McEwan’s Champion

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Scotch Ale
Bedford, England

Serve in Thistle

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Full Bodies Scotch Ale, a little to pugent and powefull for my taste, not bad but not something I would try again....

Dark redish color middle white head. Strong sweet fruity aroma. Heavy taste of fruit and alcohol. Sour bitter finish.

It’s a cold and rainy day here in London, so a strong English ale seems just the right sort of thing. This pours out an unclear chestnut brown with a thick, almost grey-white head. There’s dust and malt on the nose with a fruitcake spice and a not so subtle whiff of burned brown sugar. The body is syrup like with a little too much carbonation for the style. It manages to be sharp and sweet. Too sweet. Then there’s the beef stock taste and the hints of mushroom. But to be honest even these are overpowered by the sweetness, making this a most one dimensional ale. It finishes with a tart, woodied note and a pronounced bittering. There’s no doubting that this is an unbalanced ale - and it smells like a pub carpet on a Saturday morning - and I wouldn’t buy it again - but it’s got character. I have to give it that.

Pours dark brown with a creamy white head. Aroma is sweet malts, flavor is disgustingly sweet malts. Found it very hard to finish my pint.

Dark amber, roasty brown. Big light tan/creamy head that leaves ample lacing. Slightly phenolic. Well not slightly, much phenols. Caramel, and cotton candy. Sweet, with a sour twang that just doesn’t seem like it belongs. Medium-bodied, but that twang won’t go away. Not what Scottish Ale should even be close to resembling. Poor example. Steer clear. Not very good for any style, let alone an Scottish Ale. Not impressed, and won’t ever be buying again.

Bottle from Tesco. Sour grassy aroma. Dark chestnut brow with beige head. Bitter sweet grassy taste with lingering aftertaste which isn’t pleasant. Unbalanced and too strong.

I didn’t like this much - too sickly sweet for me, also very flat. Not great, but what would you expect from the sweaties?

Bottle from Tesco Bottle from Morrisons, Inverness
Appearance Dark brown, clear, frothy white head, good lacing
Aroma Odd burnt smell, bonfire, sweet malts, minerals.
Taste Sweet caramel, cinders, burnt fabric, sulphur, odd unpleasent flavour.
Palate Sweet, soft carb, smooth. Finish - lingering sweet malt, burnt fabric, cinders, rather harsh, lingering.
Overall Looks good. Taste and aroma awful. After 1/4 of pint straight down the sink.

Bottle from a friend really did not like could only drink about a quarter of a bottle befour a gave up really not for me