McEwans Scotch Ale

Brewed by John Smiths (Heineken UK)
Style: Scotch Ale
Tadcaster, England

Serve in Thistle

Tap at the Dublin pub in Herzliya. Thanks beerandbeyond for the sip. Pours dark hazy brown, minimal head. Doppelbock aroma: malt, wine. Sweet, lingering taste, light body and more carbonated than doppelbock. Quite nice actually.

When I tried this for the first time as an apprentice drinker aged about 18 or 19, I thought it was vile: horse shit and old tram tickets. Now I’m older and wiser and have some semblance of experience I recognise the almost complete lack of hops and strong caramel, chocolate aromas and flavours in a beer that is viscous and creamy as a good thing.

So many good things to say about this ale. The strong flavors and sweetness are perfectly balanced and this rises easily into the pedigree of Scotch Ales. Flavors reminiscent of molasses, brown sugar and a million others I find hard to describe.

Clear reddish brown with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and a little roasted malt. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish. 160911

This is my favorite Scotch Ale of all time. I still have on six pack left. Slight smokey earthy aroma. Excellent head on a pour of this ale. Nice dark color. One thing about this ale is consistency. Bottle after bottle, six pack after six pack, year after year for the last 8 years I’ve enjoyed this ale, the brew has been consistent. This ale is much more bold or "heavy" than a most its peers but without an overpowering aftertaste. Indeed it has a aromatic smokey caramelized flavor and a complex bold slightly sweet finish. It’s best flavor seems to be around 55 degrees f. If you can find it, get it. This ale is what got me interested in craft ales in the first place. It is a shame they stopped exporting this ale just when the demand for heavy ales was starting to increase. There certainly is a huge demand for it in the United States and recently craft brewers here are attempting to mimic the flavor and the style of the lost Scottish heavies such as Lorimer’s and or course, the standard bearer McEwan’s Scotch Ale.

A nice, heavy, malty beer. Hints of smokiness in the aroma, nice head that sinks fairly quickly but leaves beautiful lacing. Good mouthfeel and body. Malty and nutty notes. A hint of bitterness at the end just to round out the flavor

Bottle. A nice scotch ale. Dark and brown. A little sweet, but not too much. Very nice.

355ml bottle. Taste was very malty, with no bitterness at all. The alcohol was noticeable. Mouthfeel was syrupy.