So I’ve been going through a stash of beers sent to me for comment by Sun King Brewing Co. of Indianapolis. This even though they were not being distributed past the Indiana border. But last week, Sun King announced they have struck a deal with Lakeshore Beverage for distribution in the Chicago Market. They will appear on store shelves, and likely in tapping events in local bars, starting in August.
Wee Mac Scottish-Style Ale is another of Sun King’s main flagship beers. Their description notes that the beer is “fermented at cooler than normal temperatures to mimic the climate of Scotland. Wee Mac is an easy drinking brown ale that is both smooth and malty with caramel and chocolate tones. Hops are used sparingly in this beer and serve only to help balance the sweetness of the malt.”
The smell is a little lighter in the usual peat or smoke, but it is detectable, nonetheless. It pours a nice brown ale color in a glass, under a foamy head that is gone after a few minutes.
The taste does have a bit of the nuttiness of a northern brown ale. A slight bit of smokiness at the back of the palate. This is not too sweet, but achieves a bit of a dry finish without interference from hop additions. The overall effect is between a Northern Brown like a Newcastle, and a Wee Heavy: somewhat filling, but at 5.3% abv, it doesn’t weigh the drinker down at meals.
