Springbank in the Alps
always try something a bit special.
“I usually get a couple of vatted bottles from the distillery shop and of course the legendary cage, which is a fun extra, and I often end up with something really interesting.”
Scott’s trip, which was supposed to be one overnight stay, ended up turning into a week-long break, including a visit to Islay.
“We decided that we should extend our stay in Campbeltown for another night and luckily the Ardshiel Hotel was able to accommodate us,” said Scott. “On the second night, we met this wonderful lady called Debs from Jura and, over a few drinks, she convinced us we had been missing a trick, since we had been to Campbeltown a few times and never ventured to Islay.
“I love Islay whiskies and had tried far more of them in England before I tried Springbank, which, for me, ended up being the perfect balance of Islay and Spey styles, the lightly peated style.
“However, I love a great Longrow, possibly over many Islay whiskies too, so I really am a Springbank/Glengyle fanboy.
“I also love drinking what I see as the slightly more refined style of Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia Distillery and I also collect some of their more interesting releases.”
With their hearts set on visiting Islay, Scott and his fiancée cleared their diaries and managed to bag one of the last reserve slots on the ferry.
Scott said: “In the end, we spent four more days on Islay and we sampled one of the bottles we had bought in Campbeltown – it was so good that when we got off the ferry at the end of our trip, we turned right and not left, and went back to Campbeltown to pick up an extra bottle from Springbank!
“It added one hour 20 minutes to our journey back to London, but the whisky was that good I deemed it worth it!”
As a member of the globe-trotting electronic afro-funk band Ibibio Sound Machine, Scott is used to travelling and was soon back on the road – or in the air, this time – heading Down Under, where his band played at the WOMADelaide festival in Australia and WOMAD festival in New Zealand.
Scott, who plays trumpet and synths, is an original member of the band which started releasing and performing music 12 years ago and currently has four albums out. The band’s fifth album, which was produced with the help of Ross Orton, who has worked with the Arctic Monkeys and MIA, is due to be released on May 3.
Between tours, Scott plays in a band called The Baker Brothers, which is releasing a new album called The Next Last Party, and he is in a wedding band called The Milestones.
He also plays piano for afternoon tea in the luxury Palm Court of The Langham Hotel in London, as well as the exclusive Ivy Club in West Street, Covent Garden.
Fresh from his Australasian tour, Scott enjoyed a relaxing break in the Swiss Alps, flying to Crans-Montana last Thursday (March 21) for his annual “gentlemen’s ski retreat” with his friends.
“We always drink a lot of the good stuff while up in the mountains,” he said, “and I always bring a bottle of something from the Wee Toon.”
This year’s Campbeltown whisky of choice was the hardsought local barley, which Scott said tasted “wonderful” in the Alps.
The huge, worldwide festivals at which Ibibio Sound Machine performs are a far cry from any of Campbeltown’s events, but Scott hopes one day to be able to bring his band to the town he now loves.
“We are a very large travelling band, with eight musicians and an engineer,” he said. “The costs involved with us touring are more than the average band which often makes smaller festivals and gigs not very cost effective.
“Our band, however, is fuelled by Springbank whisky and I have converted several members to Springbank.
“The dream would be to work with the Campbeltown Malts Festival organisers and try to find some way of connecting our, dare I say, hip and young/ worldwide take on music and culture with my favourite whisky which, in my mind, combines tradition, quality and nature.
“I have played some huge venues and I have many dreams, but to play a gig in the square at the malts festival would make an evening of absolute energy the likes of which I’m not sure the Wee Toon has yet experienced and would fulfil me as much as any bigger event.”