Ballantyne Hotel

When you first walk through the doors of this hotel you are greeted with opulence and elegance. With cascading ceilings and balconies, warm tones and natural light, your eye is drawn from the floor to the ceiling. Giant windows frame the beautifully well kept grounds and golf course. As overwhelming as that first impression was, I was not distracted from my main purpose. I had heard that inside of this luxury hotel, was a hidden gem with an amazing bar and impressive bourbon selection stocked with the industries highest standards. I passed beautiful rooms and cozy sitting areas all worthy of sitting and relaxing with a fine bourbon, until I reached my destination. The Gallery Bar.

We admired the decor as we made our way through their Emerald room to the bar to investigate the bourbon selections. We were not disappointed. Here we were greeted by a very friendly bar tender named Mark.

After perusing the menu, I decided to indulge in an Old Fashioned made with a Knob Creek 9 year – which was perfectly crafted.

As someone who loves single barrel selected bourbons I immediately noticed they had their very own barrel picks.  Woodford Reserve and Makers Mark. When you can’t decide which one to try, you just try them both, and yes I’m glad I did. Very impressive flavor profiles and well selected barrels. I enjoy trying private select barrels while traveling because it is a unique barrel that you will not be able to find anywhere else. It may be your one opportunity to try this unique selection and discover the varied tasting profiles each one brings.

Bourbon is more than just a tasty well crafted drink. It calls to a community of its own and always seems to bring people together. When I began asking about the bourbons, the Bar tender was happy to indulge us in some bourbon information and conversation. He really did understand the essence of what goes into creating a fine bourbon, it makes for a shared experience, which in my humble opinion, is how bourbon is best enjoyed. After briefly discussing the private barrel picks, he led us to where the select barrels were displayed. He brought with him a marker so that I could have the honor of signing their barrel on display at the bar.

During our bourbon discussion, the bartender Mark shared another added bonus. The Ballentyne Hotel won a lottery pick to be able to purchase a specialty bourbon offered from Woodford Reserve Distillery. The Woodford Reserve Baccarat bottle cost $3000 to purchase and he reported that this is the only bottle available in North Carolina. To add the the entire experience, I was able to hold the coveted Woodford Reserve Baccarat bottle! You could indulge in a pour for a whopping $300, but only at The Gallery Bar in the Ballentyne Hotel in North Carolina.

I highly recommend making a stop in wether you are local, or just passing through as they’re always getting new barrel picks in.

 I will definitely be stopping by the Ballantyne Hotel every time I’m in the Charlotte area for a delicious pour of their premium single barrel selected bourbons.