McEwans Champion

Brewed by John Smiths (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Scotch Ale
Tadcaster, England

brought over to me from England. pours amber brown, thin foamy head. bitter and strong alc, but not as strong as I thought it would be, goes down smooth. really warms up toward the end. Its good but nothing that I would seek out.

A Mes rate: 50cl bottle from Tesco in Tremadog. Champion? You having a laugh? Nothing champion about this unless it’s the champion beer for induced gurning. As soon as you swallow you simply do not have a choice but to pull a funny face such is the fierce acrid flavour. It’s all alcohol and soap and no finesse. Public toilet handwash in the nose and almost sickly sweet but before the sugar comes there is a rush of nasty detergent alcohol. Not a good beer.

sampled with mates: pours a dark brown with brownish head. aroma is very malty, with bits of nuts. flavor is full and very remenicent of barley wine. Fruity and complex. good mouthfeel medium heavy. I really enjoyed it. Cheers!

Dense, fine & collapsing head, amber-brownish; fed by good fine carbonation in reddish brown beer, slightly hazy. Fine alcoholic nose, not un-brandy-like. Bread notes, hazelnuts and leafy. Bitterish, typically burnt-roasted flavours, nutty - both hazelnut as walnutpeel. Bitterish gets quite bitter warming up, especially retronasal, which typically hints at (burnt) malt bitter rather than hops. The sweetness from restsugars grows too, which is more logical. Quite well-bodied, but the palate is ruined by the exaggerated charred MF; quite creamy texture. Not my kind of beer, I’m afraid.

Fairly weak sweet malty aroma. Nice dark brown colour with a small head. No visible carbonation and although there are some lacings the head doesn’t last. Powerfull taste. Fruity and a lot of roasted malt in the taste. I agree with the last rater who described the aftertaste as salt liqurice and alcohol. Quite a nice beer eventhough it has it’s flaws.

Bottled. (BB 04/2007). Red ruby color, big creamy off-white head. Chocolaty, a bit skunky hoppy and roasted aroma. Port wine -like palate. Toffeish grassy hoppy flavor. Salted licorice and alcohol in the finish and aftertaste.

From bottle. Strong aroma, I imagine fruit and grapes in a syrup. The beer has a dark brownish appearance with a frothy head. Good carb. The beer tastes like a weird port. Its strong but as it says on the bottle quite easy to drink. Leaves no real nasty taste as I first expected. A good enough ale but not my favourite.

Top notch for its style, brought back from London by Mark B. Wonderful wheat though boozy aroma, scotch colour, small white head and significant lace. Great easy mouthful, dry aftertaste with hop leaf. Good malting, understated carbonation. Bit of roasted barley.