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Sunlight Cream Ale
Sun King Brewing Company
- From:
- Sun King Brewing Company
- Indiana, United States
- Style:
- Cream Ale
Ranked #133 - ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #26,198 - Avg:
- 3.52 | pDev: 16.48%
- Reviews:
- 106
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 27, 2024
- Added:
- Aug 29, 2009
- Wants:
- 33
- Gots:
- 125
Sunlight Cream Ale celebrates American brewing tradition by balancing smooth malt complexity with a crisp, clean finish.
Gold medal 2015 Great American Beer Festival, Golden or Blonde ale. Silver Medal, 2010 World Beer Cup, Golden or Blonde ale.
Gold medal 2015 Great American Beer Festival, Golden or Blonde ale. Silver Medal, 2010 World Beer Cup, Golden or Blonde ale.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by salvo:
Reviewed by salvo from Indiana
4.07/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.07/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance is straw to blonde, almost white like a witt, perfectly clear with a small head with small bubbles rising. Head falls to a light ring with no lacing or trace it ever existed.
Smell is malty sweet with a light yeasty back. Grain-chute graininess.
Taste is light and crisp; grain and lightly peppery, yeast and fresh baked bread, but very light and subdued.
Very light body and dangerously drinkable.
Oh, and I adore the hard plastic rings that kept the four pack of cans together. Nice.
Sunlight Cream Ale is the micro-brewing equivalent of insisting that Picasso paint something "recognizable" just to prove he had the technical skills to make representational art. Artisinal brewing is just that: subjective, aesthetic, and about gathering an appreciative audience. If you (or anyone you know) doubts that micro brewers can handle the demands of brewing a light, tasty, satisfying beer, give them one of these. And then pop open an Osiris. After an Osiris, I had to try the "other" Sun King canned offering, and while it is a technical achievement and stand out for its precision, smoothness, and execution, it is, at the end of the day, a cream ale. It brings back memories of school in Binghamton, New York, eating hot wings at the Sportsman's Club and Rathskeller and washing down the Frank's Red-Hot with Genny (Gennesee Cream Ale). Not a bad memory, but also not the height of brewing's Olympus either.
Aug 08, 2010Smell is malty sweet with a light yeasty back. Grain-chute graininess.
Taste is light and crisp; grain and lightly peppery, yeast and fresh baked bread, but very light and subdued.
Very light body and dangerously drinkable.
Oh, and I adore the hard plastic rings that kept the four pack of cans together. Nice.
Sunlight Cream Ale is the micro-brewing equivalent of insisting that Picasso paint something "recognizable" just to prove he had the technical skills to make representational art. Artisinal brewing is just that: subjective, aesthetic, and about gathering an appreciative audience. If you (or anyone you know) doubts that micro brewers can handle the demands of brewing a light, tasty, satisfying beer, give them one of these. And then pop open an Osiris. After an Osiris, I had to try the "other" Sun King canned offering, and while it is a technical achievement and stand out for its precision, smoothness, and execution, it is, at the end of the day, a cream ale. It brings back memories of school in Binghamton, New York, eating hot wings at the Sportsman's Club and Rathskeller and washing down the Frank's Red-Hot with Genny (Gennesee Cream Ale). Not a bad memory, but also not the height of brewing's Olympus either.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland
4.25/5 rDev +20.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +20.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Golden murky appearance with a big beige head. Really good cream ale, wet sock, bath water, basement, mineral, grain, dank. Medium body, light carbonation.
Feb 27, 2024Reviewed by Markarp from South Carolina
3.13/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
3.13/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
16 oz can. Gifted by a friend who traveled to Indiana recently. I'm in the south and haven't seen this beer around.
First taste had flavor, which disappeared quickly. Too light and watery. Refreshing, bubbly but not much flavor.
Nov 20, 2023First taste had flavor, which disappeared quickly. Too light and watery. Refreshing, bubbly but not much flavor.
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio
3.57/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
19.2 FL OZ can
Served in an oversized, stemless, wine glass
This beer pours a brilliant golden hue and is topped with an inch of beige head that leaves spotty lacing.
Grain and grassy notes
Grain and grassy flavor
Light bodied with a dry mouthfeel
Meh. I got it at an Indiana liquor store. It was worth a try.
Nov 09, 2023Served in an oversized, stemless, wine glass
This beer pours a brilliant golden hue and is topped with an inch of beige head that leaves spotty lacing.
Grain and grassy notes
Grain and grassy flavor
Light bodied with a dry mouthfeel
Meh. I got it at an Indiana liquor store. It was worth a try.
Rated by ChefBrown from Ohio
2.88/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
2.88/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Had an orange vanilla taste but overall just wasn't good.
Sep 09, 2023Rated by plumberman63 from Indiana
3/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Not a lot of flavor, watery. Wet and drinkable but not a big fan
Dec 12, 2022Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
3.53/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
19.2oz can. Stamped on can bottom is 'BEST BY 10/30/22' (a little past its prime).
Clear, pale gold colored body. Thin finger of very tiny bubble white head. Good rising carbonation show.
Aroma has corn malt and floral hops. Slight bit of spice.
Taste is malty, with some floral hops. Corn malt seems to be present. Wet, with no bitterness. Lager like.
Medium mouth feel. Somewhat smooth and creamy. Very good carbonation.
Similar to an AAL but heavier in mouth feel and more aroma/flavor. Wets the whistle.
Nov 11, 2022Clear, pale gold colored body. Thin finger of very tiny bubble white head. Good rising carbonation show.
Aroma has corn malt and floral hops. Slight bit of spice.
Taste is malty, with some floral hops. Corn malt seems to be present. Wet, with no bitterness. Lager like.
Medium mouth feel. Somewhat smooth and creamy. Very good carbonation.
Similar to an AAL but heavier in mouth feel and more aroma/flavor. Wets the whistle.
Reviewed by SWOhio-aquifer from Ohio
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On the Indiana Oh border. SO, fairly accessible. But not guaranteed a score. Got it tonight after a round of golf in Indiana. Was a nice treat to take back home on the 40 min drive back to OH. EASY drinking. Good flavor. CHEERS!
Jul 27, 2022Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana
3.75/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Living in Indianapolis it’s hard to avoid having Sun King Cream Ale from time to time. It’s hard for me to rate—if you are stuck somewhere in Indianapolis (like watching a Pacers game or at a friend’s BBQ) it is better than a macro lager. But it is kind of the epitome of Sun King’s malt-forward mediocrity gateway craft beer for the Indiana masses. It’s made for people like my mom, who wants to try a “craft beer” but doesn’t have an educated palate and can’t handle any kind of flavor intensity, high abv, barrel aging, strong hops, etc.
Jul 16, 2022Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota
3.76/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.76/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Sunlight Cream Ale pours a pale color, with a small head. Malty farm like aroma. Flavor is malty, farm like flavors, notes of cereal. Good body and feel.
Jul 12, 2022
Sunlight Cream Ale from Sun King Brewing Company
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
502 ratings
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