Today's Bourbon
- Thread starter Tennessee Dave
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So has anyone else here tried doing an “Infinity Bottle”? I got the idea from a well renowned pharmaceutical chemist friend at my local cigar lounge. This guy is a genius. Some of his formulas are credited towards Listerine Pocket Strips, Robatusin and Dimeatap Cough Syrup. I tried mine over the weekend and it was quite good. Had a very nuanced complex mouthfeel to it and a interesting finish. All I do is add a glencairn of a freshly opened bottle or the last few drops of an older bottle. I don’t discriminate either; used Rye, Bourbon and one Irish Whiskey so far. It definitely needs a Barrel proofer though. The last pic was taken weeks ago and needs an update.
What I like best about this is I never am sad to finish a bottle because it gets to live on in my Infinity Bottle and adds to the character of it. Think of this as the adult version of when we were kids and poured every type of soda into your cup at your favorite fast food joint, only this tastes way better without having to lie to your parents to save face lol.
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What I like best about this is I never am sad to finish a bottle because it gets to live on in my Infinity Bottle and adds to the character of it. Think of this as the adult version of when we were kids and poured every type of soda into your cup at your favorite fast food joint, only this tastes way better without having to lie to your parents to save face lol.
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I've heard of this and one day plan on doing one. I've only read that you dump the little bit left from a bottle that's about to be empty. I never thought of pouring a little bit from a fresh bottle. But that might not be a bad idea either. I'll keep it in mind.So has anyone else here tried doing an “Infinity Bottle”? I got the idea from a well renowned pharmaceutical chemist friend at my local cigar lounge. This guy is a genius. Some of his formulas are credited towards Listerine Pocket Strips, Robatusin and Dimeatap Cough Syrup. I tried mine over the weekend and it was quite good. Had a very nuanced complex mouthfeel to it and a interesting finish. All I do is add a glencairn of a freshly opened bottle or the last few drops of an older bottle. I don’t discriminate either; used Rye, Bourbon and one Irish Whiskey so far. It definitely needs a Barrel proofer though. The last pic was taken weeks ago and needs an update.
What I like best about this is I never am sad to finish a bottle because it gets to live on in my Infinity Bottle and adds to the character of it. Think of this as the adult version of when we were kids and poured every type of soda into your cup at your favorite fast food joint, only this tastes way better without having to lie to your parents to save face lol.
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Awesome!! You won’t be disappointed, I’m having a lot of fun with it. I actually only add from freshly opened bottles so I don’t forget to do it later. If I’m working with a whiskey with an actual cork, I tend to wait a week to recycle the bottle as the cork seems to release more than a few drops with time.
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Well that's good to know and I'll have to take note of that to make sure I use a screw top bottle or if I only have one with a cork to rotate it out at some point with another maybe so I don't lose any precious libations.
I've seen the concept but personally would rather enjoy the bourbon as bottled. The science behind blending is so complicated that I'd be afraid I'd ruin the batch...
There are a few vattings I know of that are tried and true, and I dont mind putting bourbon together for that. OGD114 and WSR, WSR and OWA107, etc.
Actually, there are some bourbon brands that do exactly what you are describing. Barrell Bourbon has one that they call their Infinite Barrel project, and Blade and Bow uses the same Solera method. Imo, for the liquor companies, it's a gimmick to be able to say "there is 25 year old bourbon in the bottle" when in reality it's been diluted 1000x over, to the point it really doesnt influence the taste. MANY rums do the same thing, to the point that you can rarely believe age statements on rum (exceptions being Jamaican, Bajan to name a couple). Rums frequently put the Oldest of the blend on the label, not the Youngest like bourbon companies do... Not saying any of the above taste bad or not worth trying, I just get tired of deceptive practices...
There are a few vattings I know of that are tried and true, and I dont mind putting bourbon together for that. OGD114 and WSR, WSR and OWA107, etc.
Actually, there are some bourbon brands that do exactly what you are describing. Barrell Bourbon has one that they call their Infinite Barrel project, and Blade and Bow uses the same Solera method. Imo, for the liquor companies, it's a gimmick to be able to say "there is 25 year old bourbon in the bottle" when in reality it's been diluted 1000x over, to the point it really doesnt influence the taste. MANY rums do the same thing, to the point that you can rarely believe age statements on rum (exceptions being Jamaican, Bajan to name a couple). Rums frequently put the Oldest of the blend on the label, not the Youngest like bourbon companies do... Not saying any of the above taste bad or not worth trying, I just get tired of deceptive practices...
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I say try it, what do you have to lose am I right? Just make sure what bottle you choose has a good seal. Even the good stuff you can add just an ounce.
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Thanks that's a good insight. Like my chemist friend told me when I expressed similar doubts to him about commencing on this journey; it's only an ounce or two that your sacrificing and one added whiskey can change the entire makeup and profile but what you add (if you keep up with it) will remain in the bottle. Have you ever had CA Gold before? They do something pretty similar, although they use a proprietary blend with a Stagg Jr base (I'm told). @erjaq was nice enough to include a sample in our blind taste review we did late last year on this thread. For me this is just another expression and reason to love this great hobby of mine. Hope whomever tries it enjoys it too.
I frequent a bourbon site that includes a brilliant lady that blends for a number of different companies. She has been very open with with how her craft is performed, and its intimidating... granted, she is dealing with barrels, not ounces, but the chemistry involved is more than what you expect. Hence my reluctance to "waste" a good drink.
Plus, I've been building my Bunker for some time, and its contents frequently cant be replaced "off the shelf". I'd rather save that last sip...
Keep reporting back on the infinity bottle. Taste it and report how the different additions change the flavor...
Plus, I've been building my Bunker for some time, and its contents frequently cant be replaced "off the shelf". I'd rather save that last sip...
Keep reporting back on the infinity bottle. Taste it and report how the different additions change the flavor...
I mixed 1/3 cup Buffalo Trace, 1/3 ECBP, 1/3 cup Koval bourbon. It’s been mixed probably more than a year now and is still not very good. It was a fun experiment tho, and I feel like I’ll dump this bad blend and start over.
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BigSkySmoke
Lanceros, Cowgirls and Burritos
I look at that blend, see BT that is a good bourbon but an OK sacrifice, ECBP that is exceptional and a travesty to dilute, and Koval that isnt on my list to drink after sampling their lineup. I can see the young, grain forward Koval affecting that blend poorly.
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That's mighty bold of you to mix that much of something. I've been told you need to have a good base, similar to a pre-shave oil, which would be called a "carrier oil". This base would need to be more than a 1/3 ratio. Like I mentioned previously, the incredibly popular CA Gold (which sells out in seconds online) uses Stagg Jr as a base (or carrier).
I had just opened the bottle of ECBP and figured since I had so much of it, it would be ok and wanted to bump up the proof. I really regret this lol. I think the Koval is the probably the problem as well. I only used it because it was the end of the bottle. And I wasn’t thrilled with the juice itself but was curious to see how it would blend. Won’t make that mistake again.
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Maybe I'll reconsider adding a barrel proof to my Infinity Bottle as the mouthfeel and finish is already "barrel proof-like" without one. I still have an unopened bottle of a George T. Stagg 2017 Release; kind of waiting for a monumental occasion to justify cracking such a rare & coveted bourbon, but I'm working on it lol. Many have said that just opening up the bottle and taking the first sip is enough of an occasion to justify, so there may come a time when I quit fighting my urges. However I'm proud that I have such strong willpower after all this time.
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You woke up this morning. So today seems to be enough of a special occasion to me. Enjoy life. Drink the bourbon. There is plenty more out there.Maybe I'll reconsider adding a barrel proof to my Infinity Bottle as the mouthfeel and finish is already "barrel proof-like" without one. I still have an unopened bottle of a George T. Stagg 2017 Release; kind of waiting for a monumental occasion to justify cracking such a rare & coveted bourbon, but I'm working on it lol. Many have said that just opening up the bottle and taking the first sip is enough of an occasion to justify, so there may come a time when I quit fighting my urges. However I'm proud that I have such strong willpower after all this time.
BigSkySmoke
Lanceros, Cowgirls and Burritos
Yep...tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today is a pretty special occasion!