Oh, go on, I'll have another... (McEwans Champion No.1 Ale)

Member Name: The Operator

Product:	McEwans Champion No.1 Ale
Date:	24/01/02 (186 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Look, I'm sure I've filled in one of these before/

Disadvantages: See above

Coming out for a drink, anyone? Oh, go on. Please? OK, then. Next time it's your round, I'm on doubles. Tough. I'll stay in then. Lucky I bought some in then, isn't it.

So here we are again, me having a beer and you reading about it. Seem to have been there before a few times. I do believe it's somewhat customary to have a drink in the evening in some quarters and to all those out there enjoying one at this moment, cheers!
Maybe one day I'll even do one on shorts as I know there are a few people out there who enjoy those too. I quite like a whiskey actually. Notice I said whiskey; that's the Irish version. Nothing at all wrong with the Scottish variety except that tonight I'm drinking a different kind of scotch (is that right? It is lower case isn't it? Keith'll know), McEwans No1 Champion Ale.

Now, before I get into this, an apology. I love beer but beer for some reason is kinda out of sorts with me. It used to take me all evening at a leisurely pace to attain the necessary comfort zone. Of late, this state has been usually rendered by the gentle sipping of a single 500ml bottle of medium strength ale. I fear tonight though. This stuff is a skull-fracturing 7.3% alcohol by volume. That's near brain death after two bottles and I'm that mood.The things I put myself through just to earn a few pennies.
Plus I've got Mature Cheddar and Burgundy kettle chips (oh yes) courtesy of Mr Atwall's nice mini-mart at half price as they're over due date, mate. Want some? He's a good man to know in a crisp crisis.

Heavens, I'm waffling. What's the beer like? Hey, it's actually really good. As you'd expect from McEwans, it smells of pubs. That's not as daft as it seems but this is a strong beer, very very malty too. Even a bit fruity although I'm damned if I can tell which ones. Nice ones, though. Eh, don't get your train of thought here? OK it's a bit
convoluted but here goes. I'm a lilley-livered southerner, although I love Scotland, really; yes, I've been there several times and even reckon I've got Scots antecedents somewhere, honest, so you'll understand that I think all Scots (or at least a fairly large majority) like a wee one or seven. McEwans is an upmarket Tennants to us and it was about the only Scottish beer apart from Tennants and Special Brew that we knew down here. (So Special Brew isn't Scottish? So how come everyone that drinks it down here speaks with a Scottish accent then? Or sound like they do) I'm drifting again; er...pubs. Yes. So the authentic taste and smell of Scotland is the concentrated aroma of McEwans 80/- or something like that soaking into bar tops. Ergo - McEwans and pubs inextricably linked in my mind. Ok, I've lost it. I apologise for that paragraph. It was totally unnecessary. I did say this was strong, didn't I?

It's very dark too. Almost black until you hold it up to the light and see that it's actually a very beautiful dark red. I love red. Hate pink but I love red. Some people have pink phones! Ha! Pour it out and it does give a very nice and foamy head, almost like a cask conditioned ale. Yes, OK. I've just read what I've written but I'm leaving it in. Just turn Netnanny off. For a strong beer, which it is folks - just reminding you, ok, it is very drinkable. Not too treacly like some winter warmers are. Which they can be, can't they. You go in and expect to have a couple but it proves too much because it's like trying to drink that stuff they put on flat roofs to stop the rain getting in and comes in black shiny chunks until they melt it. Sometimes winter warmers smell like that stuff too. As you can tell, this is pretty innocuous stuff and I feel I could very easily handle several bottles. It's a champion beer too y'know. Well it won a competition at Tescos in 1997 apparently. Beat all-comers.
Probably got into a fight with them and won by default because it was the only one standing at the end by virtue of the fact it was propped up against a lamp-post asking anyone passing to "Go on, hit me there. Solid as a rock, that is. Wha'ya mean psssssd? Fa'yaa"

Oh, go on then. I'll have another one. And I'll post this before I get tempted to edit it and it turns out total nonsense. In short - very strong, very dark, quite tasty, too damned drinkable and at the moment, on special offer in Morrisons. He he, I've got another bottle as well.

Go here http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/beer.asp?beerid=374 for a load of onanistic twaddle from a beer drinker trying to be articulate about chocolate and loganberries.

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