HIllrock Estate Distillery
The production of whiskey, rye and bourbon are as deeply rooted in American history as apple pie. In post-revolution America the Hudson Valley was a leading producer of barley and rye, making it the perfect location for small family run distilleries. In 1919, when congress passed the 18th Amendment, known more commonly as prohibition, the distilleries were closed and producers found new business ventures and hobbies. Despite the repealing of the act in 1933, the industry never recovered. At Hillrock Estate Distillery owner, Jeffery Baker, has embraced the Hudson Valley’s rich history of hand-crafted spirits and the beauty of the landscape to create complex, artisanal spirits as well as a whole experience for visitors.
Hillrock Estate is something to be admired. Composed of a malt house, distillery, visitor center and the Georgian main house, it transports visitors’ imaginations to a thriving, post-revolution distillery operation. Tours and tastings are available, and highly recommended. Even if you are not a bourbon drinker, the sheer beauty of the distillery is worth a trip. The distillery holds open houses frequently or visitors can call to schedule a visit.
The distillery farms all of its own grains, controlling the quality from seed to bottle. The fields are located both on site and on property down the road to foster the practice of rotational farming, which further increases the quality of the grain by allowing the soil to absorb a variety of nutrients and increasing fertility. For the visitor, the fields are nothing but majestic. Integrated into the rolling landscape it is reminiscent of a John Frederick Kensett painting.
The grain harvested from the field must make an important stop in the malt house before any magic happens in the distillery. The Hillrock Estate malt house is the first to be built in the United States since prohibition. The building spared no element of design or functionality. It is simple yet elegant with pale walls and lantern style light fixtures, which could easily have contained candles in a 1800s distillery. A large French door, leading to nowhere adds extra light to the room, an essential for the sprouting grain and a real aesthetic treat. It’s a little disappointing to see the room when it is empty, but there are plenty of pictures showing the meticulously raked grain circle. A hallway leading to the exit is lined with barrels of varying sizes, representing bourbon in various stages of aging. Each barrel is marked with the creative and elegant Hillrock logo. The logo has many elements, one of which is the owner's dogs flanking the Hillrock “H”.
The physical distillery doubles as the visitor center and tasting bar. The bar has a rustic welcoming feel, the perfect location for a few sips of Solera Bourbon, the newly released rye or, if you’re lucky, the limited release single malt. When you enter the distillery your nose fills with the scent of fermenting malt and yeast. Around the perimeter of the room large troughs hold the bourbon in various stages of fermentation. The shining, custom-made, copper still sits in the center of the room. The amount of detail and care taken in its creation is obvious and it is breathtaking, a state of the art piece of equipment, which produces Hillrock’s premier spirits.
Perched on a rolling hill above the malt house and distillery at the end of a meandering driveway is the main house. A Revolutionary War Captain and grain merchant built the house in 1806 which has been painstakingly restored. Though the house is closed to the public, it truly completes the experience. The mission of the founder of the Hillrock Estate Distillery was to revive the tradition of field-to-glass, handcrafted, artisanal spirits. He not only succeeded but has truly embraced the experience of that tradition and of the Hudson Valley’s deep-rooted history.