McEwan's Export - The Caledonian Brewery Company Limited

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.1/5  rDev -39%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Caramel red copper a foamy white head that has outstanding retention & remains for upwards of five minutes, is perfectly straight and is about two-fingers width tall.

A very mild smelling one. Very clean & I initially struggled to detect much in the way of an aroma although once it was left to open up slightly there was a faint metallic smell, some grain and a tiny amount of caramel with some sweetness.

Faint caramel with the metallic taste that I detected in the smell. There is a mildy bitter finish but to be honest there isn't that much else to mention.

Fairly smooth beer on the palate with a medium body and a moderately bitter finish.

Not quite as bad as I had been expecting, but by no means a good beer either. This one should have disappeared along with the eighties in my opinion. Very few redeeming qualities and not one I would have again.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: can

03-01-2012 09:28:36 | More by flyingpig

Fatbagpiper

New Hampshire

2.4/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A rather unimpressive beer that lacks any real taste at all. Simply one of the cheapest beers available on-tap in Scotland. It lacks any flavour notes or character. Fine as a beer when you have already had a few, but not something you want to start your night out on.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 15:48:10 | More by Fatbagpiper

salvo

Indiana

2.2/5  rDev -36%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bought on the train from Aberdeen to Inverness. At best, a party beer: mass produced with all the industrial smells from the popped can opening, soda-like carbonation popping out the top like a coke. In a plastic cup, the yellow liquid is limp and sad as the carbonation fizzes out, leaving little head--or flavor--behind. I'm happy the company was good: oil riggers back on dry land after two weeks in the North Sea. Order something else if you can.

Serving type: can

07-07-2010 01:12:47 | More by salvo

champ103

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear ruby red color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Sticky lace is left behind.
S: Toasted malt with some light ceral and grain aromas. A light sweetness and diacetyl lingers.
T: Toasted malt and grains again. Caramel sweetness with a light lingering bitterness. Simple and enjoyable.
M/D: A light to medium body. Crisp carbonation. Easy to dirnk, a little high for a traditional session, but I can quaff several with no problem.

I enjoyed this. There is nothing sepcial here, just easy to drink with a little more going on than normal macros (UK or American). Most places I have been to in Scotland carry this, and is a good standby if no quality cask is available.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2010 13:26:43 | More by champ103

WhatANicePub

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.68/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is a very, very, very bad beer.

On opening the can you get a whiff of fermentation by-products.

The colour is an attractive deep amber and it's sparklingly clear.

The aroma is mostly of diacetyl, with a little caramel and possibly a slightly roastiness. Dry finish. It is actually reasonably bitter, but has no hop aroma or flavour. Possibly this is why people think it a sweet beer.

Avoid like the plague.

Serving type: can

05-30-2010 22:25:51 | More by WhatANicePub

choyhosoi

California

3.3/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a glass

A- has a nice brown pour with a good white head. Looks to be an inviting beer so far.

S- Has a faint sweet scent but is taken over by the wheat and barley smell. Not too impressive.

T-Very interesting reminds me of Guinness looks to be more than its going to give you then it finishes a little different. In a good way. It has a smooth taste that is not bitter.

M/D- This was brought to me from Scotland and I was told it is very popular. I would have preferred a bottle but oh well. This is definitely a session brew that has a smooth mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

05-20-2009 02:59:27 | More by choyhosoi

irishkyle21

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A friend brought this one back from Scotland. This beer is underrated IMO. Pours with a fluffy off white head, excellent retention and lacing. A nice brown color.

Smells of caramel malts, toffee, very little hop presence and fruits. There is a faint metallic scent but its still pleasant.

The malts jump my taste buds, caramel, brown sugar, bread and faint fruitiness. A great malty (most are) Scottish beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2008 01:20:47 | More by irishkyle21

redmagik99

California

3.2/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured dark amber, translucent brown. Small head that recedes pretty quickly.

Smells like butterscotch with some corny adjuncts

Taste has the buttery diactyl (sp?) and hop flavor of english bitters that are almost as sweet as they are bitter (how I miss my cascades..) same caramel/butterscotch flavor as in the smell. Similar to that of the champion ale but about 1/3 of the power. gets a little better as it warms. Mouthfeel has some decent carbonation..nothing else really notable..

Despite its low alcohol content I'm not sure how much I could drink. Probably because of the sweetness and the fact that it doesn't taste great. I mean, its not terrible - about on par with the majority of english ales I've had. But decent at best.

Serving type: can

11-23-2007 21:59:56 | More by redmagik99

crwills

Ontario (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500mL can purchased at ScotMid in Edinburgh.

Poured a crystal clear amber into a pint glass, with a slim fluffy head that sticks around a little. Decent lacing all the way down.

Aroma is a bit adjuncty at first, with hints of sulphur. As it warms, caramel malts and light grassy hops make an appearance.

Flavour is, again, a little corny and adjuncty. Mildly refreshing and not as sweet as some others in this style, although it gets sweeter as it warms up. Light mouthfeel, but not too bad. I think this beer would be significantly better on tap or especially on cask.

Serving type: can

07-04-2007 14:14:53 | More by crwills

jarmby1711

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This looks pretty much as good as an ale can expect to look.
A cloud like frothy head adorns the deep teak coloured liquid.
There is the tiniests bead (in size) imaginable that just keeps effervescing from the bottom of the glass.
The aroma is treacle like malts the reeks of dour low country industriosness.
The taste is workmanlike , without fancy as it is allthick maltiness .There is as expected scant bitterness or any hoppy traits.
This is a no frills alethis is designed for drinking on a cold wet misty Scottish afternoon(after a day in the pits perhaps)
Quite a pleasant experience.

Serving type: can

11-20-2006 20:35:59 | More by jarmby1711

belias

Trinidad & Tobago

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark copper, with a half inch off-white head, good lacing. The beer has a really inviting hops aroma coupled with nutty/caramel malts. I really enjoyed the taste, it had elements of burnt toffee, caramel,a toasted wheat flavour, slight nuttyness and just a little hops. Very well balanced. Mouthfeel was quite good as well. The beer is light/medium bodied, and ends somewhat dry. Overall, i really enjoy this ale and would drink it anytime, either as a session or just to enjoy one.

Serving type: can

10-09-2006 02:23:09 | More by belias

kmacphail

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.63/5  rDev +34.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent choice for any beer drinker coming to Scotland for a days drinking as it is widely available in many bars.

It pours a beautiful dark copper-bronze colour with a creamy off white head, get a good pint of this and the head will last all the way down the glass.

There is an inviting aroma of roasted hops and barley and a hint of nuttyness.

The taste is where this beer stands out, it is a lovely, typically scottish ale. A roasted hops and barley taste, but yet it swirls round the mouth just lovely, not too thick as you may expect from appearance.

This is very drinkable, but be careful, it can sneak up on you at the end of the night. One minute your fine the next think you see is the bedroom ceiling, although it is only 4.5% this beer behaves like it is a lot stronger.

A great all round beer, readily available in Scotland, except Edinburgh (don't know why).

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-28-2006 09:03:13 | More by kmacphail

arizcards

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought a 500 ml can from the local Tesco in Aviemore the last week of April.

Beer was a dark copper with a white bubbly-fluffy head that was good initially. Nose was a hint of the malts and not much else. Has my nose gone bad in the UK? I am not sure why this is called a scottish ale as this was very hoppy. There was a light to medium mouthfeel but lively on the palate. At 4.5 abv this was a very sessionable beer.

Serving type: can

05-15-2006 00:33:50 | More by arizcards

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This came in a can as pictured above. It is one of the widely available canned beers here in Scotland. I believe it isn't as commonly found in England. This is definitely one of the superior canned beers. Most of them aren't worthy of your consideration though.

It looked bery dark when I poured it with an extensive head, but now it looks a relatively dark tan. Decent grainy smell but the hops don't smell too fresh. There is a hint of something darker, a little molasses perhaps.

There is a slightly smoky, roasted somewhat creamy caramel malt flavour here which coupled with refreshing carbonation makes more impact than one expects from the wrong section of the supermarket aisle. There seem to be just enough hops here to give it some bite. If I have to buy a can for less than a quid this will probably be the one.

Serving type: can

03-15-2006 21:30:44 | More by charlatan

Rifrafboy

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours thick with a medium head. Good hops and malt in the smell. Very good physical appearance. Taste is stronger than a lot of IPA's, this being more full bodied and darker. Slight peet character? Overall, this is great India Pale Ale. This is on par with mcewan's Scotch Ale. I will drink this again, cost permitting.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2005 01:33:34 | More by Rifrafboy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A terrific starter beer for th evening. Looks richly copper and moderately carbonated. Just off from white head with good retention and lacing. Smells sweet with malt, caramel, and slight bitter and sour. Tastes of caramel and malt sweetness. Underlined toffee, toastedness, butter pop corn, and mild fruitiness. Fruits of plumbs and peaches, although mild. Also a bit nutty. An also buttery coat to the mouth with a medium body. Thins through the finish, revealing more nutty and hop flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2005 17:16:11 | More by BEERchitect

Reidrover

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass at the Commercial Hotel, Dufftown, Scotland.
A quite handsome beer from the tap.Clear chesnut brown with a nice frothy white head. Copious laceing left down the edges of the glass as it is drained.
Very malty aroma so typical of Scottish beers.
The tase is pleasing, well balanced of course the sweetness of the malts dominate but there are obvious signs of hops too near the end of the mouthful.Also a soft nuttiness, reminiscent of a brown ale.
Pretty good on the palate, though on the thin side.
A most drinkable session ale, fresh from the tap..I think this beer is underrated.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2005 21:16:33 | More by Reidrover

joecast

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

enormous, stable, foamy head. deep, deep purple color. clear with little noticeable carbonation.
thought this was nitro and was disappointed when i saw it wasnt (just before opening the can). however, after pouring, i was pleasantly surprised.
sweet malty, toffee aroma.
first sip gets some foam on the nose, heh.
ok, this is either pretty one dimensional, or too complex for me to figure out. picking up some smokiness in the flavor, unless im mistaking sometihng else. wait!! raisiny, nuttiness?? a real thickness about the malt in the mouth.
yeah, im not so great at picking out the subtleties of malt heavy beers. so sue me.

Serving type: can

10-10-2004 11:36:27 | More by joecast

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Standard can, red

Pours with a brown body, slight ruby hints, decent foamy head with fairly good retention

Smell, smokey malt, roasted barley coming off

Taste, thick and heavy, toasted malts, very malty, little sign of any hops

A decent ale, perhaps a bit unbalanced however, too fizzy aswell

Serving type: can

08-11-2004 14:55:36 | More by cypressbob

marcellaproust

Washington

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This ale is all about toffee. I like my Scots less sweet, a little more herby/peaty and even-tempered. That said, this is a delightful ale. Smells like pungent toffee - as if toffee could spoil. Tastes sweet and toffee-ish which gives way to a modest sour, bitter carbonation finish, redeeming the ale which *would* otherwise strikes a cloying, syrupy mouthfeel. Note the conditional. At any rate, the beer ranks somewhere this side of the line toward "very good."

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2004 03:07:05 | More by marcellaproust

ecoboy

Rhode Island

4.3/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The color of a caramel someone has made at home, that dark brown cooked sugar look I love.

Here it is: that great non-American style of making a not-cloying, non-sweet malt-dominant rich-yet-still-subtly-varied ale. Hops indeed surround the central delivery, but a wonderful raisiny brown bread middle makes this an exemplary "scottish" ale.

The ale to serve when your friends claim that beer ain't food.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2003 18:09:49 | More by ecoboy

francisweizen

Australia

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is nothing more than out-of-date IPA. It's the same colour with the same aromas and tastes as their IPA, just a bit more "stale". The mouthfeel is also that of "wet cardboard" and the drinkability suffers a great deal as well. Not that this stuff is horrible, but, the regular IPA is much, much better!

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2003 23:02:31 | More by francisweizen

DarrellK

Florida

4.95/5  rDev +43.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Read through some of the reviews and you can tell who the beer advocates are and who are the wannabes. Scottish ALes are one of my favorite styles and McEwens is tops on the list. The difference in this brew is that, while excellent ales, they are a bit too polished for the style, while McEwans looks and tastes as if it were brewed on the highlands in a cottage by a kilted Scot.

Have had the brew draft and bottled, both here and over there. The pour is a dense reddish brown with a remarkable craggy head, unlike most any other brew. The aroma is quite strong and features the malt and some alcohol despite it's average gravity. The bubbles are seen through the dense opaque brew.

To less experienced advocates the taste and mouthfeel is likely too much. I believe that the malty, somewhat buttery taste with a port like finish is a lot to handle but that much taste in a brew low enough in gravity to have a few makes it perfect for a long sessions with good friends.

In my database it is a 9.3 out of 10 and in my top ten out of a little over 500 beers. It's also a decent value compared to most of the other Scottish Ales.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2003 21:16:43 | More by DarrellK

Mustard

District of Columbia

2.38/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Presentation: $5.50 pint from Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica.

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear, ruddy brown with a small, macro-bubbled, one-fingered head; pour retention with little-to-no lacing.

Aroma: Light malts with perhaps a touch of grain.

Taste: Disappointingly mild Caramel malt profile; light hop bitterness in the finish; secondary notes of grain and wood. Thin-to-moderate body; slightly overcarbonated.

Notes: Wasn't expecting much ... didn't get much. Subpar taste dragged down this brew's drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2003 09:56:53 | More by Mustard

felipesegundo

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first introduction to Scottish style ales, and got me hooked. Definitely smoother with a little more kick than what passes for beer from American mainstream breweries. I still like it, even though I have expanded my exposure to Scotch ales. A little thin on pouring and when it first hit the mouth, but makes it extremely drinkable on all kinds of weather. If you want to introduce a friend to this particular style, this is the one you want.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2003 07:52:56 | More by felipesegundo