Hillrock Single Malt Whiskey

In the early 1800s, the State of New York was responsible for the production of more than half of the barley and rye harvested in the United States. The Hudson Valley, which extends from New York City northward through Albany, was the countrys original breadbasket and was home to thousands of farmers, hundreds of whom distilled the excess grains they harvested into whiskey. In the 1930s, the onset of Prohibition forced these farmers to abandon their stills.Today, in a 19th century Georgian mansion situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, Master Distiller Dave Pickerell pays homage to the New York farmers who produced their whiskey from grains to glass. Pickerell, who graduated from West Point with a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry, served in the military for 11 years as a cavalry officer before receiving his Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville. Then, Pickerell served as Master Distiller at Makers Mark in Loretto, Kentucky for 13 years. There, he was responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of Makers Mark Bourbon. A former chairman of the Kentucky Distillers Association and a member of the Distilled Spirits Council, Pickerell is an expert nonpareil in the production of whiskey.Hillrock Estate Single Malt Whiskey is one of the first single malt whiskies produced in New York since Prohibition. It is made using barley that is grown exclusively on the rolling fields of the Hillrock Estate. After the barley is harvested, it is malted at the Hillrock Malthouse one of the first malthouses built by a distillery since Prohibition. By growing and malting his own barley, Pickerell is able to control and fine-tune the production process of the single malt whiskey.Once the barley has been malted, it is fermented before being distilled through Pickerells custom-made, 250-gallon copper-pot still. Following distillation, Hillrock Single Malt is aged for approximately two years before each batch is brought to proof and bottled by hand. The whiskey earned a score of 95 points from the Beverage Testing Institute in 2014.Hillrock Single Malt Whiskey is a reflection of New Yorks rich history and its unique terroir. Pick up a bottle today!