Wee Mac - Sun King Brewing Company

vw73182

Indiana

1.63/5  rDev -54.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I’ve had several Scottish Ales and this one is nothing similar. First off the smell of this beer seems offensive. The appearance of the brown hue is almost like muddy water not what I would expect for a Scottish Ale. The taste is repulsive extremely metallic taste and that’s it. The Palate is all the same all the way through watery metallic

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 16:15:19 | More by vw73182

stakem

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pint sized can into a snifter. This brew appears a perfectly clear color of amber red with a finger and a half of yellowish stained tan froth. The cap recedes fairly quickly leaving some webby patches of lacework on the glass. A light swirl revives slightly more than a lace atop the brew.

The smell is a bit tangy with something I perceive as a combination of fruited alcohol and caramel malt. It takes a turn with a slight nod in the darker direction of toffee to brown sugar sweetness to the aroma. Some citrus hops are present and as it warms, it gets an increasingly stronger scent of vinegar mixed with apples.

The taste is sweet with some apple flavoring initially that is quite fruited almost mildly reminiscent of tart cherry as well. It blends into a bit of vinegar aspect before more of a burnt sugar sweetness minorly like caramel or toffee. Alcohol is noted with a fruity appeal and there is a bit of mineral inclusion across the back.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. The alcohol is well integrated but overall I really feel like this interpretation of a scottish ale missed the mark. The label describes this as dutch cocoa and toffee but this certainly includes more vinegar, fruity and tangy notes than what is listed on the package.

Serving type: can

01-25-2012 03:20:10 | More by stakem

ehammond1

California

2.93/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Can (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, dannyfrost!

Dark cherry auburn with a thick light khaki colored head that doesn't leave behind much lace or stick at all down the glass.

I do not like the way this beer smells. There's a lot of old sponge/dishrag aroma, without much of anything else positive left behind. There's a bit of caramel and bread I suppose, but I can't really keep my sniffer in here long enough to discern much positive.

Fortunately, and surprisingly, the beer tastes far better than it smells. The unfortunate old dishrag character is gone, and what's left is sweet caramel, freshly baked bread, and a low level of bitterness. Decent, and above average taste.

Thin to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

An average enough Scottish ale, though very unexciting and an unfortunately terrible aroma.

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 20:38:00 | More by ehammond1

BrewerB

California

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

MarkFy hooked me up with this beer in a recent trade. Sun King's Osiris left a great impression on me and I've been looking to sample more ever since. Cheers and thanks, Mark!

Poured into a Firestone Walker nonic pint glass this beer is copper in color, mostly clear. A thin light tan head formed up top but fizzled away and didn't retain well.

Big caramel aroma in the malt-forward nose. Subtle touch of smokiness. Malty sweet.

Again the malt forward flavors are here. Somewhat earthy with a hint at brewed coffee and a dash of sweet caramel in the finish. Leaves the palette dry and clean.

Medium bodied and moderately carbonated.

Always great to sample more of the Sun King offerings but this might be my least favorite so far.

Serving type: can

01-06-2012 04:07:23 | More by BrewerB

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

1.68/5  rDev -53.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Copper ale with mostly gold highlights shining through in spite of being a wee heavy. Slightly off white head falls quickly. Strong malt nose w/o any hops noticed, but there's a stale bread smell that's rather unpleasant. Strong diacytl, I believe. Diacytal flavors, butterscotch, and staleness continue in the taste. Sour and off flavored, and the mouthfeel is watery. I'm generally beer adventurous, but extremely disappointed with this beer and having a hard time finishing it. Avoid.

Serving type: can

12-29-2011 18:02:11 | More by FightingEntropy

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received in trade from phisigben, thanks for the opportunity!
Pours a crystal clear solid copper brown color with a good sized creamy white head that slowly dissipates, but leaves some spotty lace in its wake. Now this beer is still quite cold, freshly poured after coming out of the "regular" refrigerator, but most of what I'm getting from the aroma is an almost tart fruitiness. As this warms it opens up a little and I get more malt with sweet caramel and toffee, bread, and hints of dark fruit. Taste is mild toffee and caramel up front followed by some tart and dark fruits for the dry finish. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a slick sugary mouthfeel. This one is a bit weird. There's a tart almost metallic thing going on the aroma. The body is a bit to thin for the style and the flavor should have more rich caramel/burnt sugar maltiness in it, but it doesn't. This one kind of falls short of expectations.

Serving type: can

12-26-2011 02:49:03 | More by johnnnniee

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sun King Brewery, Wee Mac Scottish-style Ale. "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." ALC 5.3%.

By the way, before we start I am going to start a list of beer phrases that need to be retired. One of them may have been invented by Michael Jackson, and was probably clever when he coined it. However, "eminently quaffable/drinkable" must die. On with the review.

It's toffee brown, clear, and with no head at all.

Aroma: sweet, malt, caramel, toffee, yaddeta yaddeta. Not especially multidimensional.

Taste it: Flat, bland, boring. Lightish body, forgettable finish. I'm searching and searching for something interesting in this one, something significant and rewarding, and I'm coming up short. Utterly uninspired, this one.

Serving type: can

12-24-2011 08:46:16 | More by feloniousmonk

vande

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a - a light reddish brown in pour with a nice-thick head, that quickly recedes to a half finger in depth...

s - bit metallic on the nose, bit a carmel & malt...

t - not sure of scottish ale, almost seems more like a brown ale with slight tendencies of scottish ale? reminded me somewhat of a new castle... malty presences mixed with nutty tones and a tinge of vanilla.. interesting..

m - slightly lighter than I would have expected in body, but this fact made it quite easy to drink - not sip... :)

o - very drinkable... my first from Sun King. I've an Osiris waiting...

Serving type: can

12-20-2011 05:06:43 | More by vande

THECPJ

Delaware

2.7/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark copper brown with a 1 finger off white head

smell: caramel, malts,

taste: caramel, malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: this beer really has no flavor. really would like to know what exactly they were going for here. oh well another brewery to check off.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: can

12-17-2011 21:41:08 | More by THECPJ

tsauce2

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P: Drank straight out of a 16 oz can.

A: Have had this before in a glass. SRM is light/medium brown. Translucent and clear filtered. Head is off white/cream, puffy, 1 in, dissipates to line the top of the beer. Medium carbonation. Light/medium lacing.

S: Malty (medium roast), slight carmel notes. Smells slightly sweet and slightly nutty.

T: Much lighter than the smell, but medium roast malt and carmel tones still come through. Nut flavors are light but noticable. Balanced and easy drinking. Aftertaste is malty, slightly sweet, slightly nutty.

M: Medium body. Mf is reflective of ingredients. Light creaminess from the malt and toffee/carmel aspect. Robust quality comes from the light nuttiness of the brown ale component.

O: Easy drinking. Not huge flavors, but very well put together and very good at what it does, which is be an everyday drinker. Nice malt and carmel tones, nice touch of combining Scottish and Brown Ale components.

Serving type: can

12-10-2011 08:13:53 | More by tsauce2

dbossman

Nebraska

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Brown/crimson hue with a one-inch but steady head and decent lacing

S: Lots of sweet malts: toffee and caramel and bready perhaps as well as a grassy, herbal quality

T: Malt forward and not as sweet as aromas indicated; some earthy, grassy undertones--at times this fels closer to a brown than a scottish but it's still quite enjoyable

F: Medium body; though perhaps a touch thin on the back end

O: A decend canned Scottish ale; nothing that blows one away but it's a nice easy drinking beer nonetheless

Serving type: can

12-02-2011 21:59:05 | More by dbossman

Kbogac

Illinois

2.15/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Cloudy light brown with minimal cream colored foam. Dissipated quickly to a light film with a ring. Very little smell. I get a little malt but not much else. Taste is light almost washed out. There is some malt, caramel maybe hops but it is tough to tell. The carbonation is high and somewhat off putting. Very sharp and an assault to the tongue. Overall I didn't really enjoy this beer.

Serving type: can

11-12-2011 15:17:21 | More by Kbogac

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16 ounce can. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a clear copper/brown color with a half inch off-white head that went away quickly. There's a small amount of lacing left behind on the glass. The brew smells like toffee, nuts, and toasted malt. It tastes like toffee, nuts, peat, and caramel/toasted malt. Mouthfeel/body is low/medium, it's smooth and has moderate carbonation. It is pretty easy to drink. At $11.49 a 4-pack I wouldn't buy it again at that price, but I do think it's a brew that's worth trying.

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 23:02:48 | More by bluejacket74

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

My first experience with this brew, and my second ever from Sun King. Again, thanks to my buddy Matt for picking this up for me!

A: Pours a murky Brown, but it is a bit translucent. I can see the outline of my fingers on the other side of the glass. Poured a nice off-white head, a little less than a finger's worth, that dissipated quickly.

S: Faint notes of traditional sweet barley. There is not much to smell here.

T: Brown Ale meets Scotch Ale. The "sweetness" of scotch ale meets the dark nutty notes of a classic brown. All of which is down at a "moderate volume". And everything comes together here rather nicely to make a nice easy-drinking beer that has some enjoyable flavors.

M: Light and smooth, carbonation is a little low but plenty of very small bubbles keep things a bit lively. This beer finishes with a little bit of tongue-coating, as well.

D/O: A nice, simple, easy-drinking craft beer. Enjoyable.

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 18:20:48 | More by psuKinger

morimech

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear copper color with two fingers of head that had good retention before settling to a thick cap. Moderate amount of lacing is left on the glass.

The aroma does not pack any surprises with its toffee malt aroma. A little earthiness as well.

The flavor is more interesting. The malt foundation is solid. Plenty of nuttiness with toffee and peat. I guess the brewer added cocoa and that to is detectable. Bitterness is low with the hops adding more earthiness.

Solid body for a beer with this ABV. The carbonation is well suited for the beer. The texture is silky smooth.

Nice to pick these cans up during recent travel. Tasty, low ABV beer in cans. Sweet.

Serving type: can

10-13-2011 22:07:52 | More by morimech

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Great clear yellow brown. Nice white head. Vry pretty.
Smells malty and roasty. No hops on the nose. Lots of sweetness. Tastes rich and malty. Roasty. Overall a bit bland but solid representtion of style. Good mouthfeel. Overall not bad but not something i would drink again

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 15:28:16 | More by Urbancaver

brew3crew

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Indy tasting room.

A-red caramel with head that disapates at a fair rate

S-malty but not really much else there

T-follows the nose. Slight bit of malt but not much else there

M-medium body and oh so smooth

O-decent beer. Made for masses not beer enthusiasts

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 18:50:11 | More by brew3crew

mdvatab

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 16oz can into imperial pint glass.
No canned-on date.

Aroma: Light, sweet carmelized sugar. Freshly-cut apple, followed by minty hops.

Appearance: Iced tea w/ a ruby tinge. Excellent clarity. 2 finger off-white head collapses slowly.

Flavor: Well-balanced Scottish ale flavor mirrors the aroma. Not cloying at all. Flavor profile is well balanced. No notable off-flavors, which are sometimes present in this style.

Mouthfeel: Medium-low body, but when enjoyed early on in a session, comes across as chewy and carmelly. Medium-low CO2.

Overall: Very sessionable, tasty Scottish Ale. As I got further and further into it, though, it came across as being slightly more watery than I prefer in this style. A pretty decent attempt, though, by Sun King.

Serving type: can

09-15-2011 01:28:39 | More by mdvatab

dcall384

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Had a dark carmel color with about a finger width of head. This beer had very nice lacing.

S- Smelled of malts with some hints of carmel. Was kind of hard to smell they guy next to me was smoking.

T- Tasted of hops, carmel, and malts. Was a very strong tasting beer. Could be becase this was my first scottish ale.

M- This beer finished very dry with low carbonation.

O- This beer was ok I am not a huge ale fan, but for what it was it was pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 18:05:13 | More by dcall384

joshmkelly

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This verision of a Scottish ale is very smmoth and almost sweet. The malty, toffee, chocolate aftertones makes this a perfect dessert beer. It is thinner than many beers of this style but gives it an enjoyable drinkablity. This beer is best if left at room temperature for about 10 minutes so you can pick up the subltey of all the ingredients.

Serving type: can

08-16-2011 21:26:27 | More by joshmkelly

RoyalT

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - This is thin brown in color with a mediocre head.

Smell - There are some sugary malts in the nose along with light toast.

Taste - This beer fell apart at the taste. It lacked depth, failed to provide the rich malt promise from the nose, and was overly bitter for the style.

Mouthfeel - Unfortunately this beer was ultra-thin, too thin even for the style, and had little carbonation.

Drinkability - This Sun King effort failed to cut the mustard.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2011 22:08:34 | More by RoyalT

suspect

New York

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass. Thanks to my buddy Todd for this one.

A: Crystal clear, perfect brown color. Semi-aggressive pour leads to a tan, 1-finger head that dissipates in about 1 minute. Leaves nice lacing.

S: Malt, toffee, malt (again) and some hazelnut and very subtle cocoa. There is no hop character to the smell at all.

T: Very nicely balanced, no funk to it like some Scottish Ales. Heavy malt profile, more hazelnut here than in the nose. No alcohol flavor here, nicely balanced.

M: Light body, almost watery. Lightly carbonated as well. No real lingering aftertaste to speak of.

O: A really drinkable, very nice Scottish Ale. Light, airy, easy to pound in a 16oz can. Not my favorite style for sure but this beer is a good one.

Serving type: can

07-22-2011 22:03:50 | More by suspect

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

2.48/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

What’s more American than drinking a great pint of beer from a local establishment on the Fourth of July? Well, besides running around foreign countries fighting terrorists in an Uncle Sam outfit, not a whole lot. It’s capitalism at its best: voting with my beer dollar to support a local group of entrepreneurs. Here’s hoping that the drinking experience lives up to the setting in which it’s being drank!

A: This one pours from the can a deep, shining crimson. Excellent. The head is awesomely creamy, but it disappears so quickly that it makes the original showing of carbonation forgettable. No lacing, either, but the body’s beautiful color saves it from mediocrity.

S: Some decent malts provide some good sweet notes, dark fruits above all else. Meaty hints of yeasts show signs of those alcohol-heavy tendencies that are so prevalent in the style. The grains can come off as old and unimpressive every once in a while, but overall it’s a pleasing, fruity welcome to this brew.

T: Fruit juice, anyone? As I sip away, the first thing I get is a thin, berry juice taste. It’s like Kool-Aid that turns out bad because you don’t have enough powder; watery is what comes to mind. The yeast makes its entrance after, showing a hint of darkness in the fruit category before drifting off without much of a lingering effect. Hops are not supposed to be huge in this style, so their absence isn’t missed as much; however, it would have been a nice distraction from the unwelcome nature of the palate. To be honest, this seems more like a drink that someone made in a “My First Beer” brewkit rather than a professional brewery. Not good.

M: Thin and watery, adding to this beer’s sad personality. Give me some carbonation! I wish this had been the brew’s saving grace, but it does nothing but amplify the worst aspects of the drinking experience.

O: The seas of good beer flavor are never at rest, presenting new challenges for microbreweries every single day. That’s why I can pick up four cans of Sun King’s Osiris PA and be perfectly content, but four of these would bring me nothing but disappointment. Ah well, it just goes to show: not every beer is great, and not every brewer has its styles down. Give these guys a few years and they might be sending this one out with the strength and flavor I know they can deliver. At least that’s what I hope…

Serving type: can

07-05-2011 02:59:25 | More by BarryMFBurton

Redsoxnation

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

My first thoughts upon first taste were disappointing but that improved with the rest of the beer. I thought the beer was light on malt taste and seemed to light for the style. Perhaps I had higher expectations since I picked up in Indy on my way back to Wisconsin.

Serving type: can

06-11-2011 17:08:17 | More by Redsoxnation

nrbw23

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear brownish red color with a white head. Head turns into a cap of a few bubbles and leaves some really light lacing.

S- The nose is pretty light, toasted bread, a touch of grain, sweet caramel, a bit of earthy. A bit of toffee as well.

T- Taste really follows the nose wll. Toasted malts, grainy, toffee and a fair amount of sweetness.

M- Lighter side of medium in body and nice carbonation.

O- Not too bad and very easy to drink.

Serving type: can

06-01-2011 20:36:30 | More by nrbw23