In this Whiskey for the Ages Podcast episode, we discuss the process of building your own Whiskey Infinity Bottle. We tell how we built ours and offer tips, tricks, resources, and cautions to be aware of when starting a whiskey blending project.
In our ‘This Fortnight in Whiskey News’ segment, we highlight Buffalo Trace’s Newest Whiskey Collection. And as we close the show, we give updates on what is coming in future shows
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 …
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-alcoholbomb 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 Reviewfor 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!
*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.
