and a whole lumber yard of seasoned old oak. The palate was similar to the nose, but with far more depth with an added bit of dark toffee sweetness. This bourbon had plenty of proof (120+) but it wasn’t hot in the mouth, yet I knew the alcohol was there. And the fruit and wood sensed on the nose and in my mouth lingered on the finish long after the sip was downed. Best of all, this pour smelled and tasted old.

There’s not another bottle like this in the world; the whiskey inside exists only in our bunker, and next time we pour it will likely taste much different. What is this magical elixir you might ask? It’s our own Whiskey for the Ages Neck Pour High Proof Solera Bourbon blend!

INFINITY BOTTLE PROJECTS

I first heard of Infinity Bottle Projects shortly after publishing our What Bottles do You Have Open? post back in March 2020. A business acquaintance following our blog noted the open bottles in the post, and asked, “How does your Infinity Bottle look?” Until the query, I’d never encountered such a thing. (Thank you Greg.)

With a little research, Hannah and I decided an Infinity Bottle Project would be fun and maybe even a little rewarding. Maybe the experiment would evolve into a living history of our bourbon conquests … encapsulated in a single bottle. And, as additions were made and samples taken, we could share the project with our subscribers and followers. Think about it – Who wouldn’t want to blend their own whiskey?

So, I joined a couple of on-line Infinity Bottle Project social groups to get a better grasp of what infinity bottles are all about. I soon learned how some spirit producers use the old Solera process to age rum, sherry and whiskey for stability and how infinity bottles have adapted the principle.

INFINITY BOTTLE BASICS

Surprisingly, I discovered blending a personal bottle is simple and pretty much up to the project owner. There are no rules for infinity projects, just a few basics and some simple guidelines most experimenters follow:

▪Basic #1: When building an Infinity Bottle Project, it’s your bottle. Do what you want.
▪Basic #2: Unless the project is scrapped, the bottle shouldn’t go empty. It’s not an infinity bottle if it is restarted from empty.
▪Basic #3: There are no rules when working on an Infinity Bottle Project.

Beyond these three basics , I learned an Infinity Bottle Project …

… is a marathon, not a sprint. Many Infinity Bottles are years old and may contain donations from hundreds of whiskeys.
… may include multiple bottles in various stages of fill. Some scientists have a rye, a Scotch and a bourbon Infinity Bottle going at the same time.
… has consistently portioned additions, with 1.5-2 ounces being typical. Blenders may add first pours, or the last dram or two from a favorite bottle.
… donation pour is seldom duplicated.
… blender doesn’t worry about contribution mashbills. If a whiskey is enjoyed, it gets added to the bottle.
… gets additions which are up to the blender. (Basic #1.)

INFINITY BOTTLE CAUTIONS

In addition to these guidelines, many experimenters offer the following cautions:

Strong flavors will dominate. Be careful of mixing ryes, peaty Scotches or flavored whiskeys in the bottle.
Add only favorite whiskeys to the mix. It is unlikely a good pour will come from a blend of whiskeys which don’t smell or taste right to the person doing the blending.
The whiskey in an Infinity Bottle tastes the way it does on the day it’s poured. New additions create new whiskey.
Drink from the bottle in rotation with other pours. Regular sips can help the blender decide what to add next.
Or, wait until the bottle is full before taking the first pour. Then drink from the bottle to make room for new additions. There’s something to be said for the surprise of a new pour.
Share infinity bottle pours with discretion. Certain friends simply won’t appreciate your efforts – you know the ones.
Be prepared for nay-sayers. Some will say it is a waste of good whiskey (and folly as well) to believe anyone can create a spirit which is better than what is already produced. But keep in mind, many Scotches and Japanese whiskies are blended as are ALL small batch bourbons.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Occasionally after a random pour, sometimes for a taste, or maybe to make room for the next addition, the creation will be delicious … It’s both the best AND worst moment of having an Infinity Bottle Project. Consider the options:

The Infinity Bottle Project’s purpose has been realized … You have become a Master Blender! Savor the moment, boast to your friends, and keep tasting and blending.
Some bottles get really good, then later after a pour and a couple new additions those fantastic aromas and flavors are gone. It only takes a few entries to significantly change aromas and flavors. Don’t fret – add another favorite.
If it’s really good, consider bottling a sample and gifting it to a friend.
Drink the bottle down, leaving a pour or two and begin filling it again.
Start a second bottle with a donation pour, then finish the bottle.
Keep track of additions to allow for consistent and custom blends.
Use readily available whiskeys and record them upon entry. Good record-keeping can help with future Infinity Bottle repetition.
Don’t let the bottle empty … It’s not an infinity bottle if it empties.

Some projects start out flat and then become monsters. Be mindful of the cautions noted above … If the project gets away consider the following:

After a sample a pour or two, add something simple to tone the whiskey down.
Low proof entries can lower the heat. Rye adds spice and softness comes with wheated whiskeys. And fruity, sweet, and/or spicy pours can help add balance.
Sometimes it can be nice to get a bit of a shock. Even big production distilleries can and do produce misses. (We’ve all bought a bad whiskey or two haven’t we?)

BE CAREFUL OF STRONG FLAVORS … unless a peaty, cinnamon enhanced, peach-flavored, oaky-alcohol bomb is wanted!

HOW DOES ONE BEGIN AN INFINITY BOTTLE PROJECT?

Of course every project goal will be different, but Hannah and I chose to start our Infinity Bottle Project because of our tasting discrepancies and experiences…

Those of you who have been reading us for a while, know we review some pretty high proof bourbons. (I like the heat.) In the past, I’d take the first bottle pours. After we compared our review notes, we found the aromas and flavors we jotted down were completely different. But later, when we enjoyed future pours from the reviewed bottles, our thoughts on nose, palate and finish were quite similar. We had discovered the “Neck Pour” phenomenon.

To counter the sensation, and have better consistency in our 100 proof and greater bourbon reviews, we decided to take those first pours and use them in our Infinity Bottle Project. We would then document our progress and refine our entries as our bottle began to fill.

NOTE: After three years in (and seven filled bottles), we now only add bourbons over 120 proof.

For our original container, we selected a tall cylindrical bottle which held a last dram or two of Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel. We eventually transferred our growing blend to an empty non-descript, labeless bottle.

Over the next several months, each time we opened a new bourbon over 100 proof, the first 1.5 ounce was donated to our bottle. Occasionally some spillage would happen but after each entry, the bottle was always swirled to mix the blend before being put back on the shelf. To keep track of the additions (and eventual pours) I drafted an Excel tracking sheet to monitor the evolving mash bill and the changing proof level of the blend.
_{(Find the free Whiskey for the Ages Infinity Bottle Worksheet download in the “Tools” section of the side bar. Use it to track your own blend as well as see the bourbons in our mix.)}

HOW DOES INFINTY WHISKEY TASTE?

Naturally, I can only relay what our Infinity Bottle Project whiskey is like as of its last tasting (surely yours will be different). Click Brian’s Infinity Bottle Review or Hannah’s Infinity Bottle Review for our first comprehensive thoughts on our blend.
_{(From time-to-time and after future samplings, tasting notes will be updated. Access each update in our respective review libraries.)}

Infinity Bottle Projects can be a fun addition to your whiskey journey and are living histories of spirit drinking exploits. Along the way, one’s palate will mature, and so will the project. Enjoy your infinite journey!

Now tap to hear our Infinity Bottle Projects Podcast.

Cheers!

Written by Brian Dawson

Whiskey for the Ages Editor

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**RESOURCES*:**

▪FaceBook Group: Infinity Bottle Experiment – A group dedicated to Infinity or Solera bottles.

▪Reddit: r/InfinityBottle – A community dedicated to the discussion, creation and maintenance of Infinity Bottles.

▪Bottle Label: Bottle Your Brand https://www.bottleyourbrand.com/ – A site for the custom creation of one-off Infinity Bottle Project labels.

Tracking App: https://www.theinfinitybottle.com/

*NOTE – The resources listed above do not sponsor WhiskeyfortheAges.com. Whiskey for the Ages is not compensated for their mention in this post. Please use at your discretion.

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:

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