797. Sun King Brewing – Wee Mac Scottish-Style Ale

I’m set on doing a few reviews today, so now that I’ve had dinner and helped put away Christmas decorations it’s time for a beer. This is one of the beers my sister brought me from her trip to Indianapolis. Admittedly, I’ve already had the other three in the four pack and held onto this one to do this review. The can says, “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.”

Location: Poured into a large Sam Adams Perfect pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL

Numbers: 5.3% ABV, 23 IBUs, ~170 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s brownish-red in color and extremely clear. The head is thin, barely covering the top, with a creamy ring around the edge. The aroma is malty with with nutty, roasty, and toffee smells.

Taste & Feel: The body is light and the mouthfeel is smooth.  Up front it’s lightly sweet with a hazelnut flavor, which increases in it’s richness, and becomes a bit more nutty in the middle. In the finish, the sweetness peaks with malty, nutty, and roasty flavors. The sweet roasty and nutty flavors last for a minute or so in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: There’s a good amount of sweetness in this beer with nutty and roasty flavors. Therefore, I’d pair this with a more savory dish that would also complement these flavors, like a meatloaf or steak with mushroom gravy.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed the malty flavors and thought they were fairly complex with a mix of nutty, roasty, and toffee like flavors.  I also liked the smoothness, but wish it had a bit more body and creaminess. I guess it’s because I think of scottish beers as being a bit bigger and richer. On it’s own, it’s a good beer, which I think would probably be best enjoyed in the fall, like an Oktoberfest.

My Rating: