618. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - State Fair Cotton Candy

“State Fair Cotton Candy balances the sweet summer flavors of Blue Cotton Candy with a crisp character in celebration of the Indiana State Fair.”

There’s a flavor there that might be cotton candy, but I can’t remember the last time I had cotton candy, so I can’t be sure. If it’s not cotton candy, then it’s something close that pushes the same basic nostalgia button. The flavor was moderately strong up front but didn’t linger much for me on the back end, and the beer was not at all sweet. The sessionable 4% ABV was just right for a sultry day at the state fair, and the lurid teal color made me feel like I was drinking something exotic and rare at Quark’s bar on Deep Space Nine. Not bad, but not nearly as good as the caramel corn ale from 2022.

550. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Fuzzy Fresh

“Fuzzy Fresh is a Fuzzy Navel-inspired ale packed with orange and peach character.”

I’ve never had a Fuzzy Navel, but I can imagine that this is pretty close. The first sip tastes strongly of peach schnapps, but the orange juice flavor builds in on subsequent sips, as does a slightly malty finish. At only 5.3% ABV, you could probably drink this all day—but the fruit flavor has a little too much bite for me to want more than one of them at a time. It would probably be a little more effective with a higher ABV.

542. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Koi Decoy

“Koi Decoy is a Hazy IPA with Galaxy, Nugget, and Liberty hops for a blend of citrusy and piney character.”

Something of a citrus shine up front, but not much else to remark. Not bad, but not impressive or interesting, either. I gave it a fair shot, but it never spoke to me.

541. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - 14 Karat

“14 Karat is an anniversary IPA brewed with a blend of 14 hops for a full host of hop character.”

They call this beer a “Golden IPA,” and at first I thought it wasn’t very interesting; but then I kept getting hints of mango and peach on the back end, and a pleasantly bitter finish that lingers to the back of the throat. Sort of took me by surprise, so I may have to hunt down a couple more of these and then come back to it at some point.

523. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Kangaroo Jumping Jacks

“Kangaroo Jumping Jacks is a Hazy IPA brewed with southern hemisphere hops for stone fruit and pine character.”

Soft pine aroma and juicy peach and apricot flavor up front, and it becomes a little more complex as it warms up. The peach and apricot linger very nicely on the back end, but I can’t decide if the pine flavor is trying to make itself known or not. (I also can’t decide if it’s interesting or not.)

513. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - The Flying Cupcake

“The Flying Cupcake is a Collaboration Blonde Oatmeal Stout made with yellow cupcakes filled with mixed berry compote and iced with white chocolate icing.”

(And apparently it’s just understood that the collaboration is with a local outfit called The Flying Cupcake.) But I digress; and yes, those are probably cupcakes in there. And white chocolate. And icing. We can only hope that it’s buttercream icing and not that whipped cream shit that some people like. And it’s fine. Is it anything to write home about? No. Is it bad? No. Is it sort of extra creamy because of the oatmeal? We could go on and on about that. I have had both lovely and anonymous experiences with beers that use oat (or oatmeal) as the grain base; prolly the best I can say is that it don’t confront me none. The grain base doesn’t make my socks roll up and down; it’s mostly the hops that do that. (And you probably know that by now.)

509. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Scout Badge

“Scout Badge is a Porter brewed with Samoa Cookies for flavors of chocolate, caramel, and coconut.”

The only redeeming thing about the fact that Jackson’s choir rehearsals this season are in the middle of Sunday afternoon is that we frequently wind up at Twenty Tap for lunch. This place has great food and a great tap list, but more important, it’s also a place that Amy genuinely likes. Very few places check all three of those boxes. We had lunch there today, and I was only part of the way down the tap list when I saw Thai.P.A. from Bare Hands, which I haven’t had in forever and have apparently not remarked upon, either. I had already ordered that one when I got to the bottom of the tap list and saw this one. I don’t even have words for how much I love Samoas cookies. I’ve seen the ice cream with Samoas in it at the grocery store, but somehow the thought of combining two nutritional nightmares like ice cream and Samoas is a bridge too far for me. But beer brewed with Samoas? Oh. Hell. Yeah. Did I mention it was on nitro? I could smell it even before I took the first sip, and it was exactly right. The taste was exactly right, too. It’s liquid Samoas Girl Scout cookies in a glass. It would be wonderful even if it wasn’t on nitro, but with the nitro, it’s like drinking a beer and getting a smooth, creamy hug at the same time. One of the best Sun King beers I’ve ever tried.

498. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Electric Reindeer

“Electric Reindeer is a Brown Ale brewed with ginger and molasses for Newfields’ Winterlights.”

Gingerbread in a glass, even if the glass has already hosted two different kinds of IPAs today. Can’t decide where I am on these cats, but at least they got the comma for Newfields in the right place. (And if you didn’t already know, the only thing you can do with a bachelor’s in English is criticize the bad writing of other people. You give credit where credit is due, but most of the time it’s not warranted; most of the time these monkeys keep their phones pressed to their elephant ears while they cross three lanes of traffic to turn left while running the yellow light at the last fucking second without bothering to signal to the drivers they’re pissing off behind them. And you’re not even off Emerson Avenue yet. You hope they die in a fire three blocks away, but it almost never happens.) And it’s excellent gingerbread in a glass.

475. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - All Them Llamas

“All Them Llamas is an IPA brewed with experimental hops for notes of peach, sweet melon, and apricot.”

And we’re back to the familiar world of meh offerings from Sun King. Very light flavors—all of which are so mashed up that this should be the beer they serve at Rock Sugar concerts—and a smooth finish, but nothing that makes you want to look up from what you were already doing and take note.

474. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Surf Lessons

“Surf Lessons is an IPA brewed with Sabro Hops for notes of tangerine, coconut, and pineapple.”

The individual flavors have a little more space to work with here, with a hint of coconut and a broader citrus flavor that could certainly be tangerine but isn’t as specific as the coconut. Both obscure any taste of pineapple, but that’s a difficult flavor to achieve with the kind of clarity necessary for you to be sure that it’s there. That said, its complexities are more evident than the ones in Turtle Thunder, and it apparently doesn’t make me feel like I need launch into a screed about the disappointing way that Sun King only ever seems to package its least interesting beers. It also hits the IPA ABV sweet spot, which for me is anything that begins with the numeral 7. (In this case, it’s 7.8%.) Anything under 7% too often feels like it’s not serious—or, worse, like it’s aiming for a session, which way too often turns out to be uninteresting for all kinds of other reasons—and anything over 7% makes me uncomfortable about drinking two in one go. And now, all of that said too, I’m still not sure I like it; but it ain’t bad.

473. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Turtle Thunder

“Turtle Thunder is an IPA brewed with a blend of Southern Hemisphere Hops for notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit.”

I taste a whole mash-up of things, and none of them really stand out, except for a bit of citrus at the end; but even that is non-specific. I get that local breweries make hella more money when you come in and tip a couple in the taproom, but there has to be a happy medium—especially a place with as wide a reach as Sun King. I know I harp on this whenever I post something from Sun King, but they have the resources. Black Circle does not. Kismetic Beer Company does not. Indiana City does not. Even Black Acre does not, though they have been around nearly as long as Sun King and produce at least as wide a range of beer as Sun King (if not the volume—as far as square footage for brewing in Indianapolis goes, Sun King is so far out in front that it doesn’t even matter who comes in second). You could maybe argue that Daredevil and Quaff ON! have the square footage and resources, but they are also much more focused in terms of what they produce. Pound for pound, based solely on what they package, Taxman beats every brewery I’ve mentioned here to hell and gone—and even they don’t package nearly all of what they produce. With Sun King, you get variations on IPAs and cream ale (neither of which are ever very interesting); they can do better than that, and they should—espcially for those of us in Marion County.

467. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Caramel Corn

“Ale made with Caramel corn.”

The above is the official copy on the Sun King website, but the copy on the State Fair website is much more informative: “You know the say [sic], there’s more than corn in Indiana? Well, sometimes it is all about the corn in Indiana! Sun King + Indiana State Fair Beer have partnered again for a new 2022 Indiana State Fair beer. This year’s beer is Caramel Corn. There are 100 lbs of Just Pop In Caramel Popcorn in the batch! Fun fact - kernels hail from a local popcorn farmer. You will be able to get your hands on Caramel Corn beer during the 2022 Indiana State Fair and a limited amount will be available on draft at Sun King tap room locations and at Just Pop In!”

The beer is better than the writing, though that is obviously not a high bar to clear. I have not tried the caramel corn at Just Pop In!, but this beer might be what finally gets me through the doors. It tastes the way caramel popcorn smells, with just a hint of sweetness. The taste reminded me of the smell of the Karmelkorn store in the Washington Square Mall whenever I would have occasion to walk by it. I don’t think I ever bought caramel corn there, but I must have walked past it at least a hundred times in my life. The nostalgia dump in my brain from the first sip of this beer was intense, and that by itself would be enough to recommend it; but it’s also a nicely balanced ale. I would love to have more of them; but as is so often the case with Sun King’s most interesting beers, they are not available in packaged form.

461. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Rainbow Haze

“Rainbow Haze is an IPA with fruity hop character complimented [sic] by infused mango.”

Strong mango flavor up front, and just the hint of a dry finish. The 6.3% ABV is sort of amusing, but I feel like this should have more of a punch to it, somehow. It’s good, but it’s not especially interesting.

399. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Watermelon Sunlight Cream Ale

“Watermelon Sunlight puts a new twist on one of Indiana’s best-selling craft beers by combining watermelon flavor with smooth malt character and a crisp, clean finish.”

Much like the Orange Vanilla variant of Sunlight, this has no echo of the original Sunlight flavor at all. The watermelon flavor and aroma are huge and should probably be overpowering…but oddly enough, I don’t feel overpowered by them—and I don’t like watermelon. I shouldn’t like this beer, but I do.

355. 18th Street Brewery (Hammond, IN) - Churrolicious

“Churrolicious is a Sun King/18th Street collaboration Pastry Stout made with actual churros in celebration of the inaugural Indiana Statewide Stout day.”

And so my inside source at Sun King says that these kinds of things are generally 50/50 and that the collab distinction is something like a marketing ploy. (Actually, he didn’t say that. I made it up. You don’t know who I am, and you don’t know who he is, either. We never spoke.) It is clear upon sipping this bad boy that I have not consumed many churros in my life. I suspect it’s possible I have had more pastry stouts than churros, so I probably shouldn’t even be talking about this. But I just discovered what a great album Led Zeppelin’s Presence is, so I’m sort of in that place where I feel like I’m at least marginally qualified to talk about anything. (And even though am not be an expert, I feel pretty confident that I am smarter than the average bear when it comes to both beer and Led Zeppelin.) Motor oil you should have changed six months ago isn’t as dark as this shit. There’s a nice roasty flavor to balance the sweetness, along with the faint taste of graham crackers—and as it warms up, I get sort of a hint of root beer. (That can’t possibly be right, can it?) Overall, it’s a little bit heavy for me, both in terms of flavor and strength (8.0%), but I’m glad I got the chance to try it.

334. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - German Chocolate Oktoberfest

“German Chocolate Oktoberfest is a German-style lager with a dessert-style twist thanks to additions of chocolate and coconut.”

The first sip was confounding, and then it grew on me. It starts out too sweet, but then the flavor kicks in—soft chocolate and coconut—and then the flavors spread out and get a little bit bready, to remind you that it’s a Märzen. The finish is almost dry, which is saying something, considering how sweet it is up front. This is easily my favorite Sun King beer ever, and it would be a contender for my favorite beer of all time, if such a list existed. (And so guess what I’m going to start working on tomorrow—since I have, you know, all this free time on my hands?)

293. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Donuts

“Bourbon Barrel-Aged Donuts is a collaboration Pastry Stout aged in bourbon barrels. Made with 500 Jack’s chocolate donuts, chocolate malt, flaked oats, lactose, and semi-sweet chocolate, the barrel-aged version adds bourbon character to an already tasty treat.”

I don’t usually dig on bourbon barrel beer, but this one is very nicely balanced. In fact, the more it warms up, the more it drifts toward the chocolate and away from the bourbon. Awfully big at 10.4%, and certainly not the kind of thing that should be attempted very often; but it was pretty dope to try.

288. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Cherry Busey

“Cherry Busey is a Flanders-style Oud Bruin Ale produced using a complex cocktail of wild yeasts and aged in a bevy of barrels. A multitude of Montmorency cherries were lovingly liberated to give the beer its tart cherry tang.”

Strong aroma of red wine and fruit, and then a pleasantly—but not aggressively—sour cherry and wine flavor up front. A little bit of funk in the background, as well as the echo of wine barrels. I was afraid that this beer would be a kick in the teeth, but it was actually almost understated—a thoroughly pleasant surprise, and one of the best Sun King beers I have tried yet.

285. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Genevieve

“Genevieve is a Belgian-Style Amber Ale with malty sweetness, fruity character, and a hint of spice.”

Smooth and creamy, with a tiny little bit of funk from the Belgian yeast that combines very nicely with the hint of spice. The sweet, malty backbone deepens as it warms, but I’m not catching any of the fruit. I’m not entirely sure I like it, but it’s a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.

265. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Indians Lager

“When summer days have got you beat, reach for Indians Lager. Brewed in the Vienna style, Indians Lager features a balanced malt flavor that finishes crisp, thanks to the addition of German Noble Hopes [sic].”

Deep and roasty, but a little too rounded to qualify as crisp, I think. Probably a very fine example of the style, but it’s just not my thing.