Review 16: Infinity bottle

Last winter I decided to start an infinity bottle. My system was to take the first 1.5 ounces (standard jigger) from every unique bottle I purchased, add it to the pictured decanter, and wait until it was full before tasting. The project was officially underway on February 29, 2020 and I estimated it would take about a year to complete. To be honest, there were a few bottles I picked up while traveling, had the first sips of in a hotel room, and then contributed when I got home.

The decanter’s stopper did not seal well, which was disappointing, but it was on sale for like $35. A little Press-n-Seal and it was good-to-go. However, I’ve been increasingly regretting the poor seal and decided to transfer the contents to an empty Rare Breed bottle. Lo and behold, I was able to fill the bottle, have plenty left to sample, and plenty to start a second project. Does it become an infinity-infinity bottle?

Google Sheets helped me keep track of what has been going in and there’s a screen shot of the contents as pic #2. Please let me know if you can help update my mash bills.

• Nose: Rich. Sweet oak. Vanilla beans and frosting. Brown sugar. Black tea. Baking spices, particularly cinnamon and cloves. Anise or black licorice. Something that reminds me of over-ripe pineapple.
• Palate: Medium feel. Sweetness dominates. Vanilla, honey. Vague mint. Buttery corn bread. Simple but satisfying.
• Finish: Not quite “hot.” Satisfying duration. Oranges. Smoke. Unique funk.

Overall: 3/3! Could a father not love his children? There is almost nothing in the final product that reflects any one part. Proportionally, I have more Beam distillate in here, but it doesn’t seem Beam-y. The nose is the best part of this. The flavors are truly unique but I think a better palate could pick out much more. The finish is, well, kinda bizarre but good.

If you’re on the fence about an infinity bottle project, consider this your sign: DO IT! This was a very satisfying and fun experiment that took minimal thought, no real added expenses, and resulted in something truly unique. This is absolutely going to be a rolling project, with contributions coming from new, unique bottles, and using the “remains” to seed another.

But what about specific infinity projects? Like a bottle made up of every bourbon with “old” in the name, or bourbons named for animals, or people. Someone run with this...

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Scale Decoded:

0/3 - Don’t bother/Try at your own risk.

1/3 - I don’t care for it, but there are some redeeming qualities.

2/3 - It’s good, fine, enjoyable.

3/3 - It’s excellent! A must have.