About the Product: Hillrock's Solera Aged Bourbon begins its life as estate-grown grain, floor malted and distilled on-site in the Hudson Valley — then aged through a cascading pyramid of barrels using the centuries-old Solera method, a process borrowed from the world of Sherry, Port, and Cognac. That base is further developed in Oloroso Sherry casks before the Owner's Special Reserve takes one final step: a finish in a single Shea Vineyard 'Homer' Pinot Noir wine cask from Oregon's Willamette Valley. The result is a cask-strength bourbon unlike almost anything produced in America — layered, fruit-forward, and deeply complex, with each stage of aging leaving its mark on the glass.

About Hillrock Estate Distillery: Founded in the Hudson Valley of New York, Hillrock Estate Distillery is one of the few truly field-to-glass whiskey producers in the world — and the first American distillery since before Prohibition to floor malt and hand-craft whiskey entirely from estate-grown grain. The distillery operates from a meticulously restored 1806 Georgian estate in Ancram, New York, overlooking barley fields and the Berkshire Mountains. Under the late Master Distiller David Pickerell and owner Jeffrey Baker, Hillrock pioneered the use of the Solera aging method in American bourbon, earning international recognition and a Wine Enthusiast 93-point score on their Pinot Noir Cask Finish release. Their Owner's Special Reserve series represents the most limited, hand-selected expressions from the Solera — individual casks chosen for exceptional character and bottled without dilution.

Bottle Info:
- Proof: 112.3 (cask strength)
- Pinot Noir Cask Finish: Shea Vineyard 'Homer' Cask #5
- Distillery: Hillrock Estate Distillery, Ancram, New York
- Mashbill: High-rye bourbon (undisclosed)

Tasting Notes:
- Nose: Bright red fruit, warm vanilla, sweet dessert notes
- Palate: Warm vanilla and cherries, toffee, floral and fruity notes
- Finish: Lingering rye spice, dried plums, nutmeg, vanilla

What is a Pinot Noir Cask Finish?: Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned red grape variety grown across Burgundy, Oregon, and California, producing wines known for their delicate red fruit character, floral aromatics, and earthy elegance. When a bourbon spends time in a freshly emptied Pinot Noir cask, the wood — still saturated with wine — imparts bright cherry and plum notes, a subtle vinous lift, and a softening effect on the spirit's edges. Shea Vineyard's Homer block in Oregon's Willamette Valley is regarded as one of the premier Pinot Noir sites in North America, making this cask provenance an unusually well-pedigreed choice for a whiskey finish.