Hillrock Estate is a working farm in upstate New York committed to the concept of a true grain-to-glass distillery. They grow, malt, ferment and distill all on the same property (with a little help from neighbors when they need a little extra grain). For this bourbon, they start with a 60/40 mash bill of corn and rye and use a Solera system to create a blend of flavors and textures during aging. Before bottling, the whiskey spends over a month in old Oloroso sherry casks to add even more depth and complexity, along with gorgeous color. It’s rich and sweet, bursting with caramel and vanilla along with some dried fruit, spice and nuttiness. did you know? Solera aging is a system created in Spain for aging sherry. You have tiers of barrels aging your wine or spirits with the freshly made batch going on top and the oldest sitting on the bottom. Whenever you bottle, you take from the bottom and refill it from the level above, then refill that from the next level higher, all the way to the top. This ensures that at least a fraction of every batch ever made (including the first batch ever) makes it into every bottle. tip of the tongue This is an amazing whiskey to buy as a gift (uh, especially if you’re shopping for one of us). The elegant bottle is hand-numbered, and the bourbon inside is one of the best we’ve tasted.
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