Sun King Brewery King's Reserve Afternoon Delight Review

A yes the Sun King King's Reserve Series; I kind of have a love-hate relationship with these beers. Why? Well let's start with the bad. 

Hate- In my opinion the releases are expensive ($6- $25 per 16oz can) and the beers don't always justify the price. They can also be very hard to acquire as they're brewery or event only releases that are packaged in limited quantities. Meaning that unless you're on top of the release you'll miss out.
 

Love- Yes, I think there have been a couple duds, but by and large the releases are high-quality, fun, and tasty beers. Maybe more importantly, some of those "hate" items are also good signs that Indy does have a growing craft beer scene. 1) A local brewer is packaging and releasing a limited one-off beer (presumably) on a semi-regular basis. 2) That release disappears within hours of its availability. 3) Those releases are highly sought after outside of Indiana. (Just yesterday I got a request from a California stranger for Pappy Van Muckle).

In general the King's Reserve concept and beers are great. I think the series will continue to improve as Sun King rolls out more offerings on a regular basis. Huh? Oh right I'm supposed to be doing a beer review here. 

The latest release in the KR series was their GABF Gold Winner, Afternoon Delight- a Bourbon Barrel Aged Dopplebock (SK's Dominator Dopplebock to be exact) clocking in at 8%.

Now I'm not the biggest fan of dopplebocks, but I ran down there and bought some before heading off to Tomlinson Tap Room, Flat 12, and La Margarita for some beer adventures with friends (The Big Guy remembers this day fondly, well, some of it). 

The pour from the 16oz can yields a dark reddish-brown liquid with a 2-finger beige head that clings to the edges in wispy threads throughout consumption. The smell is all bourbon barrels and sweetness, with notes of vanilla, oak, grain alcohol, caramel, and dark sugars. I hope you like bourbon, because up front the taste is all bourbon. Again, there are bourbon notes of vanilla, oak, toffee, and grain spirits. With the swallow things change a bit as caramel, dark fruits, spicy hops show up, but at the end the booze comes back into play. As bourbon barrel beers go this is a bit thin, but keep in mind that this is a dopplebock (a strong German lager) and not your run-of-the-mill barrel aged imperial stout. Not a lot of carbonation, but what's there is a bit fizzy. Finishes dry and warming, but after awhile leaves a sticky residue. 

This is essentially a bourbon bomb, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you're a bourbon fan like myself. You get all those wonderful confectioner's notes you get with some bourbons, but with a nice mellow and malty finish. Again, this is one of those beers that can be hard to rate because you can't exactly go to your local liquor outpost and pick it up… but if you know someone who has a can of this… do what you have to get it from them 4.5/5

Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

The 3rd annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival was held on April 13th, and this year, they had a week of lead-up events (which, unfortunately, none of the Barons were able to attend).  The festival was held at the Woolery Mill in Bloomington, and over 50 breweries were in attendance.  There was an abundance of great beer at the festival, but one that stood out to me was Cutters Brewing Company's General Brown.  ZwanzigZ's Ghost Pepper Stout and Upland's Teddy Bear Kisses are also excellent, though this was not my first time trying them.  The very first booth we stopped at was Samuel Adams, where I tried their Cherry Chocolate Bock.  I wasn't expecting much, but it was surprisingly good.

I would say that the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival was an excellent day of craft beer drinking an fun.  I think my only complaint would be the small amount of restroom facilities; at certain times, the lines were ridiculously long.  This event is definitely on my radar for next year.

The mill seen from the parking lot

The crowd waiting to be let in

One side of the festival

The Big Guy: You couldn't have asked for a nicer spring day to enjoy some craft beer in southern IN. The venue was awesome, and there were a ton of breweries that showed up. My favorite for the day was the Stalin's Darkside by Evil Czech. The beer was boozy, sweet big and bold. Other great showings were done by ZwanzigZ (Ghost Pepper Imperial Stout and their The Ticket Chocolate beer). Flat 12 put out some cool stuff with experimental hops involved, but since I am not the biggest hop head it didn't really get me going. Sun King had some fun seasonals that they released every hour, which made them totally worth checking back with throughout the event. It was a great showing by Indiana's craft brewing community.

The only thing I was disappointed with was, the VIP gift. We got a frisbee, or at least I think that's what the gift was. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome to be allowed in an hour early. This would have been worth the added ticket cost alone, but they said you would get a VIP gift. They really shouldn't have bothered with a gift if it wasn't going to be memorable. Beer good, Swag bad.

The VIPs surge towards the beer, knowing they only have one hour to drink before everyone else

Hop infuser was better than I expected, nice sweet and citrusy

The Little Lady: This was a really nice event. The location was totally unique, and added a lot to the feel of the event. There were several breweries there that were new to me, and that's really what I tried to taste while we were there. I wanted to have that new experience and really check out things that I can't get everyday at home. Zwanzigz, Evil Czech, and Country Boy Brewing did not disappoint! We've actually talked a little bit about taking some road trips to their locations to really try out all they have to offer. If you didn't have the chance to try Zwanzig's blueberry and chocolate mixed together you owe it to yourself to try. Amazing- and not just because I'm a girl. The Big Guy and Professor Beer were impressed too.

I was so glad we opted to do the VIP. It got us in an hour before general admission, which meant we could walk around and sample a bit easier. If you're like me and you don't love huge crowds, it's well worth the extra cost. I've already started looking for the 2014 date so we can mark this one on the calendar! 

Bourbon Barrel Johan

Sun King just released 250 bottles of Bourbon Barrel Johan, which is about as limited of a release as it gets. It was the first beer they brewed when Sun King started up in '09. The beer released on Jan 28th, but there were 125 bottles that were available for preorder on the 21st. I was out of the state for the week but my wonderful, beautiful, gracious wife was able to get on the list. Preorders sold out in about sixty seconds, so she was good.

It was easy to pick up. They gave anyone who preordered a week after it was released to get it, but it did set me back $25 for a pint bottle and I was only able to grab one. I got it home and decided it would make the perfect start to my Super Bowl beer extravaganza. From what I was able to find on the net, BB Johan is 10% abv with 60 IBUs. It is an English Style Barleywine.

When I poured it out it was a dark mahogany with almost no head, just a bit of tan lacing around the edges that lasted for most of the beer. It smelled like vanilla and oak barrels, which is pretty standard for something that has been bourbon barrel aged for three years. There were also scents of dark dried fruits and a heavy lingering boozy aroma.

The first sip told me this was going to be a big beer. It was sweet and intoxicatingly boozy. It had a nice round caramel flavor with dried fruits and some winterish spices. These mixed great with the oak and vanilla flavors that came from the barrel aging process. I wish that the barrel flavors had been a little bit more laid back, because they were starting to overtake the sweetness of the beer itself. It finished off with an alcoholic sharpness that helped cut through the sweet malts and barrel flavors.

The beer itself was a sweet and syrupy mouthful with almost no carbonation. It was like drinking a true wine.

Whenever I get my hands on one of these super rare beers, I feel obligated to give it a five without tasting it. There are a ton of beer heads out there that all of a sudden go nuts trying to find these diamonds. I really have to sit back and think about the beer so I don't go crazy with my review. Rarity does not guarantee an outstanding beer. This was a very good beer, totally solid and I would gladly drink it again, but I liked the Velvet Fog better.

I give it a 4

The Velvet Fog, Batch 333

Creation: "The Velvet Fog"
AKA: Batch 333

Style: Belgian Quadruple
Masterminds: Sun King Brewing
Location: Indianapolis, IN
ABV: 9%
IBU: 24
Hops:
Availability: Limited Release
Drinkability: Almost a desert beer to be served after a meal.  I could have two, but would be sipping them all night.

Awards:  

• 2012 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner in the Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale category
• Named one of Draft Magazine’s ‘Top 25 Beers of 2012′

"A large malt forward beer with a complex fruity aroma and flavor. Hints of caramelized brown sugar and dried cherries delight the senses before a slight alcohol warming on the finish."  Sun King Brewery

Served cold, right off the Sun King Truck.  Yes, I was the guy that showed up at the liqueur store right as the Sun King Truck pulled up Monday after my first day of my new job...  A brief car ride home and popped it in the luxury of my own home.  I think it would be creepy if I bought it and started drinking in front of the store...  Like I said beer connoisseur, not alcoholic lush!

Pours with a dark nearly brown in color body with ruby, crimson edges.  Minimal head that quickly dissipates. Sound reminds me of that first bowl of Rice Crispies as a kid on Saturday mornings.  All snap, crackle, and pop!

Sweet malt cherry nose with a boozy bourbon character.  Notes of brown sugar, molasses, wood, and  dark fruits with light carbonation throughout.  Other tasters noted vanilla as well but I didn't really taste/smell it.

Finishes with a boosey bourbon taste.  The sugar leaves the mouth with a coat of sweet tart cherry thickness that puckers the mouth slightly then dries out the mouth.  Similar to a white wine finish in that respect.

Serve Warm(er) if you want the bourbon boosieness to be more pronounced.

O-Dawg:  4 heads

Post-Mortem
I started a new job today..  It just so happens "The Velvet Fog" graced the beer community of Indiana with its presence as well.  Random Happenstance?  I think NOT!

I have been looking forward to this beer ever since  I heard about it a few months ago.  I am a self proclaimed Hopp-Head, Lambic/Sour, and Belgian guy and knew I should put this on the "to drink" list.  It didn't disappoint.

After my rousing first day at my new job, first day paperwork and all, coming home to this was like coming home to a home cooked meal by my lovely wife.  Just a slice of heaven!  Or warm apple pie... ;-)

The Big Guy: This was a damn good release. When I hear that a brew has this much of an abv, I worry that all you are going to get is alcohol flavor. This was a smooth beer, velvety smooth... pun intended. It was sweet and malty with a great blend of flavors. Brown sugar and toffee dance across your tongue with subtle fruit flavors. I give it a 5

Professor Beer: Velvet Fog has strong dark fruit and bourbon flavors.  Also has a warming at the end.  Very smooth (The Big Guy beat me to the "velvety smooth" line, but it's definitely appropriate) and very complex, but balanced.  This is definitely a beer I could drink a lot more of, if it wasn't so expensive and limited.