McEwans Scotch Ale

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

12 oz bottle via cathcart (thanks!). Pours a dark brown with an average tan head that dissipates quickly. Nose is yeast phenols and toffee. Taste starts and ends sweet, almost cloying. In between there is lots of fruity currants, figs, some berries, nuts, toffee and a little chocolate. Body is medium, carbonation is moderate to high. Pretty tasty.

The initial smell: Kielbasa. Yes...the sausage. Why not though. Taste is also quite meaty, but is surprisingly drinkable. One person said "soupy" and I agree. I like it though.

Pours nice dark brown chocolate or root beer color with thin head. Smells uniquely sweet. Intresting taste like coffee with cream and sugar. Im a beer drinker not a coffee drinker so I can say would never drink more then one of these in one sitting. I bet this goes good with baked goods.

Bouteille brune de 33 cl. Arômes sucrés de mélasse, de caramel et de fruits mûrs. Robe brune, reflets rouges. Très sucrée en bouche, on y retrouve beaucoup de mélasse et une présence de pruneaux. L’alcool est plutôt apparent en arrière-goût.

Pours a dark brown with a tan head with good retention. Strong sweet aroma. Tastes, as my friend put it, "like candy and band-aids" - plenty of buttery diacetyl, malty sweetness. Passable carbonation, decently thick body and creaminess. Aside from being sickly sweet, not a terrible example of the style.

I was expecting something a little different than what I got when I purchased this ale. Seems overly sweet on the palate with a bourbon flavor. Quite strong in alcohol content (8%), and it is very apparent. Overall a little dissapointed.

Delicious. A good ale and a good drink period. Pours a deep ruby to brown, with a small, rusty foam that disappears rapidly. The aroma is a non-event...somewhat citrusy/fruity, maybe some chocolate and vanilla. No malt or hops in the aroma. The taste is where this brew gets its points in my book. Sweet, tart, malt, hops, and above all complex. I thought at first there were hints of sweet citrus and exotic fruits (pineapple, mostly) but this quickly gives way to molasses, toffee and vanilla...and of course, the strong bitterness characteristic of a scotch ale. If finishes MOSTLY clean and MOSTLY crisply dry, but does stick around for a little while.

A decent beer. My first scotch ale. Kind of a sour scent. A pretty complex taste with carmel and chocolate and barley. Goes down smooth with a lasting after taste.