SunSpot Golden Ale

SunSpot Golden Ale

SanTan Brewing Co.

Chandler, AZ

SunSpot Golden Ale was the first beer brewed at SanTan and is a recent addition to the brewery’s lineup of canned beers. It is brewed with two-row barley, wheat, Vienna and Munich malts and hopped with Columbus and CTZ hops.

ABV: 5

ABW: 4

COLOR: 7

BITTERNESS: 15

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1051

AVAILABLE: AZ, CA, TX

If the brewers were trying to mimic the color of a hazy, early morning Arizona sunbeam, they did a great job. The head atop this golden beauty is snow-white and lingers long before dissipating. Sunspot sports a light body that’s crisp and lively along with aromas of lightly toasted cereal. The first sip is mostly that of cereal, but there is a slight fruitiness to it as well, before just a hint of grassiness and spice comes in to tickle the palate. The beer finishes clean with just enough there to tease you into another sip.
- Lisa Morrison

Well, golden it is, as it pours fluffily from the can. The aroma is mildly malty, showing creamed corn and orange notes. The palate is soft, a bit sweet and round, with hops very much in the back seat. The whole thing ambles into an easy, clean finish. I could be a snob about it and find it bland; after all, it isn’t interesting. Frankly, though, it’s kinda good. It’s very drinkable, and if this beer was served cold on a hot day, I’d be glad to see it. Ain’t nothing wrong with “pleasant.”
- Garrett Oliver

Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, talks beer every day at her beer store and taproom, Belmont Station, and on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.

Garrett Oliver
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and the veteran host of more than 900 beer dinners in 15 countries.