Whiskey Review: Old Elk Infinity Blend

Introduction

This week on the Film & Whiskey podcast, we’re diving into the 2023 edition of Old Elk Infinity Blend, a unique yearly experiment from the Colorado-based distillery. We’ve had Old Elk on the show before, but it’s been a while, so we were excited to see what their latest Infinity Blend has to offer.

This particular iteration features a blend of Old Elk’s own distillate, marking the first time they’ve skipped sourcing from other producers (aside from a small leftover portion from the 2022 blend). The breakdown of the blend is:

• 15.3% of the 2022 Infinity Blend

• 40% high malt bourbon (8 years)

• 43.2% wheat whiskey (7 years)

• 1.5% wheat whiskey (10 years)

The whiskey clocks in at 111.15 proof (55.575% ABV) and is classified as a blended whiskey, not a bourbon, due to the combination of mashbills. With all that background out of the way, let’s jump into our review.

This review was taken from the episode "Her (2013) / Old Elk Infinity Blend." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Brad:
This has just the most pleasant nose. As soon as I stuck my nose in there, I got like a really heavy cinnamon apple cider that just kicked me in all the most beautiful ways. There's baking spices, it’s caramel heavy. This feels like the quintessential fall whiskey. 8/10

Bob:
I'm going to give it a 9/10 on the nose. There's something about the nose that immediately transports me to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. It reminds me of that really good four grain from Luxco. It’s super caramely, and I get a lot of red delicious apple peel. It makes me feel very nostalgic.

Taste

Brad:
The flavor profile just continues the immaculate journey we started on. This is clove. It reminds me of hot chocolate powder. There's apple cider coming through. It gets nice and vanilla-y and moves into like an oily leather that I’m a big fan of. 8.5/10

Bob:
If I could divide this up between the front and back of my palate, the front part of my tongue is enjoying this like crazy. It's super decadent, almost like melted vanilla ice cream. Then on the back, it does get a leather note down the middle of my tongue that turns just a little bitter or sour. That detracted a bit. I think I'm just going to give it an 8/10.

Finish

Brad:
That leather continues on. It goes from rich and decadent into a really nice soft brown sugar note. It gets peppery—black pepper, baking spices. A really pleasant finish that adds to the complexity. 8/10

Bob:
There’s just a little bit of a craft whiskey note on the back end. The whiskey has this big, round, oily, viscous maturity, and then it thins out slightly on the back. Not harsh, but a little less complex. Still a really good whiskey, but I think I’ll also give it an 8/10 on the finish.

Balance

Brad:
This is incredibly well made. As an Infinity Blend, they're clearly aiming for a well-balanced product with all of these whiskeys coming together. I think they’re nailing that premise. 9/10

Bob:
I did experience a fall off from nose to taste to finish. But I really like this whiskey. If I’m being objective, this is like an 8/10, but it's the kind of 8/10 I want to keep on my shelf—which is saying something.

Value

Brad:
MSRP on these bottles is $150. They're doing a really unique and interesting experiment—making a distillery-wide Infinity bottle that the public can partake in. That’s a cool concept partnered with a really good product. 7.5/10

Bob:
Their blended bourbon is $40, their regular bourbon is close to $100. So $150 isn’t outrageous. I do kind of wish this was $100, though. I think that’s the sweet spot. Still, I’ll give it a 7/10.

Final Scores

• Brad: 41/50

• Bob: 40/50

• Average: 40.5/50

Conclusion

With an average score of 40.5/50, this Infinity Blend hits our benchmark for a strong recommendation. At $150, it lands just above the soft-recommend territory of 35/50, and into the range where we start telling folks to go ahead and grab a bottle—especially if you’re into the concept of an evolving, distillery-wide blend.

This is a unique, nostalgic, fall-friendly pour that manages to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. If you’re a fan of clove, apple cider, caramel, and a well-integrated wheat backbone, the 2023 Old Elk Infinity Blend should absolutely be on your radar.