Ring Of Dingle Irish Stout | Sun King Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Sun King Brewing Company
Indiana, United States | website
Style: Irish Dry Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.80%
Availability: Spring
Notes / Commercial Description:
Named for a road in Ireland, Ring of Dingle is dark in color, light of body, rich and roasty with a creamy head.
34 IBU
Added by aasher on 02-23-2011
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 14 | Ratings: 75
3.59/5 rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Taster from a can. Topical dry stout. Nothing remarkable, but nothing off putting. The style isn't my wheelhouse but it was perfectly acceptable. Grab this over a Guinness if the two are on the same tap list.
★ 208 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Taster from a can. Topical dry stout. Nothing remarkable, but nothing off putting. The style isn't my wheelhouse but it was perfectly acceptable. Grab this over a Guinness if the two are on the same tap list.
★ 208 characters
3.54/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: A bit of a bubble show produces two fingers of beige colored foam capping the slightly translucent coffee colored liquid; russet highlights around the edge; a few squiggly shapes of foam cling
Smell: Toasted pumpernickel, charcoal and nut skins
Taste: Tart fruit (artificial grape) flavors dominate the front, with nut skin acridity building; underneath, there is the toasted bread and charcoal aspect from the aroma; the finish is dry, but the fruit tones still linger
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation
Overall: The can is less than three months old and has been kept in the fridge so I am not sure why I am getting the tart grape flavor but I am pretty sure this is not what the brewer intended
Thanks, darktronica, for the opportunity
★ 783 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: A bit of a bubble show produces two fingers of beige colored foam capping the slightly translucent coffee colored liquid; russet highlights around the edge; a few squiggly shapes of foam cling
Smell: Toasted pumpernickel, charcoal and nut skins
Taste: Tart fruit (artificial grape) flavors dominate the front, with nut skin acridity building; underneath, there is the toasted bread and charcoal aspect from the aroma; the finish is dry, but the fruit tones still linger
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation
Overall: The can is less than three months old and has been kept in the fridge so I am not sure why I am getting the tart grape flavor but I am pretty sure this is not what the brewer intended
Thanks, darktronica, for the opportunity
★ 783 characters
3.63/5 rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Very good head retention here. Dark appearance. Aroma of dark, chocolate malts. Flavors of dark malts. Like a steeping of dark grains. Nice mouthfeel. Good amount of carb. Overall. Nice drinkable stout.
★ 202 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Very good head retention here. Dark appearance. Aroma of dark, chocolate malts. Flavors of dark malts. Like a steeping of dark grains. Nice mouthfeel. Good amount of carb. Overall. Nice drinkable stout.
★ 202 characters
3.82/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Good dry stout. Refreshing. Here goes:
A: Black with a slight red hue. Pours a massive head that lingers. Also leaves some lacing.
S: Roasted coffee and nuts. Very bitter dark chocolate. I like it.
T: Not as robust as the smell indicated, but still good. Follows the nose. Nuts, dark chocolate and a ton of coffee.
F: Very light - just OK.
O: Good beer.
★ 371 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Good dry stout. Refreshing. Here goes:
A: Black with a slight red hue. Pours a massive head that lingers. Also leaves some lacing.
S: Roasted coffee and nuts. Very bitter dark chocolate. I like it.
T: Not as robust as the smell indicated, but still good. Follows the nose. Nuts, dark chocolate and a ton of coffee.
F: Very light - just OK.
O: Good beer.
★ 371 characters
3.91/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
16oz tall boy can, sample from the brewery.
Towering head, nearly pitch black liquid. Bready nose with hints of charcoal and unsweetened chocolate. Smooth with a subtle sweetness, just enough carbonation to keep it going. Mild roasted grain flavors throughout, balanced and very easy to knock back. I'd easily pick this over the main stream of the style.
★ 355 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
16oz tall boy can, sample from the brewery.
Towering head, nearly pitch black liquid. Bready nose with hints of charcoal and unsweetened chocolate. Smooth with a subtle sweetness, just enough carbonation to keep it going. Mild roasted grain flavors throughout, balanced and very easy to knock back. I'd easily pick this over the main stream of the style.
★ 355 characters
4.08/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Opaque, dark brown-black, with a tan-gray head, flecked with black, that fades to a thin cap. Extensive lacing.
S - Roasted malts, with primary notes of bread and caramel, a bit of chocolate and coffee.
T - Following the nose, with maltiness front and center. A doughy quality, toasted bread, a touch of char, sweetness of burnt sugars, and a close suggesting bitter coffee acidity.
M - Moderate carbonation. For a dry stout, there is a solid, robust feel on the tongue. Mild drying in the close.
O - A pleasure to tip back to celebrate St. Patrick's. A fine Irish stout, with full flavor and feel.
★ 611 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Opaque, dark brown-black, with a tan-gray head, flecked with black, that fades to a thin cap. Extensive lacing.
S - Roasted malts, with primary notes of bread and caramel, a bit of chocolate and coffee.
T - Following the nose, with maltiness front and center. A doughy quality, toasted bread, a touch of char, sweetness of burnt sugars, and a close suggesting bitter coffee acidity.
M - Moderate carbonation. For a dry stout, there is a solid, robust feel on the tongue. Mild drying in the close.
O - A pleasure to tip back to celebrate St. Patrick's. A fine Irish stout, with full flavor and feel.
★ 611 characters
3.85/5 rDev +1.9%
Thanks, Trent, for the 16 ounce can!
It pours black with a tan head of foam. A pretty big head of foam that shrinks to a fine layer.
Plenty of fine roasted malt in the nose though i do get some aroma that I usually associate with a Milk Stout. And yes, there's some hoppy bitterness here too.
The taste is so roasty and nice. I get some dark and milk chocolate notes and the bitterness is on the light side. Dry? Yes, but not as dry as others of the style that I've had. That's not a knock on ROD. I quite enjoy it.
Medium bodied, a light level of carbonation, the smoothness is in a bit of an overkill stage.
Yep, this is a fine Dry Stout. I'd say that if the carbo was bumped up a little, I'd like it even more.
★ 720 characters
Thanks, Trent, for the 16 ounce can!
It pours black with a tan head of foam. A pretty big head of foam that shrinks to a fine layer.
Plenty of fine roasted malt in the nose though i do get some aroma that I usually associate with a Milk Stout. And yes, there's some hoppy bitterness here too.
The taste is so roasty and nice. I get some dark and milk chocolate notes and the bitterness is on the light side. Dry? Yes, but not as dry as others of the style that I've had. That's not a knock on ROD. I quite enjoy it.
Medium bodied, a light level of carbonation, the smoothness is in a bit of an overkill stage.
Yep, this is a fine Dry Stout. I'd say that if the carbo was bumped up a little, I'd like it even more.
★ 720 characters
3.56/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
16 ounce can. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice but very light, it smells like roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. The brew tastes like roasted malt, coffee, burnt/charred malt, and some dark chocolate and earthiness. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and has medium/high carbonation. I thought this was a good tasting brew, although the weak aroma didn't exactly impress me. It's worth trying. $3.99 for a single can.
★ 565 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
16 ounce can. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice but very light, it smells like roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. The brew tastes like roasted malt, coffee, burnt/charred malt, and some dark chocolate and earthiness. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and has medium/high carbonation. I thought this was a good tasting brew, although the weak aroma didn't exactly impress me. It's worth trying. $3.99 for a single can.
★ 565 characters
3/5 rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Can poured into Chimay chalice.
A: Stoutly brown. Impossible to see through. Tan head. Lacing throughout as the head dissipates into a velvet sheen. Looks great!
S: Coffee. Burnt bologna. (Yeah. I said it. I keep wondering where the mustard is. May have just been a tad off on this batch.) Vanilla and roast toffee can be found as well.
T: Toasted and roasted. Heavy malt and smoke flavors. Hops absent. Sweet. Smoke takes some of sweetness away, but it sweeps back in.
M: Carbonation helps to move flavor. Lots of it. Medium bodied.
O: Disappointed. Had many friends tell me I had to bring this back from my trip back home to Indy. Not commensurate with what I have come to enjoy about Sun King. Tasty brew to some, but for me this ends with an "ehhhh... if you aren't going to drink it..." sort of feel. I think the beer is missing something... just cannot put my finger on it. I think whatever this recipe is should be experimented with. Some interesting ingredients like white peppercorns (or if this was the base for a chili pepper beer) would be really exciting.
★ 1,077 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Can poured into Chimay chalice.
A: Stoutly brown. Impossible to see through. Tan head. Lacing throughout as the head dissipates into a velvet sheen. Looks great!
S: Coffee. Burnt bologna. (Yeah. I said it. I keep wondering where the mustard is. May have just been a tad off on this batch.) Vanilla and roast toffee can be found as well.
T: Toasted and roasted. Heavy malt and smoke flavors. Hops absent. Sweet. Smoke takes some of sweetness away, but it sweeps back in.
M: Carbonation helps to move flavor. Lots of it. Medium bodied.
O: Disappointed. Had many friends tell me I had to bring this back from my trip back home to Indy. Not commensurate with what I have come to enjoy about Sun King. Tasty brew to some, but for me this ends with an "ehhhh... if you aren't going to drink it..." sort of feel. I think the beer is missing something... just cannot put my finger on it. I think whatever this recipe is should be experimented with. Some interesting ingredients like white peppercorns (or if this was the base for a chili pepper beer) would be really exciting.
★ 1,077 characters
3.68/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a Southern Tier Pumking tulip glass.
A: Very dark brown. In the glass it looks black until held to the light. Aggressive pour results in a dense, 2 finger, khaki colored head. Slowly settles into a thin velvet layer that looks like brown felt on top of the brew. Clings to the glass really well. The appearance on this one is really nice.
S: Roasted Java. Vanilla. Chocolate and Belgian-like malts. A hint of smoke. Nothing is overpowering. The wafts are nice, but a bit faint.
T: Roast, but not nearly the java notes that I got from the nose. Smooth, but a little bland. Vanilla notes come through more than the chocolate or the malt. Faint smokiness.
M: Slightly over-carbonated, but I'm being overly picky. Smooth. Medium body. Very sessionable.
O: Not the best offering from Sun King, and definitely over-priced, but it's worth a try if one has never had it. It looks amazing, and tastes very smooth, but it's far from rocking my world.
★ 968 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a Southern Tier Pumking tulip glass.
A: Very dark brown. In the glass it looks black until held to the light. Aggressive pour results in a dense, 2 finger, khaki colored head. Slowly settles into a thin velvet layer that looks like brown felt on top of the brew. Clings to the glass really well. The appearance on this one is really nice.
S: Roasted Java. Vanilla. Chocolate and Belgian-like malts. A hint of smoke. Nothing is overpowering. The wafts are nice, but a bit faint.
T: Roast, but not nearly the java notes that I got from the nose. Smooth, but a little bland. Vanilla notes come through more than the chocolate or the malt. Faint smokiness.
M: Slightly over-carbonated, but I'm being overly picky. Smooth. Medium body. Very sessionable.
O: Not the best offering from Sun King, and definitely over-priced, but it's worth a try if one has never had it. It looks amazing, and tastes very smooth, but it's far from rocking my world.
★ 968 characters
3.97/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A-Black in the glass, one finger off white/tan head. Deep brown amber when pouring.
S-Lots of roasted malt, burnt notes, molasses, coffee and some chocolate.
T-Some smoke, roasted malt, slight burnt notes, mild coffee, nuts and chocolate.
M-Tad light and lacking in carbonation.
O-Not a traditional Irish Dry Stout, had a brown and scotch ale twist to it.
★ 359 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A-Black in the glass, one finger off white/tan head. Deep brown amber when pouring.
S-Lots of roasted malt, burnt notes, molasses, coffee and some chocolate.
T-Some smoke, roasted malt, slight burnt notes, mild coffee, nuts and chocolate.
M-Tad light and lacking in carbonation.
O-Not a traditional Irish Dry Stout, had a brown and scotch ale twist to it.
★ 359 characters
3.88/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I purchased a growler of Ring of Dingle from Sun King a couple weeks ago and stashed it at the back of the fridge. I've accumulated a few more growlers since then and space is now at a premium... so it's time to start the hard work of drinking.
A - I was a little worried that the growler might've gone flat since its purchase, but the beer poured with a very reasonable amount of carbonation and looked positively delightful. In the glass, it shows up as a remarkably dark brown. Holding it up to the light doesn't illuminate it any more, but it's not quite black.
S - The smell is a bit subdued; it's clearly a stout, but I couldn't detect a great deal of detail. (My sniffing skills may also be in need of practice.)
T - Pleasantly smoky. Solid, yet still easy enough to drink repeatedly.
M - Despite sitting in the growler for two weeks, the Dingle still feels quite good.
I'm drinking it without any food, but I'm sure it would hold up quite well with any kind of burger, most sandwiches and probably lots of other munchies.
★ 1,035 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I purchased a growler of Ring of Dingle from Sun King a couple weeks ago and stashed it at the back of the fridge. I've accumulated a few more growlers since then and space is now at a premium... so it's time to start the hard work of drinking.
A - I was a little worried that the growler might've gone flat since its purchase, but the beer poured with a very reasonable amount of carbonation and looked positively delightful. In the glass, it shows up as a remarkably dark brown. Holding it up to the light doesn't illuminate it any more, but it's not quite black.
S - The smell is a bit subdued; it's clearly a stout, but I couldn't detect a great deal of detail. (My sniffing skills may also be in need of practice.)
T - Pleasantly smoky. Solid, yet still easy enough to drink repeatedly.
M - Despite sitting in the growler for two weeks, the Dingle still feels quite good.
I'm drinking it without any food, but I'm sure it would hold up quite well with any kind of burger, most sandwiches and probably lots of other munchies.
★ 1,035 characters
4.53/5 rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
(On tap at Tomlinson Tap Room) Actually called an Irish Brown Stout, this was a great beer. Excellent dark brown coloring with fantastic head and very nice lacing. Nice deep malty scent with excellent roasted grains, but not an overkill of coffee or chocolate. Excellent flavor, with a great hit of dark roasted grains, a slight hint of chocolate, and a nice neutral hop finish. Goes down very, very smoothly, with a nice dry finish. Excellent brew!
★ 449 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
(On tap at Tomlinson Tap Room) Actually called an Irish Brown Stout, this was a great beer. Excellent dark brown coloring with fantastic head and very nice lacing. Nice deep malty scent with excellent roasted grains, but not an overkill of coffee or chocolate. Excellent flavor, with a great hit of dark roasted grains, a slight hint of chocolate, and a nice neutral hop finish. Goes down very, very smoothly, with a nice dry finish. Excellent brew!
★ 449 characters
Ring Of Dingle Irish Stout from Sun King Brewing Company
3.78
out of 5
based on 75 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a can into a tulip glass. (I've also had this on tap from the 96th street tap room)
Pour is opaque and very dark. Two fingers of thick khaki foam form of top of the beer. foam lingered throughout leaving nice lace on the glass.
Smell is roasted nuts with chocolate and maybe some caramel.
Taste follows the smell well. Lots of roasted malt flavors to go with the coffee, bitter dark chocolate, and toffee. Not as dry as I initially thought this was going to be. Maybe even a hit of smoke and vanilla. Good complexity.
Feel is light to medium. Beer is very smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. Does dry a bit but not as much as others in the same style I've tried.
★ 687 characters