PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The October Bourbon Club takes us to New York's Hudson Valley for a whiskey built around an aging technique rarely encountered in American bourbon: Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey — PX Cask Finish.
Hillrock holds an important place in American whiskey history as the first U.S. distillery to offer a solera-aged bourbon, adapting a centuries-old maturation system more commonly associated with Sherry, Port, Madeira and Cognac.
But October's bottle takes that idea another step.
After its solera maturation, the bourbon is finished in 20-year-old Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry casks, bringing the intensely rich dried-fruit character associated with one of Spain's most distinctive styles of sherry into an already complex American whiskey.
The result is a fascinating meeting of two traditions: Hudson Valley bourbon and old-world Spanish sherry maturation.
And exactly the sort of bottle the Blackwell's Bourbon Club was created to discover.
• Producer: Hillrock Estate Distillery
• Location: Ancram, Hudson Valley, New York
• Style: Solera-Aged Bourbon Whiskey — Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask Finish
• Proof / ABV: 92.6 Proof (46.3% ABV)
• Solera Maturation: Hillrock uses a cascading barrel system inspired by the traditional solera process. Whiskey is drawn progressively from the system while younger whiskey is introduced, allowing different generations of bourbon to integrate over time rather than simply aging as one isolated batch.
• PX Finish: The solera-aged bourbon receives an additional finish in 20-year-old Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
• Field-to-Glass: Hillrock is one of America's notable estate whiskey producers, growing grain on its Hudson Valley estate and maintaining unusually close control over the whiskey-making process.
• American Whiskey Significance: Under the direction of the late Dave Pickerell, formerly Master Distiller at Maker's Mark, Hillrock became the first American distillery to commercially offer solera-aged bourbon.
This isn't simply bourbon transferred into a wine barrel for novelty.
The solera system is fundamental to Hillrock's identity, while the PX casks introduce an entirely different dimension to the finished whiskey.
This is where October's bottle becomes particularly interesting.
Pedro Ximénez — usually shortened to PX — is an intensely rich Spanish sherry traditionally produced from Pedro Ximénez grapes.
Its casks are prized by whisky and whiskey makers because they can contribute deep dried-fruit, nutty, chocolate and concentrated sweet characteristics to a spirit during finishing.
Hillrock isn't starting with an ordinary bourbon, either.
The underlying whiskey has already developed through its unusual solera maturation before being introduced to 20-year-old PX sherry casks.
Think of it as two layers of maturation philosophy meeting in one bottle:
American bourbon through a solera system.
Then Spanish PX sherry casks for the finish.
That is what makes this month's Bourbon Club selection worth exploring.
October's Hillrock moves decisively toward the darker, richer end of the bourbon spectrum.
Nose: Fig, candied fruit and roasted walnut lead into darker bourbon sweetness and spice.
Palate: Rich and full-bodied, with dried fruit and dark chocolate layered against spicy rye character and traditional bourbon sweetness.
Finish: Lingering honeyed sweetness and warming spice, with the PX influence carrying through the finish.
The important thing is balance.
Pedro Ximénez casks can be extraordinarily expressive. Here, their rich fruit character sits on top of an already complex solera-aged bourbon rather than becoming the entire story.
At 92.6 proof, there's enough structure to carry those darker flavors without turning the whiskey into a high-proof heavyweight.
• Serve / Style: Start neat in a Glencairn glass and give it several minutes to open. This is a whiskey worth revisiting as the PX character develops in the glass.
• After Dinner: This is an especially natural after-dinner bourbon thanks to the combination of dried fruit, chocolate, spice and PX richness.
• Dark chocolate, chocolate tart or flourless chocolate cake
• Sticky toffee pudding, bread pudding or crème brûlée
• Fig, date or raisin-based desserts
• Roasted walnuts, pecans and other toasted nuts
• Aged Gouda, Manchego or other firm, nutty cheeses
• Roast duck, glazed pork or richly caramelized meats
• Medium to full-bodied cigars with cocoa, cedar, dried fruit and baking-spice character
The Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey — PX Cask Finish represents exactly what we want the Blackwell's Bourbon Club to be about.
Not simply another bourbon.
A bottle that gives you something genuinely different to discover.
Hillrock took a maturation technique historically associated with some of Europe's great wines and brandies, applied it to American bourbon, and then finished that whiskey in 20-year-old Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
Solera-aged. PX-finished. 92.6 proof. Made in New York's Hudson Valley.
October's bottle is a chance to taste what happens when American whiskey tradition meets two very different old-world ideas about maturation.
Pour it neat.
Give it some time in the glass.
And discover why Hillrock decided ordinary barrel aging wasn't enough.
A rich, distinctive and appropriately autumnal selection for the October 2026 Blackwell's Bourbon Club.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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