Hillrock Cathy's Cuvee #1 Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey

Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1 Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey is a distinctive limited expression of Hillrock’s acclaimed Solera Aged Bourbon, personally curated by co-founder and owner Cathy Franklin. The whiskey brings together three complementary finishing styles—Premier Cru Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Pedro Ximénez casks—to create a layered profile of honey, caramel, red berries, chocolate, maple, and toffee. Bottled at 92.6 proof (46.3% ABV), Cathy’s Cuvée combines the richness of dessert-wine casks with the structure and warmth of mature American bourbon.

Process & Profile

Cathy’s Cuvée begins with Hillrock’s Solera Aged Bourbon, an expression built around the solera method, in which whiskey from different stages of maturation is progressively combined to create consistency while preserving layers of mature character. Hillrock then gives Cathy’s Cuvée its distinctive identity through three separate wine-cask influences.

The Premier Cru Sauternes cask contributes luxurious notes of honey and caramel, bringing a rich, dessert-like sweetness to the bourbon. The Tawny Port cask adds red berry and chocolate, introducing darker fruit and cocoa complexity. Finally, the Pedro Ximénez cask contributes maple and toffee, rounding the whiskey with deeper caramelized sweetness.

On the nose, the whiskey opens with caramel, honey, vanilla, dried fruit, red berries, and maple, followed by softer layers of chocolate and toasted oak. The combination of three different wine-cask styles gives the aromatics considerably more depth than a traditionally matured bourbon.

The palate is rich and smooth, bringing together caramel, vanilla, berry fruit, chocolate, maple syrup, toffee, dried fruit, and warming spice. Sauternes provides sweetness and roundness, Tawny Port contributes darker fruit and chocolate, while Pedro Ximénez adds concentrated maple-and-toffee richness.

The finish is smooth and lingering, with toffee, caramel, dried fruit, chocolate, spice, and oak gradually fading across the palate. At 92.6 proof, it carries enough strength to maintain structure while remaining polished and approachable for slow sipping.

What makes Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1 Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey especially compelling is the combination of Solera aging and three distinctive wine-cask finishes. Rather than allowing one finishing barrel to dominate, the Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Pedro Ximénez influences work together to create a bourbon that moves from honeyed sweetness to red fruit, chocolate, maple, and toffee.

Enjoy it neat to experience the individual cask influences, or add a few drops of water to open the fruit, caramel, and chocolate notes. Its rich profile also makes it an excellent after-dinner bourbon alongside dark chocolate, aged cheese, or roasted nuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1 Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey?
It is a limited expression of Hillrock’s Solera Aged Bourbon personally curated by co-founder Cathy Franklin, combining bourbon finished in Premier Cru Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Pedro Ximénez casks.

What are the key specs of Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1?
The whiskey is bottled at 92.6 proof / 46.3% ABV and is sold in a 750ml bottle. It is a non-age-stated Solera Aged Bourbon with three complementary wine-cask finishes.

What flavors characterize Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1?
Expect honey, caramel, vanilla, red berries, chocolate, maple, toffee, dried fruit, warm spice, and oak. The Sauternes contributes honey and caramel, Tawny Port adds red berry and chocolate, and Pedro Ximénez brings maple and toffee.

How should you enjoy Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1?
Enjoy it neat or with a few drops of water to explore its layered fruit, dessert-wine sweetness, spice, and oak. It also pairs particularly well with dark chocolate and aged cheeses.

What makes Hillrock Cathy’s Cuvée #1 special?
Its distinction comes from the combination of Hillrock’s Solera-aged bourbon, Cathy Franklin’s personal curation, and three separate finishing influences—Premier Cru Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Pedro Ximénez—creating an unusually layered balance of fruit, chocolate, honey, maple, caramel, and toffee.