McEwan's Champion
The Caledonian Brewing Company

McEwan's ChampionMcEwan's Champion
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From:
The Caledonian Brewing Company
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #119
ABV:
7.3%
Score:
85
Ranked #21,431
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 13.87%
Reviews:
54
Ratings:
96
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 13, 2024
Added:
Aug 24, 2003
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  22
No description / notes.
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Ratings by josanguapo:
Photo of josanguapo
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain

4.01/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From Hipercor. In Ikea's pint glass. Watching Carmina y Amen. Very balanced and pleasant, with a soft sweetness and high drinkability in spite of its ABV
Jul 24, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of BurtonRed
Rated by BurtonRed from England

2.29/5  rDev -38.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
Too bitter and tastes even stronger than its abv, rank
Feb 13, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by dymott from England

Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.05 by GedH from England

Nov 15, 2023
Photo of StevieH
Rated by StevieH from England

4.77/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
One of my favourite ales. Absolutely delicious, strong and certainly full bodied.
Dec 26, 2022
 
Rated: 3.96 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 07, 2022
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
500ml bottle from Tesco. Dark, clear amber, patchy off-white head. Toasty, malty aroma, mild sweetness. Taste is very sweet, malty, tannins, woody, raisins.
Feb 13, 2022
Photo of JackieTheKingOfCraft
Reviewed by JackieTheKingOfCraft

3.86/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
A nice strong beer with a smoked porter flavour profile. This is a little like Old Peculiar sans the treacly stickiness. It has a very deep verging on a dark obsidian to ruby colouration. This is a strong one and can only be drank 1 to 2 cans at a time if you get it in a pack of 4. However I would recommend buying this in bottle form as I got gassed drinking only 3 cans of 4.

If u are having a Chinese take-away the sweetness of the food should help get rid of the cloying flavour.
Oct 14, 2021
Photo of Ushouldbeworkinh
Rated by Ushouldbeworkinh from England

3.92/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
2021/04/19
Apr 19, 2021
Photo of Robinshutedrums
Reviewed by Robinshutedrums from England

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown in colour. Smells of fruits and malts. Flavours are traditional English strong beer and slight dark fruits. Not a world beater but for £1.80 it's a great buy.
Feb 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.73 by ScrewyLoops from England

Apr 22, 2020
Photo of James94
Reviewed by James94 from England

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Reddish amber, with decent lacing and head
S: Vanilla, malts, rich fruitiness
T: Vanilla, toffee, rich roasted maltiness
F: Has become more drinkable for me personally over the years. For its ABV its quite refreshing and well-balanced.

O: 4
Dec 28, 2019
Photo of InosukeHashibira
Reviewed by InosukeHashibira

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Relatively strong ale from Scotland, strong taste with a hint of the sharpness of a strong cheddar crossed with a Guinness but lacking the bitterness of Guinness, unusual nose with a hint of smelly sock mixed with floral notes.

A good strong beer that would go nicely with a cheese sandwich or beef.
Dec 21, 2019
Photo of Luvpeev
Reviewed by Luvpeev

5/5  rDev +33.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Wow..7.3 %..this beers taste about 4.5% ..iv just discovered this gorgeous ale from Tesco superstore in Nottingham 4 bottles for £6 ..
It's truly a nice drinkable tasty beer made by guys who defo know there oats ..!!
Nov 13, 2019
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.14/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Serving: Bottle
Best Before: Aug-30-2020 (Consumed Sep-26)


Pours a clear caramel reddish brown, with a finger plus of tan head. Good retention, sheets of lacing. The aroma is toasty and a touch sharp, caramel malts, some light fruitiness. The flavor follows with a slight sharpness from the malt and the relatively high ABV, toast, dirty water. It is a little thin with some alcohol warmth and active carbonation. This is an okay beer. It is nice looking. The aroma and flavor are ok but overall it has a sharpish, boozyish, astringentish sort of character that takes away from every other aspect. Neither terrible nor great.

4.25...3.25...3...3...3
Oct 08, 2019
Photo of Spike
Reviewed by Spike from England

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml bottle.
L: Very dark chestnut with ruby edging. Thin, off-white head recedes to a cap but leaves sheets of lacing.
S: Rich & sweet. Molasses & black cherry.
T: Follows the nose. Dark treacle, dates, some smoke and a bitter finish. Alcohol is evident.
F: Full bodied, very rich & long-lasting mouth coating, light carbonation.
O: A delightfully warming but drinkable ‘wee heavy’ on a freakishly cold & damp summer day. Lovely mouthfeel and a strong, malty flavour. Not sure why this beer doesn’t get better reviews. Maybe because it doesn’t hide its alcohol? Maybe because it’s being reviewed as a regular ale rather than a Heavy. Maybe because McEwan’s has changed ownership so many times? Regardless, I think it’s a boozy classic of the style (for just £2 a bottle!).
Jun 15, 2019
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought today in Sainsbury's in west London. It was inexpensive/£1.70 and new to me so I didn't study the lable details closely. Hence I'm surprised to see it's 7.3% ABV.
L- Very dark chestnut brown, clear, and pours with a 1Cm pale tan head that is holding up well.
S- Unsurprisingly toasty
T- Deeply roasty-toasty grains and deep rich malts. Some coffee notes as well. The alcohol-tang is self-evident; no mistaking this is quite a beast.
F- The 7.3% gives a deep puddingy feel, as in the deep fruit richness in a traditional Xmas pudding.
O- Well well well. I'm no fan of the original/regular McEwan's but this is something else entirely. It might make an ideal winter/Xmas beer. It is pretty rich too and given the ABV% I would limit how much of this I had in a night to one or two.
BB 30/11/19. 500ml bottle. Apparently the name 'Champion' derives from it having 'won the Tesco bottled beer competition in 1997'. Yes I'd buy this again; it's an obvious choice for fans of heavier ales, and at £1.70/500ml...!
Nov 28, 2018
 
Rated: 3.87 by Neilos from England

Sep 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.59 by Sexmortus from Arizona

Aug 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Rymish from Colorado

Jun 20, 2018
McEwan's Champion from The Caledonian Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 96 ratings