McEwan's Scotch Ale

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by jimsmasonry, Mar 8, 2012.

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  1. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    I know it's been asked before but has been awhile & the answers seemed ify so I thought I'd ask. Does anyone know if (my favorite) McEwan's Scotch Ale can be purchased in the U.S. anymore? Does anyone have a dead ringer recipe for it (grain preferably)?

    Thanks so much, Jim.
     
  2. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,301) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah Society

  3. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,841) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah Society

    You should read Greg Noonan's Scotch Ale book. Lots of great general info. As for McEwan's: OG=1.088, ABV=8%.Yeast is Wyeast 1728. They have their own maltings but Golden Promise from Bairds or Thomas Fawcett should be a close match.

    Quoting Noonan:

    "Gypsum is added to the brewing liquor for pH adjustment... 2 to 3% roast barley for color and flavor... A protein rest is used , with adjuncts added at saccharification. Northern Brewer hops are used for 25-50% of the bitterness, with isomerized extracts providing the balance. Fermentation is limited to a maximum of 68-72F and oxygenation is limited in order to control yeast growth and ester formation."
     
  4. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (1,998) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah Society

    They don't even have a brewery, let alone their own maltings.
     
  5. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,841) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I took my information from Noonan's book, which is 15 years old. Consolidation marches on... So who is making McEwan's now?
     
  6. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (1,998) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah Society

    If I remember right, Wells and Young bought the rights to McEwan and Younger beers and are getting them brewed at Caledonian in Edinburgh. Including my favourite, Younger's No. 3.
     
  7. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    I wonder how a guy can contact the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh. I can't seem to find a website and or contact info for them. Apparently they were formerly Scottish & Newcastle UK Ltd.
    Newcastle in White Plains N.Y. returned my call yesterday and left a message with my son. It was "We no longer carry the product you are looking for; the McEwans Ale".
     
  8. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    Thanks for the tips on books to read guys. I have found some recipe's for Scottish ales and some folks best effort at McEwans. I'm just kind of comparing them and finding the most common denominators. It's been so one since I tasted one that I suppose I would never know the difference. But still...
     
  9. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    The closest I can come to the Golden Promise at my supplier is the English 2 Row Barley. Does that seem good? Those are the two that the recipes include the most. Is there a Scottish barley out there I wonder?
     
  10. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    My friend in Ireland "it's here" in response to my facebook posting asking if anyone had seen it. He didn't answer me when I asked if he had actually seen it with his own two eyes.
     
  11. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Heineken bought the UK and US portions of Scottish & Newcastle - the White Plains, NY address is their US import division, Heineken USA. That division is notoriously bad for general info - if they don't import a brand, they don't know it. They once told me that Heineken didn't own Murphy's (owned by Heineken but imported into the US by an indie company). I laughed and then read them Heineken International's website's Murphy's info to them over the phone "In 1954, Heineken purchased Murphy's-blah-blah...", and the person on the phone told me, "I don't have internet access."

    Heineken UK's corporate headquarters is the same address as the Caledonian Brewery (which they now also own, since it was a S&N subsidiary):


    HEINEKEN Head Office
    HEINEKEN Limited
    2 – 4 Broadway Park
    South Gyle
    Edinburgh
    EH12 9JZ

    Tel: 0131 528 1000
     
  12. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    Thanks jesskidden, I got a response from my friend in Ireland just now regarding my question "if he had actually seen it recently with his own two eyes." He answered "Haven't been in a pub for a while so can't say I've seen a bottle of the stuff in a while , but then I haven't been looking for it specifically. I'll check it out and let you know". I'm kinda wondering if it is even made anymore by anyone.
    You didn't happen to find an email address did you?
    Thanks again jesskidden, that was all new info for me.
     
  13. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Well, as noted above by "patto1ro" : Wells and Young’s acquired McEwan’s and Younger’s tho' the beers will remain brewed by Heineken-Caledonian. W&Y has drastically cut back the number of beers they export to the US - altho' they did send us their new Courage Imperial Russian Stout - so it's anyone's guess if we'll ever see the McEwan beers again.

    Heineken UK's emails are on the "contact" page in that link I noted - http://www.heineken.co.uk/contactus.php but at this point, you'll probably be better off contacting Wells & Young's
     
  14. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,301) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Is the variety not given? Just calling it "2 row" is like selling "eating apples"
    No problem with brewing a Scotch Ale from English malt; for a long time that's all the Scots ever used for brewing.
     
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  15. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    Thanks guys.
    Look what I just stumbled upon: "http://www.mcewans.co.uk/welcome.php"
    I just wrote them:
    "Regretfully it's been years since I was able to find a McEwan's Scotch Ale here in the U.S. Is there no way I can find one here?
    As an alternative I wish I could at least have your recipe for an occasional private home brewing. Any chance of either of those two wishes or both coming true anytime soon? Please? :slight_smile:"
     
  16. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    Thanks jesskiden, I just sent an email to Wells & Young's
     
  17. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    I just sent another one to Heineken... John Smith Customer Care as well.
     
  18. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    English 2-Row Pale Barley Malt (Maris Oater)
     
  19. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Well, they'd be no help with recipe formula, but since it seems you're also interested in having the brand returned to the US market, might as well let the US importer of the Wells and Young's beers know, as well- Belukus Marketing, Inc.
     
  20. jimsmasonry

    jimsmasonry Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012

    Thanks jesskidden, I just sent one to Belukus as well.
     
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