To Infinity, and Beyond!

We all know and fear that moment. That moment when you pull your most coveted bottle out of the cabinet and find there’s less than a finger left. What do you do? If you’re like me, you put way too much weight on the situation and reluctantly slide the bottle back into its spot on the shelf where it will sit until the perfect occasion for it arises (spoiler: it never comes). Then years later you’re left with a weak, oxidized, shadow of what used to be, and you grasp and claw at the fleeting memories like a flashback reel from a bad RomCom. Either that or you get completely tossed one night, and, in a stupor, throw back your last shot as a night cap you’ll only remember by evidence of the empty bottle the next day. So what are we left with? Be a responsible adult who doesn’t artificially inflate the significance of polishing off a bottle? Meh, sounds too easy. I’ll let you in on my little not-so-secret, secret: The Infinity Bottle.

The concept is simple (thought that’s not to say it’s not without debate). You may have even been training for it from an early age without realizing it. If you ever went up to the soda machine and filled your cup with samplings from each nozzle, you’re prepared for this. The idea is that your favorite spirits will live on, “forever,” in a bottle that never empties. Instead of finishing off that bittersweet last pour or letting it oxidize into oblivion, find a nice-looking bottle or decanter (I personally employ the 1L Weller Special Reserve bottle) and pour that last heroic dram into its final resting place (pun kind of intended). As the levels in your new decanter continue to rise with each new addition, somewhere you’ll have a list or spreadsheet of all the bottles that have given themselves to the cause; and, if you’re extra thorough, the measurements of each last pour. And that’s it! You can wait until you’ve filled the space in the bottle or you can try out your blend as it evolves. So long as you continue to add whiskey it will never go empty, and that bottle will forever have molecules of the last drops of your favorite drams.

Now you know the glorious potential of what your collection of nearly empty bottles could be, let me introduce you to the K&L infinity bottle! As you might imagine with all the reviews we write, we go through quite a bit of samples. I have had visitors to the office wonder what the hell I do all day when they look at my desk and see the vast array of small sample bottles. When a bottle sells out and we have no need for the sample, what do we do with them? I’m not sure about our other stores, but I decided to create the K&L infinity bottle. If you’re reading this, presumably you’ve shopped our liquor section and maybe even read some of the reviews. If that’s the case then you know we have been fortunate enough to try some great whiskies, and, I won’t lie, it was a bit cathartic pouring and blending some of those whales into an infinity bottle. I’ve included the “recipe” here if you’re curious but unfortunately this Frankenstein’s monster is not for sale.

Maybe this project will spark your own interest in blending and creating your own house brand (I’ve heard internet whispers that if you get your hands on Weller Antique and Weller 12 and blend the two in a 50/50 mix you essentially get Old Rip Van Winkle). When you blend, the question is always: will the blend be better than the sum of its parts? The answer is: it doesn’t really matter. It’s about transformation, it’s about research, it’s about sheer curiosity about how the spirits with play with each other and what flavors and aromas will shine through. In the end, it’s about the spirit of science….and whiskey.

1.5 oz. 1985 Caresbridge 52 yr Sovereign
1.5 oz. 1987 Strathclyde 30 yr Old Particular
2 oz. 1988 Bunnahabhain 30
1 oz. 1988 North British 30 yr Old Particular
1.5 oz. 1991 Cameronbridge 26 yr
1.5 oz. 1991 Invergordon 26 yr Old Particular
1.5 oz. 1994 Miltonduff 24 Old Particular
1.5 oz. 1996 Auchroisk 21 Hepburns Choice
2 oz. 2005 Highland Park 12 yr Refill Sherry
1 oz. 2006 Glenturret 12 yr Old Particular
1.5 oz. Ardmore 21
1.5 oz. Ben Nevis 21 yr
1 oz. Ben Nevis 7yr
1.5 oz. Caol Ila 7 yr
1 oz. Caol Ila 8
1 oz. Caol Ila 8 Signatory
1.5 oz. Clynelish 9 Signatory
1.5 oz. Compass Box Delilah's XXV Sp Ed
1 oz. Craigellachie 12 Sovereign
2 oz. Craigellachie 22 Old Particular
1 oz. Croftegna 12 Hepburn
1.5 oz. Linkwood 21
1.5 oz. Mortlach 10
1.5 oz. Strathclyde 48
1 oz. Talisker 8
2.5 oz. Tamdhu 20 37.5

After blending, I left the concoction in the bottle for 2 months to settle/marinate and poured into a Glencairn glass to taste.

Nose: Smoked apples, marzipan, apricot, cedar wood, sweet mint, thyme, chocolate covered toffee

Palate: Starts off super smooth, sweet grass, toffee, spearmint, little pine and the faintest hint of iodine, summer melon starts before the finish

Finish: Peppery spice, hot, fades into a waxy honeysuckle and sweet tangerine

Extra credit: The Bourbon Infinity Bottle!

2 oz. Wathen's BP #69
1.5 oz. HW American Prairie
2 oz. George Dickel 9yr 1006
2 oz. George Dickel 9yr 1002
1.5 oz. Maker's Mark 46
1.5 oz. Old Forester KL 0755

- Jackson Lee