McEwan’s Champion Ale Tribute All Grain Recipe Kit

McEwan’s Champion Ale Tribute All Grain Recipe Kit

There are strong ales, and then there are strong ales that know exactly what they want to be. McEwan’s Champion falls firmly into the second category.

Our McEwan’s Champion Ale All Grain Recipe Kit is a tribute to this famous Scottish strong ale, giving home brewers the opportunity to brew their own rich, warming and full-bodied beer at home.

Champion is known for its combination of rich malt character, sweet fruity flavours and a warming strength, making it a very different proposition from the lighter Scottish ales that McEwan’s is perhaps better known for. At 7.8% ABV, this is a beer to savour rather than simply knock back.

A key part of achieving an authentic fermentation profile in this recipe is the use of WHC Fountainbridge yeast, which is widely regarded as the correct strain for this style. It helps to reproduce the signature balance of malt richness and subtle fruity ester character associated with traditional Scottish strong ales, making it an excellent choice for staying true to the original beer’s profile.

If you're a fan of McEwan’s Champion Ale, Scottish strong ales or big malt-driven beers, this all grain recipe kit is well worth putting on the brew schedule.

The Beer Behind the Kit

McEwan’s has a brewing history stretching back to 1856, when William McEwan established the Fountain Brewery in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. The brewery went on to become one of Scotland’s best-known brewing names.

Champion arrived much later, in 1997. Interestingly, it was originally brewed as an entry for a Tesco bottled beer competition. After taking first place, the beer was given the rather appropriate name Champion.

Today, McEwan’s describes Champion as a full-bodied and complex ale with a uniquely sweet and fruity character, with an ABV of 7.3%.

It's a beer with plenty of character, and that's exactly what we wanted to capture with this all grain tribute recipe.

What Can You Expect From This McEwan’s Champion Recipe?

This is a rich, dark and warming Scottish-style ale with the emphasis firmly on the malt.

Expect layers of deep malt flavour with sweet caramel and dark-fruit character, backed up by enough bitterness to stop the beer becoming cloying. Raisin, plum, dried fruit and toffee-like flavours work particularly well in a beer of this strength, while a touch of darker malt character adds depth.

The finish is smooth, warming and satisfying.

It's the sort of beer that comes into its own when poured into a decent glass and allowed to warm slightly. Put your feet up, light the fire and enjoy it slowly.

Or, if you're anything like us, spend five minutes admiring the colour before deciding that waiting any longer would be ridiculous.

A Big Beer With Plenty of Malt Character

One of the attractions of brewing a McEwan’s Champion tribute at home is being able to experience how the individual malt flavours come together during the brewing process.

The relatively high original gravity gives the beer plenty of body and alcohol warmth, while the malt profile provides the foundation for those characteristic sweet and fruity flavours.

This isn't intended to be a hop-forward IPA. The hops are there to provide balance, allowing the malt, fruit and warming character of the beer to take centre stage.

That's what makes this such an enjoyable beer to brew and drink.

Malts

Maris Otter Malt 

Torrefied Wheat 

Crystal 

Roasted Barley 

Smoked Malt 

Candi syrup or Golden syrup 250g (not supplied with kit)

Hops

East Kent Goldings

Bobek

Hallertau Hersbrucker

Yeast

WHC Fountainbridge

Brew Facts

OG 1.079

FG 1.020

ABV 7.8%

EBC 39.4

IBU 30.8

McEwan’s Champion Ale All Grain Recipe Kit

Our McEwan’s Champion Ale All Grain Recipe Kit contains the ingredients required to brew your own batch of this classic-style strong Scottish ale at home.