Shilla Hotel Seoul: The Distillers Library Whiskey Review
Experience Shilla Hotel Seoul's Distillers Library, a hidden luxury bar. Enjoy premium Balvenie 16-Year and exquisite food pairings. An unforgettable Seoul night.
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Experience Shilla Hotel Seoul's Distillers Library, a hidden luxury bar. Enjoy premium Balvenie 16-Year and exquisite food pairings. An unforgettable Seoul night.
A Hidden Luxury Space within The Shilla Hotel
Featuring Single Malt Whiskies like Glenfiddich & The Balvenie
The Distillers Library
Last year, I experienced their whisky food pairing,
and it was so, so, so good that I've been longing to go back!
The Distillers Library at The Shilla Seoul.
I kept telling myself I *had* to bring my husband,
and we finally made it to this luxurious spot!
Here’s my review after enjoying delicious food and The Balvenie 16-year-old. 💕
The Distillers Library |
📍Inside The Shilla Seoul, 1F, 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
⏱️Daily 11:00-24:00
🅿️Parking available (Valet fee: ~$24)
💰Glenfiddich Tasting Flight: ~$41 / The Balvenie Tasting Flight: ~$61
✅️A private whisky experience space created by William Grant & Sons
✅️Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, and Wildmoor available for purchase
✅️Private membership program in operation
1. Location of The Distillers Library at The Shilla Seoul
📍 The Distillers Library at The Shilla Seoul
1F, 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
The Distillers Library
is located on the 1st floor of The Shilla Seoul.
From Dongguk University Station (Line 3),
a van-style shuttle bus operates,
so I didn't have to walk up the hill
and could get there comfortably.
The Shilla Hotel lobby is so sparkling and beautiful!
To the side, there's The Library, which serves as a café/bar.
If you go to that counter
and mention you're here for The Distillers Library,
they'll guide you inside.
As you move further inside,
it feels like a slightly hidden, private space,
and the atmosphere completely changes! 👀
2. What is The Distillers Library?
The Distillers Library at The Shilla Seoul
was created by William Grant & Sons.
Apparently, there are only six such locations worldwide! O_O!
From The Balvenie and Glenfiddich
to Wildmoor (featuring Choo Sung-hoon's whisky),
you can purchase premium whiskies
and immediately experience them with food pairings.
As it's a space located within a hotel,
it naturally boasts even more luxurious interior design and lighting.
The calm atmosphere
is perfectly set up for you to appreciate and enjoy whisky.
This is the retail shop reception, the main space.
Since it's directly operated by the brand,
they also sell types of whisky that are hard to find
elsewhere.
And here's a great tip 😉: you can enjoy purchased whisky
in one of the library's private rooms
without any additional room charge!
You can receive even greater benefits through their membership program, which has no separate enrollment fee.
I'll tell you more about the membership below! :>
This largest of the three private rooms
is also where tasting classes are held.
When I visited last year,
I listened intently to the whisky explanation
from The Balvenie ambassador here. It was super interesting! ^_^
And this, the smallest room here,
looked like it could accommodate about 4 people.
Each room was so luxuriously decorated
that I couldn't even tell if I was here to enjoy whiskey
or to admire an art exhibition... @_@
Finally, this is the very room where Bamkki and friends
savored Balvenie and a delightful food pairing!
It was an antique and luxurious space
that felt straight out of a movie set! ✨️✨️
The props weren't just any old items;
a high-end whiskey collection was on display,
enough to make any whiskey enthusiast gasp in awe!
(Last year when I visited, they even had Balvenie 60 Year Old...)
In particular, the Ladyburn collection in the right photo
only has 20 bottles worldwide,
and since the distillery no longer exists, it's no longer produced.
So, each bottle comes with an astonishing price tag of around ~$6,901...!!!
When the staff member told us the price,
Bamkki and everyone else in our group collectively gasped 'whoa' haha.
3. Balvenie 16 Year French Oak & The Shilla Hotel Food Pairing
Bamkki, along with a couple of friends,
a group of four in total, decided to indulge in Balvenie 16 Year French Oak
paired with exquisite dishes from The Shilla Hotel.
The Balvenie 16 Year French Oak we drank that day
had a wonderfully smooth aroma, as expected from a well-aged whiskey.
It's said to have been aged for 16 years in American oak,
and then finished in Pineau Casks.
Because of this, the honey notes, which could be called Balvenie's signature,
were more subtle than I expected,
and overall, it offered a delicate and richly flavored sweetness.
At first, to fully enjoy the Balvenie 16 Year as it was,
we sampled it in small shots (lolol) even before the snacks arrived.
To savor it more slowly, we then decided to drink it on the rocks.
They brought us on-the-rocks glasses and ice,
and it wasn't just ordinary ice –
they brought out premium, specially crafted ice,
perfect for on-the-rocks and highball drinks.
The food pairing consisted of five main dishes.
Overall, it was a delightful experience that appealed to most,
with subtle flavors and aromas that weren't too strong,
ensuring they didn't interfere with savoring the whiskey.
Charcuterie & Cheese Board
Before the main dishes arrived,
we leisurely enjoyed this charcuterie board,
perfectly complementing the authentic taste of Balvenie 16 Year.
With a wide variety of biscuits, hams, chocolates, and cheeses,
it was so much fun choosing from all the delicious options! 😋
They even served honeycomb, not just regular honey,
and it created an absolutely divine combination with the biscuits and Balvenie!
Thai Noodles & Calamari
You might typically expect whiskey to be paired strictly with Western cuisine,
so Thai noodles and calamari might come as a delightful surprise!?
Calamari is Mediterranean-style fried squid, and it's generally softer
than Korean fried squid.
Since whiskey is quite high-proof,
even carbohydrate-focused dishes like these
They really complemented each other.
Australian Tenderloin Steak
Glenfiddich Whisky Butter & Brioche Bread
Finally, the meat and the dessert-like bread.
Especially since it was a tenderloin steak with less fat,
it paired perfectly with the whisky.
And the butter that came with the brioche wasn't just any butter,
it was Glenfiddich butter, can you believe it!?
With a deeper flavor than regular butter,
it was absolutely perfect to finish off the meal🥐🥐
I definitely want to go back with my husband for my birthday
and enjoy some more amazing drinks and delicious food there! ❤️
4. The Distillers Library Membership & Reservation Method
Membership for The Distillers Library is free to join.
It's a membership where points are accumulated based on
your whisky purchases and usage.
The benefits are quite substantial,
so for more details, please refer to the photo above!
Reservations for The Distillers Library can be made through Catchtable.
To use a private room, one bottle must be purchased.
Lunch is also available for dining only, but there's a separate room charge of ~$69.
Experience a private and luxurious whisky journey at
The Shilla Seoul's The Distillers Library,
the only one of its kind in Korea! 🥃
Excessive alcohol consumption can cause stroke, memory impairment, or dementia.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects.
The Distillers Library is located on the 1st floor of The Shilla Seoul. You can comfortably arrive without walking up the hill by using the van-type shuttle bus service from Dongguk University Station (Line 3).
The Glenfiddich tasting flight is ~$41, and the Balvenie tasting flight is ~$61.
To use a private room, you must purchase one bottle of whisky. If you only have lunch, a separate room charge of ~$69 will be applied.
This whisky was aged for 16 years in American oak, then finished in Pinot casks. Balvenie's signature honey aroma is subtle, and overall, it offers a delicate and flavorful sweetness.
The food pairings included a Charcuterie & Cheese Board, Thai Noodles & Calamari, and Australian Tenderloin Steak with Glenfiddich whisky butter and Brioche Bread. Charcuterie with honeycomb was also provided.
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The Shilla Seoul The Distillers Library | Zero reservation deposit, Catchtable exclusive benefits