Cookies & Cans : Sun King Osiris
Unless a beer is simply out of this world with powerful features, it’s challenging to remember all the unique tastes and facets I noticed about it without writing anything down. So I try to mentally note at least one unique feature or reaction I had such as…
Left Hand Milk Stout = smooth, amazing label. go-to beer.
Hopslam = so hopped up I saw stars
Thomas Creek Vanilla Cream Ale = pheeewww (that’s my interpretation of a balloon deflating)
Stone Ruination IPA = I want to take you home tonight
5 AM Saint = you sir, get waffles in the morning
Most of those are reactions, but I personally find it is a more effective way of recalling and conveying how I felt about a beer. Plus, if I’m out and my friend asks me what I thought about a certain beer, I’d rather say “hellsyes. I wanted to run out in the streets and tell everyone how amazing it was,” than “hellsyes. It had a light and airy note of pencil shavings.” Okay okay please call me out if I ever say anything like that, but I hope you see what I mean. Of course if I had to choose between two similar beers I’d hope that I would have enough sensory memory to compare the two in more depth than with one immediate reaction, but my beer brain capacity has some developing to do.
I’ll remember that the smell of this Osiris was like stepping into a greenhouse.
Back to the basics
Sun King Brewery – Indianapolis, Indiana
American Pale Ale
5.6% ABV
Bought at Friendly Package Liquors, Muncie
All in all
Clear, yellow-orange color (a pretty orange, not Philadelphia Flyers orange…sorry dudes, that is not a good color), with a soft white head that disappeared quickly, but left a thin layer until about ¼ of the beer was gone. The hops & tart grapefruit taste were satisfying and hit square on the center of my tongue…It felt very clear, but was equally dry, leaving me wanting something more quenching-perhaps a glass of water or that juicy grapefruit? Overall it was very sharp, and worked until the end when it left a bitter penny taste at the back of my mouth. Did anyone else try to use pennies as a way to make your temperature read higher when you wanted to stay home from school “sick?” Just me? It didn’t work at all. But using a heating blanket did. Shhhh…
Recommend to a friend?
I would tell them about the great aroma, but the aftertaste & dryness makes me hesitate in recommending it to someone who isn’t a fan of pale ales.
Safe for lightweights?
5.6% ABV – yay!
Plus one?
Sure thing.
And look out for my next cookie recipe on Sunday!
The Bake & Brew 
That is a seriously lovely photo! And your beer review isn’t bad either. I understand where you’re coming from with regards to beer “reactions” vs. a series of tasting notes. Both are helpful, but in the end, it comes down to personal taste. This beer sounds interesting. Is it available in PA or NJ? Nice dig on the Flyers. Personally, I like the orange and black. So menacing! 🙂
Cheers!
G-LO
I totally agree that fundamentally it comes down to personal taste – everyone has a different taste/preference background, drinks certain beers in different environments, has varying expectations, and I think brings their own spin on what they notice…I like when not everyone is saying the same thing over and over about the same beer. Of course there seems to be a common language that people use, but it’s nice when someone brings something very genuine, unexpected, and unique to the table.
As for Sun King – I doubt they are available out East now, as they are still a modest (but kickass) brewery in Indianapolis. But it will be an awesome day when they are able to get their brews out to more states!
Dang, these really are some fantastic photos, friend! Osiris is one of my favorites from Sun King. I don’t drink it enough, though. I tend to gravitate toward Cream Ale, because I usually drink Sun King after a bike ride and the Osiris doesn’t pair well with that lactic acid taste at the back of the throat. That bitter penny analogy is perfect, and perhaps exactly why I don’t really enjoy it after a bike ride. That taste is somewhat accentuated by the post-exercise mouth, and leaves me reaching for the cleaner tasting Cream Ale.
Follow up: looks like Osiris got a podium position in this 2011 contest–http://www.craftcans.com/best-cans-of-2011-poll-resultsand-our-year-end-shout-outs
Man they just keep coming don’t they? I know that they really swept the floor at GABF this year with a ridiculous number of awards for their beer – it’s great to see how well Indiana breweries are doing. We’re so spoiled 🙂
Had Ruination tonight. Again. Rad.
Can’t believe you’ve had the Thomas Creek. They’re about 8 minutes from my house and contract brew my store’s house brew. Didn’t know they traveled.
Must now try this Osiris
Ruination…what a satisfying kick in the teeth. Yeah Muncie gets a varied and good selection of beer, thanks to decent distributors and stellar local bars. I think we get about two or three Thomas Creeks in our liquor stores – Up the Creek, Stillwater Vanilla, and one other if I remember semi-correctly. Wish we had more though.
Up the Creek is definitely one to try, especially if you can age it for a year or so.