Infinity Bottle: Creating Your Home Bourbon Blending

Infinity BourbonAlthough I don't consider myself a bourbon expert, I have been a fan of this spirit since my college days. Back then, my friends and I would gather around to watch Saturday football games on TV, play cards, and sip on some Jim Beam mixed with ginger ale. It was a simpler time, and our tastes were less sophisticated, but those memories remain some of my fondest.

In recent years, bourbon has gained a lot of popularity, resulting in the emergence of new distilleries. This, in turn, has given me the opportunity to explore many labels that have been around for decades.

I like to keep a decent collection of about ten to fifteen different bourbons on hand. This gives me plenty of options for mixing, on the rocks, or sipping neat. One of my inspirations for collecting bourbons is my friend Ed, who has an impressive collection of 62 different brands. We counted them last Thursday night. I don't have a bar big enough to accommodate that kind of hobby, but I'm glad to have him as a friend in many ways. I not only get to admire his stocked shelves, but I also get to taste a wide range of distillers' products. It's good to have friends.

Along with Ed’s collection, a few years ago, a trip to Louisville added to my bourbon background. Definitely worth the journey to explore the roots of the bourbon experience. The distillery tours are gaining a lot of attention and reservations are pretty much required anymore to get a tour or even a paid tasting. A designated driver is a must and helps make the experience that much easier to enjoy.

There is a lot to learn about the process of bourbon making. History has its own aura and you can see the passion for bourbon runs deep in the horse country of Kentucky. With stops at Makers Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, and Old Forester you could see they all have their own stories in creating their spirits.

While on one of the tours it was mentioned about making your own blended bourbon. I had heard of the idea once before at another tasting but dismissed it as something complicated and a process only for distillers. This intrigued me and I had to find out more. As it turns out, (with the concept of a distillery blending their own spirits), you can blend the bourbons you already carry at home. So instead of a vessel of one brand, you can mix your own favorites across several labels.

A simple decanter can be used to combine some of your favorite brands into a more personal blend. If you like Knob Creek, but find the proof kind of high, which I do, you can cut it with Basil Hayden. Two excellent bourbons brought together giving you a new taste.

I prefer the randomness and ease of simply taking the last few shots out of any bottle and adding them to the decanter. This way, the blend is always changing over time, and I never seem to run out. The Infinity Bottle is easy to manage. I use the blend for mixing, cocktails, on the rocks, and some for sipping neat. It's like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. When all else fails, Jim Beam and ginger ale are still a great go-to when I play cards.
 
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salmo
Funny, but in my 50s and 60s I didn’t care for corn or rye based liquor. My pallet preferred scotches. I quickly moved on to single malts. Lately though I will sip the occasional Kentucky whiskey or a bourbon. At 72 anything that chases the chill away is welcome. BTW, I will take a nip early on a cold morning before hitting a stream high in the mountains. It cures rheumatism and prevents snakebite🥃
 
albatross
Funny, but in my 50s and 60s I didn’t care for corn or rye based liquor. My pallet preferred scotches. I quickly moved on to single malts. Lately though I will sip the occasional Kentucky whiskey or a bourbon. At 72 anything that chases the chill away is welcome. BTW, I will take a nip early on a cold morning before hitting a stream high in the mountains. It cures rheumatism and prevents snakebite🥃
Good tip on the preventive benefits of imbibing!
 
pcray1231
I don't have a refined taste by any means. But love a glass of bourbon on the rocks. I like the taste, and sipping a glass relaxes me without the bloatedness or hangover that beer gives me, though I like having a beer now and then too.

JD is my go to, I know, technically not a bourbon. But I like trying others and experiment some. I should experiment more.
 
salmo
I don't have a refined taste by any means. But love a glass of bourbon on the rocks. I like the taste, and sipping a glass relaxes me without the bloatedness or hangover that beer gives me, though I like having a beer now and then too.

JD is my go to, I know, technically not a bourbon. But I like trying others and experiment some. I should experiment more.
We should meet up somewhere and do a bourbon vs scotch side by side tasting. After a couple of drinks I might try to pry the location of your favorite brookie stream.
 
stecal
I've tried Infinity Bottles, barrel aging White Dog whiskey & blending whisky or trying things like port finish. In most cases the results just aren't as pleasing as what the distilleries are doing and sometimes drain pours. The only consistent good results are I get are with barrel aging cocktails like Manhattans or Negronis. It was fun experimenting though.
 
JimNovo
I love the idea of blending your own whiskey. I’ll have to give it a try.

I’m mostly a single malt guy. Love the scotches that are port or sherry barrel aged. I always take a bottle on my overnight fishing trips. It’s a great way to relax after a long day and it is a great way to meet people and start a friendly conversation.
 
Bamboozle
I'm a big spirits fan (Bourbon, Scotch, Rye, Tennessee Whiskey) but prefer the higher proofs because I ONLY drink my spirits neat.

I typically won't buy anything other than Scotch at a proof lower than 90% and even with Scotch I often buy Glenlivet Nadurra which can be found at 120 proof. When I drink regular proof Scotch the more peat the better so it's usually something from Islay.

My high octane preference has nothing to do with machismo, it is all about taste. Higher proof means less cutting with water and less cutting with water means more flavor and I truly savor the flavor when sipping my whiskies neat.

Jack Daniels lowered the proof of the black label product almost two decades ago after a fire at the distillery to increase yield and they bull$#!++ed everyone by saying their customers wanted lower proof whiskey. Rather than complain I switched to George Dickel Signature Recipe with the white label at 90 proof and never looked back.

I never tried blending anything mainly because I like the single barrel/uncut/unblended/single malt concept and the uniqueness of the flavors from different bottlings or distilleries.

Slàinte mhath!
 
pcray1231
My high octane preference has nothing to do with machismo, it is all about taste. Higher proof means less cutting with water and less cutting with water means more flavor and I truly savor the flavor when sipping my whiskies neat.
Enjoy what you enjoy.

I like the taste too, but not the alcohol. Too much alcohol = too much bite, dulls the taste buds, and I taste less of the rest.

I usually drink spirits on ice, and for many of them, slightly watered down is where my sweetspot is.
 
Bamboozle
Enjoy what you enjoy.

I like the taste too, but not the alcohol. Too much alcohol = too much bite, dulls the taste buds, and I taste less of the rest.

I usually drink spirits on ice, and for many of them, slightly watered down is where my sweetspot is.

Enjoy what you enjoy but as for me, besides the favor difference I don't like paying for water at whiskey prices.

If you buy higher proof spirits you can always water it down yourself...

...with cheaper water... ;)
 
Kyle
woodford reserve double oaked is one my favorites. i like mine over a large clear ice cube(yes i make my own ice, lol) it looks much better then the white ice cubes you get from your freezer.
 
JackM
You would think drinking your bourbon neat would be the best drink-taste. However a single small ice cube often enhances the flavor. This is true, but I still drink it neat. Mainly because the thrill of the sip is more important than the taste.

I don't know why Jack Daniels cannot be advertised as a bourbon. I suspect they do not use virgin, charred white oak barrels to age the evil libation.
 
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Hardys
woodford reserve double oaked is one my favorites. i like mine over a large clear ice cube(yes i make my own ice, lol) it looks much better then the white ice cubes you get from your freezer.

Woodford Reserve double oaked is very good.
 
McSneek
Not a big fan of bourbon but I tried some Yellowstone with a little ice and enjoyed it. Picked up a fifth and have a little every now and then.
 
F
Not a regular Bourbon drinker. I have a bottle of Buffalo Trace which I like. A Bourbon drinker who has many different brands drinks Wild Turkey 101 as his "house" Bourbon.
 
just_jon
I discovered the joys of bourbon on a trip to the Kentucky Derby in 2008. I was an occasional bourbon drinker, but four days of distillery tastings and drinking at various race track set the hook deeply. I have two fingers neat most evenings and carry a flask on stream to ease Jack Frost‘s icy grip or to celebrate a particularly nice trout. I’ve not tried blending, but have been playing around with infusions with vanilla beans, coffee, spices, herbs, nuts, fresh fruit, etc. Currently working in a glass of Woodford Reserve infused with hazel nuts, cardamon and black peppercorns. A friend in VA sent me a bottle of what he calls fat washed bourbon for Christmas. It is an infusion of Maker’s Mark, bacon fat and VA country ham. Looking forward to tasting it on Christmas Day.
 
Bamboozle
...I don't know why Jack Daniels cannot be advertised as a bourbon. I suspect they do not use virgin, charred white oak barrels to age the evil libation.
When I visited the distillery a couple times they said it was because of the charcoal mellowing, a requirement of Tennessee Whiskey that creates the difference.
 
Bamboozle
I like rye better than bourbon, I enjoy dark rums and I am a brandy fan as well with a preference for VSOP Cognac, Metaxa Seven Star and Asbach Uralt.

I also have a couple "Pappys" (15 & 20) in my collection that I bought at my local Wine & Spirits eons ago for less than the price of a Rio Gold Elite fly line... ;)
 
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