Old Elk 2024 Infinity Blend

For 2025, I wanted to kick off the year by highlighting a special expression from a craft distillery.
First, if you aren't familiar with Old Elk and Greg Metze, take a quick read through my Blog Post, Volume 6.24, for a quick lesson on this brand and who and what Greg Metze is to the whiskey world.
I hadn't visited the Old Elk's Reserve for a while and wanted to taste some of their new expressions in the Master's Collection and their Specialty Products line.
The danger with tasting whiskey in these collections is that all of it is spectacular, and it's impossible to pick just one, although the wallet dictates how many bottles you can walk out with. I ended up selecting the 2024 Infinity Blend to share with you and kick off 2025, but the Old Elk Punch Cut was in hot contention, so I highly recommend picking up a bottle if you can find it.
This whiskey marks the fourth yearly release in Master Distiller Greg Metze’s Infinity Blend Series. The latest limited edition begins with the 2023 Infinity Blend as its foundation. To round out the blend, Metze incorporated carefully chosen barrels of Old Elk Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Old Elk Rye Whiskey, and Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey.
Below is the blend used to create the Infinity Blend:
61% - Old Elk Wheated Bourbon aged 9yrs. (51% Corn/45% Wheat/4% Malted Barley)
15% 2023 Old Elk Infinity Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
12% Old Elk Rye Whiskeys aged 7 years (95% Rye/5% Malted Barley)
12% Old Elk Wheat Whiskey aged 10 years (95% Soft Red Wheat/5% Malted Barley)
After the Infinity Blend in 2023 was created, the holdback was placed in closed stainless steel totes in Old Elk's Ft. Collins warehouse until Greg began working on the 2024 blend. This volume held back each year becomes about 15-20% of the next year's Infinity Blend.
I asked Greg how he approached creating this blend. My goal in 2025 is to learn more about Blending, so that question was a bit of a selfish geek question. I loved the detail that he shared with me.
From Greg...."All blending starts with available inventory. The first step for me is to review the current barrel inventory of all mash bill types available I created and produced, the age of the barrels, and the barrel locations in the warehouses they are maturing in.
My goal with the Infinity Blend series is to create a new and unique blend each year featuring vintage barrels located in the sweet spots of the barrel warehouses (in Ft. Collins). Once I arrive at this information, I decide what my blending components will be.
For the 2024 Infinity Blend, I located 9 YO Old Elk Wheat Bourbon, 7 YO Old Elk Rye Whiskey, and 10 YO Old Elk Wheat Whiskey. I also determined that I wanted the Old Elk Wheat Bourbon to be the primary component relative to the other components.
The next step is to sample the barrels from the selected sweet spot locations in volumes large enough to prepare a series of 6 – 8 blends at various ratios, along with samples of the prior year's Infinity Blend holdback. The % of holdback to be used is determined 1st and is fixed for all the blend ratios. This percentage is based on the available proof and volume of the holdback and the number of cases of Infinity Blend to be produced. I evaluate each blend component sample to ensure they meet my standards for quality. Blends are subsequently created at various ratios of the selected blend components and then evaluated organoleptically* over a several-day period.
I don’t really look for a specific taste or profile. I look for the blend that stands out relative to balance both in smell and in flavor. I can’t explain it in words, but there is always 1 in the mix that is special and you know it when you see it. My wife assists me in these evaluations. She has a very keen nose and a great pallet, and we generally agree on the scoring. Following our evaluations, I then do private tastings with a group of folks who are very knowledgeable whiskey enthusiasts to attain their input. **The Old Elk team in Ft Collins provides input as well."
*Organoleptic means relating to or involving the qualities of a substance that stimulate the sense organs, such as taste, color, odor, and feel)
** The Old Elk team includes Master Blender Melinda Maddox.
The 2024 Infinity Blend was launched at "Blend Strength", which is 57.575% Alc/Vol or 111.15 Proof.
Proofs of the Infinity Blend vary from year to year due to the barrel proof of each blended component (e.g., one barrel could be 112,.2 another could be 109.7, another could be 110.5, and so on).
I hope you enjoy your sample of Old Elk's 2024 Infinity Blend. As I was pouring the samples for you all, it smelled delicious. I can't wait to dig into a sample again since it's been 3 months since I picked it and share my thoughts via the comments.
I don't include tasting notes for these special member pours because I’m really interested in what you nose and taste and think about the pour. Post your comments to share with your fellow whiskey club members. Old Elk will be our guest at the September whiskey club event so you can learn more about Old Elk Distillery and taste their lineup of absolutely amazing whiskeys.
***NEW FOR THIS YEAR***
If you share your thoughts about this sample, you'll be entered into a drawing for a little something.
So, while I have been drinking whiskey and other libations for 40 years, give or take, this will be the first time I have ever attempted to describe, in words, what I think I have tasted. After a few cursory reviews of the Flavor Camp Tasting System I have come to the following indecisive conclusions:
My Primary Camp for Old Elk 2024 Infinity Blend is Roasted
My Secondary Camp is Golden Fruit
I found this particular vintage quite enjoyable. It has a smooth and silky beginning giving me notes of smoke and vanilla. Its finish on my palette was a bit of a surprise as I found it to strengthen and cause a wee bit of turbulence on the taste…
We recently purchased Old Elk port cask and really enjoyed it. We did not get to try the sample of Infinity (we couldn’t attend first gathering) but hope to rectify that soon
Lisa and Lee