Wee Mac Brown - Sun King Brewing Company

tykees88

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Nice toffee brown color with a toffee hued white head.

S- Really malty, bread, biscuits.

T- Just like above. If you want hops in your beer then this isn't for you. They are there, you just can't taste them. A very bready beer.

M- Medium to light bodied with almost a little too much carbonation.

O- I will drink em again. It's not going to blow your mind. But you're not going to be upset about it either. Slightly above average.

Serving type: can

03-19-2011 16:37:31 | More by tykees88

SaucyJack64

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tumbler pint glass from can. Large light-cream lacey head quickly dissapating to very thin lace for remainder.

A - Very nice medium copper colored hue. Just what you would expect for the style.

S - Sweet bread notes with hints of toffee and (as advertised) hazelnut with a strong malt backbone. Pleasant and inviting.

T - Pleasently sweet, toffee and malt dominate with almost no hint of hops used in the balance.

M - Maybe slightly more carbonated than I would like. Finishes clean with notes of caramel maltiness. No hop notes at all.

D - Pretty good representation of the Scotch Ale style. Not going to knock anyone out, but enjoyed the beer and will definantly revisit it.

Serving type: can

03-12-2011 02:12:02 | More by SaucyJack64

CBlack85

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 oz. can into a DFH shaped pint glass.

This beer pours a mahogany/copper/ruby color with a generous amount of off white head that slowly recedes into a small amount of lacing.

Very pleasant, although somewhat muted, nose comprised of bready & caramel malts, brown sugar, toffee, and lightly chocolaty. Just the slighted hint of earthy hops.

The flavor is very even for the style, not huge and overbearingly sweet, but not weak or watery either. The malt profile is both bready and sweet; with biscuity malts, brown sugar, caramel, and toffee featured prominantly and honey, chocolate, and just a hint of hazelnut to round it out. The hops are almost an afterthought, just enough to make their presence known, but not enough to distract from the malt profile. Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, and finishes slightly dry. Very drinkable

All in all this is a really good beer, a little light for the style, but not overly so. Good stuff, I look forward to trying more from Sun King.

Serving type: can

03-10-2011 15:37:13 | More by CBlack85

HosP

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally got a taste of this beer. Had on draft at a little tavern north of Indy called Bonge's (Awesome place to eat if your in the area)!

A- Nice caramel color, thin white cap on top. Hangs around throughout the beer.

T- Very sweet smelling. Sugar and caramel most prominent. Malty notes finish out.

T- Much sweeter than I was expecting. Toffee and caramel flavors mixed throughout. Sweet sugar, malty flavors keep going towards the end. Maybe slight honey flavor in it.

M- Light body, moderate carbonation.

O- Very, very nice drink. Sweetness is perfect and good malt balance. Good full flavors. Now picking between which 4 pack got much tougher... looks like 1 of each! Could drink a 4 pack on a nice cool evening.

Serving type: can

02-17-2011 19:41:01 | More by HosP

domtronzero

California

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear ruby reddish brown with a big, fluffy, long lasting tannish head. Little lacing throughout.

S - Sweet caramelly bready malts. Subtle fruity esters but otherwise clean.

F/M - Similar to aroma with bready, caramelly malts and not much else going on. Subtle esters, clean, with a rather dry finish. Medium light bodied with moderate carbonation. Lingering sweet malty flavors.

D - Pretty damn smooth. Good flavors, dry, and easy drinking, this one is well suited for the can.

Serving type: can

02-07-2011 06:15:12 | More by domtronzero

phandke

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: No haze apparent. A nice brown, coppery color almost like an old penny.
S: Smells of toasted wood and has some nice malty aromas.
T: A bit of sweetness to this one. Nice malty finish. A little caramel but also a good hoppy, green quality up front.
M: Very smooth, goes down nice and easy.
D: Could drink this all day long.

Serving type: growler

02-02-2011 22:23:11 | More by phandke

kels

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Again, many thanks to pwoods. I'll definitely need to visit Sun King myself next time I'm in Indy.

Beer pours a perfectly clear copper shade with just the lightest skim of quickly disappearing white wispy foam. A little spitty lace slides quickly back into the beer.

Deep caramel sweetness meets richly roasted malts in the nose. I think I get the slightest hint of smoky peat, but that could just be my imagination.

Taste is full of sweetness. The malts are nicely roasted to a point of rich carameliness that's more roasted than cloying. Not much smokiness to speak of - just a hint of peat in the aftertaste. Alcohol isn't even detectable. Feel is moderate, with a light carbonation that gives enough body for the flavors without making it too bright. A nice sticky finish helps things linger.

Drinkability is pretty high. Goes down easy and doesn't bite.

Serving type: can

02-01-2011 02:27:39 | More by kels

pwoods

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Purchased at the brewery.

16oz. Can poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a ruby tinted amber with great clarity. Medium head on the pour with only a bit of retention but decent lacing.

S: Great Scottish aroma. Malty but not too sweet. A touch of almost wheat aroma. Somewhat dry.

T/M: Great maltiness, smooth and not too sweet. Great Scottish flavor and nice yeast. Maybe the slightest hint of hops? Body is medium with smooth carbonation.

D: Very drinkable. A fantastic example of the style. Probably about 60, while Robert The Bruce is about an 80 with some hops... Very different from each other but this one is probably better. Impressive.

Serving type: can

01-28-2011 04:05:36 | More by pwoods

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am so f'in' stoked to open this CAN! It came to me in a trade and I put it in the reefer until I could bring my bottle numbers into alignment, then I (finally) figured out how to use a website to resize photos for this site's purposes and I have been busy taking pictures of CANs so that once the pics are approved, I CAN Crack 'em open. I am now back to The CANQuest (TM), where I feel a true calling, so let's have a review!

From the CAN: "A Pint In Every CAN"; "Wee Mac Is an Eminently Quaffable Brown Ale."; "Crafted to be smooth and malty, Wee Mac has a rich hazelnut character with toffee undertones and a hint of Dutch cocoa. Hops are used sparingly in this beer and serve only to help balance the sweetness of the malt. Wee Mac is sure to delight your palate with malty goodness."

Following the Crack & Glug, I was looking at a mild cascade as the beer produced two thick fingers' worth of mocha-tan head with good retention. Color was a deep orangish-brownish amber with coppery highlights and NE-quality clarity. Nose was as malty as advertised and definitely had that hazelnut character that they mentioned. I am ambivalent about hazelnut in that I do not mind the flavor, but I would not want a cup of full-on hazelnut coffee, either. Mouthfeel was medium and the good news (for me) was that the hazelnut was, indeed, reduced by the cocoa flavor. Yes, it was a very malty beer, but I CAN appreciate such things, despite being a self-avowed hophead. On the flipside, though, one CAN at a time is probably enough for me. The finish was sweet, but not cloyingly so, as some beers in the style are.

Serving type: can

01-21-2011 22:46:54 | More by woodychandler

thebierbrewery

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served out of a can.

A-Amber to red, bright clarity, small head retention

S- Big malty, caramel, biscuity, low to no hop aroma

T- Very balanced (towards malt). Malty but not cloyingly sweet Blanace between caramel and biscuit.

M- Medium to medium light, slightly creamy, high carbonation.

D- Very drinkable, very well balanced bier

Serving type: can

01-21-2011 01:08:08 | More by thebierbrewery

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into my Ten Penny Ale Pint glass.

Aroma of brown sugar, scotch ale yeast, toffee, caramel, English brown malt and a bit of butterscotch.

Taste of brown sugar, a light vanilla, graham cracker, butterscotch and some biscuits. Everything comes together pretty well. The carbonation is a bit high for a scotch ale at 5.4% and pretty light in the mouthfeel but this is a tasty brew from a can and I would say it is definitely worth trying. Hard to complain about mouthfeel with something so drinkable. Were they available around here I would probably pick some up every now and then.

Nice job from a brewery I had not tried anything from before nor heard much about. Sun King, welcome to my vocabulary.

Serving type: can

01-09-2011 19:48:50 | More by alpinebryant

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma - sweet. Brown sugar, honey, caramel, stewed malts with some hints of vanilla cream and apple pie.

Taste - unfiltered cider, caramelized malts, raw sugar, honey, bran flakes and some subtle vanilla. Definitely toffee and caramel flavors coming into play. This is the type of beer that appeals to lots of folks. A little more oomph than a regular amber or brown ale but still approachable at all levels.

Overall - Lots of rich, sweet malty flavors abound. This is a malt lovers delight that is for sure. No mistakes here, just a great brew and a well done version of the style. Great third canned offering from the folks at Sun King!

Would I buy more of it? - definitely. Like their other two canned offerings, Wee Mac is solid and delicious. Sun King has done a great job in their first year that is for sure!

Serving type: can

12-19-2010 23:34:21 | More by indiapaleale

salvo

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours mahogany with red and gold highlights with a half inch of off white head. Clear with many small sharp bubbles rising.

Smell of earthy and rich malts with some light herbal hops to balance. Taste is earthy and sweet without overwhelming. Lives up to the "wee" part of heavy by not being too big or heavy in either taste or alcohol. I'm not a big Scots Ale aficionado, so some adherents may be looking for more, but this is an ideal Scots for me: it's right precisely where Robert the Bruce from 3F is just overwhelming.

I hope to see Wee Mac Brown in cans soon, as hinted at in the tasting room: the can is just as outrageously designed as Osiris and Cream Dream. Yahoo, Sun King! Keep up the good work!

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2010 02:00:41 | More by salvo

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-pours a clear ruby red color with orange edges, a white head with little retention and no lace.

S-the nose is light, toasted bread, a touch of grain, sweet caramel, herbal hops in the back.

T-a toasted breadiness right up front, slightly grainy with notes of toffee in the middle. some sweet dark fruits blend in at the back with notes of tropical fruity hops to finish off.

M-very light body but smooth on the palate, good carbonation to hold the feel throughout and a clean soft finish.

D-easy drinking and tasty, nothing huge but a good balance and flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 22:24:21 | More by cpetrone84

JToad

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Also had this at Hal's Vegas Bar and Grill in Greenwood, IN.

Before I write this, I admittedly am a hophead, and malty beers are not my favorite.

Poured a dark cherry mahogony, with nice tan frothy lacing.

Smells of roasted malts, very smokey. Very aromatic.

Intial tastes of the roasted malt, tobacco was in the background. Great mouthfeel,smoothe and mellow. Noticable hops, more so than most Scottish Ales I've had. Nicely carbonated with just enough bite. The more I sip, the more complex this tastes.

Sun King is 2 for 2! I could drink this beer all the time. Id really like to pair it with a cigar, and help bring out all those tobacco flavors hiding behind the malt. Im not sure I would call this a Scottish Ale, but call it what you want, it's fantastic. Sun King, please make your way to South Bend.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2010 20:23:57 | More by JToad

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to Brundo4 for sending this one out. Live review poured into my pint glass.

A- Body is a transparent mahogany color that pours with a 2-3 finger soapy white head. Head subsides quickly to 1/2 finger-but has great retention from there. Some lacing is left behind in the glass. Bubbles can be seen steadily rising to the top.

S-Nose is moderate in strength and offers a lot of caramel malt as well as some chocolate an toffee.

T-Flavor is much lighter than the smell and offers a decent earthy hop profile in addition to a mild caramel and chocolate malt presence. What lingers on the palate is some earthy hop flavor as well as a hint of caramel, toffee, and chocolate malt.

M- Medium to high tingly carbonation and a very light, thin body.

D- This is a decent, above average Scottish Ale. Its very light, sessionable and drinkable. Also seems to be an interesting, somewhat unique brew. Its nice to sample someone else's locals occasionally and I'd like to trade for more local growlers.

Serving type: growler

04-01-2010 18:02:23 | More by PittBeerGirl

JamesS

Indiana

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice coppery brown color, with a nice bit of head. Decent scent, very sweet and malty, although not very deep; has some slight caramal in the nose. Nice taste, a decent maltiness with a bit of toffee/caramal in the flavor; little hop characteristics, which is fine for the style. Slightly thin for an 80 shilling, but goes down quite well, a very nice near-session Scottish ale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2009 23:48:09 | More by JamesS

mcnut

Indiana

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

Had this on tap at MacNivens in Indianapolis

Appearance: Carmel color with a very nice head which stuck to the glass.

Smell: Malt up front, with a soft hint of hops following behind it.

Taste: Very malty, but with a crispness that cuts through.

Mouthfeel: I was expecting this to be a wee bit heavier on the pallate than it was, but it was perfect for drinkability

Drinkablility: This beer is definitely sessionable to my pallate.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2009 14:28:36 | More by mcnut

cnally

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap. macniven's. need I say more?

the appearance is a barely see-through light brown, minimal head and virtually no retention.

aromas are black cherry, slightly woodsy, very sweet and a little grainy.

they just nailed the flavors here. a fantastic concoction of malts, caramel, burnt sugars, heavy mossy and woodsy notes. creamy and milky finish.

the mouthfeel stays creamy and has the slightest bite of dryness.

this is a delicious, heavy brew, one in which the flavor is immense and the other aspects make it slightly less drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 00:47:13 | More by cnally