So drams can come true:
A Campbeltown whisky fan who drove 537 miles on the offchance of securing a limited edition Springbank Distillery release has now enjoyed a dram of it in the Alps.
Scott Baylis left his home in Clerkenwell in central London on Sunday February 18, and drove for 10 hours to reach the Wee Toon, where he hoped to be able to purchase Springbank’s highly sought-after 2024 local barley edition.
The problem was, only 8,400 bottles were available worldwide and, by that point, it was three days after it had gone on sale in the distillery shop, and already long after some people estimated it would be sold out.
The annual “grain to glass” release is made from barley grown in or around Campbeltown, with a local farmer commissioned each year to grow the grain specifically for the distillery.
Scott sought advice from fellow Springbank whisky fans in a Facebook group about whether the bottle would still be available before he set off on his mission and, although many were sceptical, he decided to give it a go anyway.
His spirited determination captured the group’s enthusiasm, with members patiently awaiting his regular updates as he made his way to Campbeltown, stopping at Cairndow to sleep from 6am-8am, so he could enjoy the drive down the Kintyre peninsula in the daylight.
His tenacity paid off, with a post in the Facebook group on Monday February 19, reading: “Dreams really do come true! The quest for the golden bottle was worth the 10-hour drive.”
Speaking to the Courier, Scott said: “I arrived at the distillery at 9.40am and was second in the queue for the shop. I looked through the misty little shop window and saw the bottles.
“I was relieved as I really wanted to get lucky and get my own bottle, and it looked like they were there. I was with my fiancée so we were able to get a bottle each.”
He added: “When I asked in our amazing Springbank group if anyone knew if I’d be lucky or not, most people wouldn’t comment. I later found out that locals and others with some knowledge and experience of the place don’t want to get people’s hopes up because the shop’s stock can change so rapidly.
“Some others commented that it had been there a few days before, so I was hopeful. When we finally got into the shop, I was able to get my bottles, but it was all sold out by 3.30pm – so I had been just in time!”
Scott says the trip would not have been wasted even if he had failed to buy the local barley release, as he was able to purchase some other Springbank whiskies.
“If the local barley hadn’t been there, I would have been disappointed, however, they had the new Kilkerran sherry cask bottles and some Longrow 21 and other bottles not easy to get hold of elsewhere, so I think I would have made the most of that and been perfectly content.”
He also managed to enjoy some other activities, including a Cadenhead’s blending session and a visit to the Washback Bar, where he had a couple of drams, starting with the local barley.
“I had heard it was good, but the fruity start to the dram with the caramel body and a really interesting softly smoky finish instantly made me so glad I had made that effort,” he said.
Scott describes himself as a Springbank whisky fan “of the highest order”.
“I once took 12 bottles of fantastic whiskies to a barbecue weekend with friends on the Isle of Wight,” he said. “Most of the bottles were really decent, high age statement bottles – think Glendronach 23-yearold single cask, Glenrothes independent 21-year-old...
“At about 3am, I realised I had been sitting for three hours enjoying a humble Springbank 15 core range bottle and that none of the other bottles could even get close to that quality.”
He added: “Pretty much every trip to Campbeltown is worth it for me, whisky-wise, because I can restock some of the core range bottles and