CHAMPION

BEER REVIEW: 436

BREWER: McEwan’s (Carlsberg Marstons), West Midlands, England

STYLE: Strong Ale

ABV: 7.3%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 13th February 2026

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Champion walks into the ring with an 18% scorecard and the confidence of someone who hasn’t looked in a mirror since their last real win. One sip and you realise this isn’t a fallen champion, it’s a fighter who never should’ve been allowed near the title in the first place.
It pours a dirty brown, the colour of defeat, with a head so limited it’s practically throwing in the towel before the bell even rings. Nothing about it says strength or presence. It looks exhausted.
The nose? A single, limp jab: earthy notes mixed with overripe banana. Not the good kind of banana, more the kind you find at the bottom of a gym bag after a three‑day tournament. It’s a warning sign, and the taste confirms it.
Sweetness hits first, clumsy and uncontrolled, followed by a muddied bitterness that can’t decide what it’s doing. The label claims “full-bodied, smooth and complex,” but that’s pure delusion. This thing is thin, flabby, and utterly one-dimensional. The banana theme lingers like a fighter who doesn’t know where the ring even is.
Mouthfeel? Zero. It’s like drinking the memory of a beer rather than an actual beer.
Champion by name, but that’s where the fantasy ends. This is a catastrophic performance, an embarrassment to the division, even. Not just bad. Not just disappointing. Absolutely, unequivocally awful.
If this beer stepped into the ring, the referee would stop the fight out of mercy.

Sammy’s Rating: 18%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

We have a robust 7.4% strong ale here folks. It blends old school heft with some surprisingly nuanced character. It is ultimately a sipper, enjoyable but demanding with a slightly medicinal undertone.

Appearance:

Pours a murky, unrefined brown, reminiscent of dirty dishwater or thin gravy with a slightly soily cast rather than a polished, bright pint.​

The look does under sell Champion slightly, giving a rustic, almost careless impression in the glass.​

Aroma:

The nose is where Champion redeems that scruffy appearance however.  Pronounced berries and winter fruit give it a rich, seasonal, almost Christmas pud edge.​

This fruity bouquet promises depth and warmth, hinting at the strong ale strength without coming across as particularly boozy.

Flavour and mouthfeel:

The first sip hits hard, real hard, with the alcohol showing its presence early before the palate acclimatises and the beer settles into a more manageable groove halfway through the glass.​

Bitterness sits high, focused on the roof of the mouth, with a slightly cloying body that makes the beer feel dense and sticky rather than crisp.

As for the flavour there are nutty notes, a faint metallic edge, and small tickles of caramel that add interest without fully smoothing out the rougher elements.​

Drinkability and impression:

Champion is firmly a one ‘n done beer. Enjoyable to a point yet hard going, the sort of strong ale to sip slowly rather than sink in rounds.​

Despite its heaviness and aesthetic flaws, it delivers enough flavour and character to be considered an ok enough beer overall. Champion is just about one to try for those who like bold, traditional strong ales. But when all is said and done, there are far superior brews out there of a similar style.

Jymi’s Rating: 54%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 36%

MOB review next weekend: BOSKO by PRESSURE DROP

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social

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museonbooze.com

M O B 2026

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