Sleeman Honey Brown Lager - Sleeman Breweries Ltd.

Antikythera

New York

3.95/5  rDev +33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: light brown, fine cream coloured head

Smell: nondescript. Weird. Fizzy? A little honey.

Taste: the honey and caramel really come out in the flavour, over top of pale malt. Sweet without being candyish.

Mouthfeel: thin without being too watery. Refreshing but flavourful.

Overall: easy-drinking but more interesting than most budget beers.

Yeah, I love it. When I was younger the first beer I drank was probably Coors, and I was not impressed. SHB was the first beer I had that I thought was actually interesting, and I still have a soft spot for it. It's not boring but it's not pretentious either.

Serving type: can

08-15-2011 23:02:56 | More by Antikythera

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark amber colour with a foamy two-finger head with fairly good retention and decent lacing. A soapy film is left behind, once the head finally fades away (half-way through the drink). I noticed this film with their Cream Ale too - at first I was worried I haven't been rinsing my glasses well-enough, but it seems to just be a trait of something in the heads of their beers. Looks heavily carbonated. The smell is very sweet; mostly honey and grainy malts.

Sweet, sweet, sweet. That's all this beer tastes like. There are definitely some grain and bread malt flavours going on, but honey and brown sugar are pretty dominant. There isn't really a finish to this beer, the sweetness just sort of fades. There's a faint echo of hop bitterness, I guess, but it's fleeting and is easily missed amongst the cloying sweetness. Decent body and much heavier than your average macro, but for the style it's a little watery. Carbonation prickles the tongue but isn't too overpowering.

This used to be my 'old standby', and even though it's clear my tastes have changed, this is probably still one of Sleeman's better brews. It is better than your average macro, but due to the cloying sweetness it's really something you have to be in the mood for. Not really anything special... but a highly drinkable option if you're looking for an easy-to-find beer that will satisfy your sweet tooth. The bottles generally taste better, but only if you live within a reasonable distance of the brewery, and are buying it at a store that moves decent volume.

Serving type: can

05-30-2011 21:58:07 | More by thehyperduck

Mora2000

Texas

3/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

473ml can. The beer pours a light amber color with with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the toffee without too much else. The flavor is toffee with a light amount of bitterness and flavor from some grassy hops. Still, this is a very malt-forward beer, Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: can

11-27-2010 19:23:39 | More by Mora2000

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml can poured into pint glass july8 2010

A clear light copper with plenty of bubbles feeding a thumbs width of head that quickly falls to a 1/4in film leaving a partial ring of lace

S more sweet malts then honey and some slight candied fruit

T much more honey but almost a fake kind of flavor that seems synthetic and unnatural

M thick for a macro and slight sticky on the lips

D nothing offensive but nothing worth bragging about, decent beer for a macro

every no and then I sip a honey brown at a bar that has nothing better up for grabs, sadly this would be most bars here in Calgary

Serving type: can

07-09-2010 07:02:54 | More by wordemupg

mooseisloose

Florida

3.4/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Gotta love all the tallboys in the Great White North. Picked up a 16 oz at the local LCBO. Poured into a handy glass yields a well, honey brown, imagine that, color. Nice head at first but fades quickly. Taste is sweet as expected. It starts with honey sweetness upfront then moves into a brown sugar-like sweetness matched with very slight bitterness. The finish stays sweet but fades to a tarty aftertaste. Mouthfeel is great, good carbonation then even a flavor fizzy finish. This is a very highly drinkable brew. Not sure about the style it is listed as, I don't think it is, but I like it. Goes great with many foods, Korean barbecue to name one.Better a little warmer than cold.

Serving type: can

04-02-2010 03:16:13 | More by mooseisloose

Richter35

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a thick tan white head. Colour is honey-brown [really] and looks decent.

Smell is like any other lager. Nothing special.

Taste is slightly above average. Minimal bitterness, with more malty goodness than your typical light/pale lager. Some biscuit tastes, more reminiscent of a brown ale. Pretty good for a high-volume Canadian offering.

Mouthfeel is good. This beer is light to medium bodied with just enough carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. Nice beer on a hot day, but not something I'd serve if I wanted to impress. Just average.

Serving type: can

01-18-2010 21:32:03 | More by Richter35

ludachris

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Sadly, this is the last beer in my fridge. I figured I'd finish it off before I haul in the next load.

Pours a deep golden/light amber with a 1 finger white head. Decent retention, but minimal lacing. Lively amount of carbonation is clearly visible.

Strong scent of overly sweet honey and caramel in the nose with a touch of grain, buttery malt and a metallic presence.

Artificial honey and caramel right upfront that only becomes more pronounced as the beer warms; almost to the point of cloying. A hint of grain, grassy hops and metallic character cap off the finish. The few flavours that are going on here are less than decent.

Mouthfeel is light, very wet and completely unbalanced. This sucker is going down the drain.

It's sad to think that I use to like this stuff. The last time I had it was Thanksgiving and I had to pour it in the grass when no one was looking. Too sweet, awful mouthfeel and extremely overpriced. If you can, stay away, but if not, don't judge Canadian beers based off of this.

Serving type: can

12-02-2009 02:20:18 | More by ludachris

Kooz

New York

2.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light brownish-orange color, thick head (even from a mild pour) dissipates quickly. No discernible smell.

Tastes okay. Not terrific, but okay. Nice aftertaste of caramel. A little too bitter up front.

This is a fairly innocuous beer. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but would not hesitate to have it with dinner.

Serving type: can

10-18-2009 17:09:57 | More by Kooz

nighthawk

Nova Scotia (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

473mL can poured into pint glass. No freshness date to be found.

Pours a clear caramel colour that's a bit on the orange/red side. Head is quite generous and foamy to start, and a small ring retains well.

Smell is virtually non-existant. Mildly sweet in a refined sugar sort of way.

Taste is a bland sweet malt that's sort of caramel-like, with a similarly bland leafy hop before the sweet finish. Plays chicken with cloying, but just manages to restrain itself.

Mouthfeel is medium-light bodied, plenty of stickiness (but not syrupy) and balancing carbonation fizz. Probably the best part of the beer.

It's drinkable enough, I guess. I've shared pitchers of the stuff with friends before, and it's not terrible as an accompaniment to pub food. Don't pay too much attention and it goes down the hatch easily.

Serving type: can

10-02-2009 18:41:23 | More by nighthawk

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

473ml poured into a pint glass.

A - Poured a golden brown colour with a 1.25" foamy white head. Lots of lacing on the glass.

S - Aroma has lots of sweetness (like caramel & sugar) and malts. Not really picking up honey per say. Hint of hops in the background.

T - Tastes similar to the aroma. Sweetness up front and a hint of hops in the finish. It's a bit one dimensional though. It improves somewhat as the beer warms up.

M - Good carbonation and stickiness that I'd expect from a sweeter brew.

D - It's drinkable. I don't mind it. I can only drink a couple though before I get bored of it.

It's not a bad beer for a Canadian macro. A bit one dimensional but a pleasant change from the typical blond Lagers.

Serving type: can

09-30-2009 01:18:21 | More by decimator

RyanBelle

Ontario (Canada)

2.45/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Half-Liter can poured into a Czech-Style Pilsener Glass.

This beer is not my cup of tea. Here is why:

A - The only redeeming factor on this is the way it looks. Nice brown color makes you think you are in for something special, perhaps even inspiring and the head sticks around for a few minutes even...read on

S - Bland and sweet. Nothing to rant about at all.

T - Bland until the end when the sweetness takes over to a degree where you know a hangover is in store after drinking more than one of these. The sweetness is very artificial and I sense no honey...I'm thinking more like Sweet-N-Low artificial sweetener to mask the taste of this super plain macro-lager with no personality whatsoever. I would never try this beer again unless it was free, and only one, to avoid a hangover. It has no toasted notes, no bready notes, no citrus notes...but it could be nice on a hot day in small quantities (so could any other macro-lager?).

M - Higher carbonation, but no taste. It's a very simple beer with no real character to it at all in the mouth. It goes in and goes out...doesn't make me anything special of it in between unfortunately.

D - I'll drink one and be dissapointed but will not have a second one in my system until it is free, and again, only in small quantities to avoid the hangover from the supposed "sugar" content.

Notes: Skip this one, in the name of better beers with flavor that deserve your time and energy.

Serving type: can

09-01-2009 02:00:07 | More by RyanBelle

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purs a shiny bronze color with a head that manages to leave some lace trails on the glass, but doesnt last very long. The smell is sweetish and un-noteworthy. The taste is slightly nutty with some caramel notes that provide at least a hair of nuance to the morrasse of non-descript sweetness. Hops are quite low profile, even in the finish. the mouthfeel is medium bodied and briskly carbonated.

A mediocre macro lager, not much to speak of. Its too sweet to be enjoyable, but it isnt undrinkable.

Serving type: can

06-16-2009 06:13:12 | More by CAMRAhardliner

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

For what seems like forever and a day, this beer has been the go-to when faced with nothing but the big boys on tap at the finer establishments around town who show PPV Oiler games...

This beer pours a crystal clear medium copper hue, with lots of foamy white head. The smell is mild sweet grain, and a bit of heather honey. The taste has a slight floral hoppiness, with a decent malt offset, and a straightforward plain honey sweetness. It's a little high on the carbonation, and the sweetness carries through the finish. This beer is pleasantly innocuous, and it's quite easy to put back a few of these.

Serving type: can

01-16-2009 05:47:11 | More by biboergosum

JayTheFinn

California

3.18/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A friend went to Canada to visit family and brought me back one of these. I think it was suppose to be a testament to the quality of Canadian beer. The brown slightly bubble body with the weak head didn't impress me much, although I've seen worse. The smell was almost nonexistent, especially for a honey induced brew. The taste of a brown with a slight honey flavor was light but present. Very light, watery mouthfeel. Drinkable, yes. It goes down quite easily, but the lack of flavor and the wateriness would make me think twice and possibly choose something else if pressed to try another.

Serving type: can

09-08-2007 00:45:30 | More by JayTheFinn

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

clear copper color from a can as I'm spooked by clear glass bottles. The head goes as fast as the local Maple Leafs leave the playoffs. Sweet malt smell. Nice smooth beer with a malt sweetness and a touch of bitterness that keeps it interesting. Very decent and very easy to drink.

Serving type: can

02-13-2007 04:04:11 | More by Shadman

jayc333

Ontario (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice orange copper with a 2 finger head. The head ended up turning minimal, but left behind good lacing. Doesn't appear to be too carbonated.

Smells extra sweet, and maybe a tad citrusy.

Tastes of sweet honey...thats about it. Bare in mind it is a honey lager.

Mouthfeel was perfect for this style. Very limited carbonation, and a thin, but not too thin feel on the palate.

Definatly my favourite Sleeman beer. Perhaps I'd even say my favourite honey lager or ale. I recommend this as a good, and not too expensive session beer.

Serving type: can

08-28-2005 02:45:58 | More by jayc333

bacabuck

California

3.35/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

As other reviewers have noted not certain why the brothers rated it so low. Of course it is sweet. It has "honey" in the name. I was not expecting something like a Dead Guy Ale. I was actually impressed with this and many other local beers on a recent trip.

A- deep amber. Gentleblace. No head
T- crisp apple. Remarkably smooth. No after taste. Slight hoppy finish.

Had this on a recent business trip to the Cambridge Ontario area. Really pretty good beer that goes well with most any food. Paired this time with schnitzel and braised cabbage.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:27:23 | More by bacabuck

jaslesp

3.35/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer looks and smells really great with a caramel honey brown bred smell. It is good. It is not amazing but really good in winter because I don't like it in summer. The mouthfeel isn't amazing but it isn't bad too. Overall it is ok but I don't like it that much too. In fact it is a very little over average but if you can't find it don't go crazy.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 16:01:06 | More by jaslesp

BCJoly

4.53/5  rDev +52.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

I love this beer. I dont understand why it gets such a low mark here on BA. It has a very good tast goes down easy and could drink them all night long. Best served ice cold with a bit of slush.

smell: subtle, sweet, honey, faint hops.

look: golden amber, ok head that will go away after a minute

mouth feel: cold, wet, well carbonated.

taste: refreshing, honey, brown sugar, slight hops, good after taste

over all: simply awesome, doesn't taste like lager (better). I usually drink micro brewery beers, but this one is fine by me and my wife. This is a must try if your in Canada.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 17:25:24 | More by BCJoly

cambabeer

Florida

1.63/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This is a joke. This beer is not worth buying, thankfully I was given it. I guess the color is alright, ruby and golden, but the head is nonexistent. Smells like bad cream soda left out in the sun that someone poured bud light into. Taste is watery, way to sweet, and then at the end there's a little taste of malt and hops that give you a slight clue that what you're drinking is supposed to be beer. Don't buy this, please.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 07:11:43 | More by cambabeer

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Sleeman Honey Brown Lager/Euro Dark Lager into a pint glass.

The liquid appears light brown, maybe a few shades tanner than that, the build looks light and the bubbles are big and off white with a semi tan look, dies down no lace. Smell is caramel forward and sweet smelling with some grainy background. Taste is grain up front with caramel backing with what I would call sweetners, that's all I really get. Feel is a step up from other sleeman beers and matches the style, a light crisp carb but smooth beer none the less. Drinkability is low because, well, it's pretty one sided.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:47:24 | More by onix1agr

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle served in a standard pint glass.

pours a crystal clear amber tone with a fizzy, quickly diminishing off-white head; patchy lacing.

not getting a tone in the nose, mostly a caramel maltiness, maybe a muted hops presence loitering somewhere in the background. flavor is a welcome improvement. sweet and toasty; notes of honey open up mid-palate. malt-forward but some hoppy undertones, especially in the finish. by no means is this memorable, but all in all it's a pleasant, unassuming, serviceable brew.

crisp, light/medium bodied mouthfeel. drinks well; a good football-watching beer.

originally reviewed: 12-14-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 05:08:21 | More by BostonHops

NV9

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Very nice deep colour with a little bit of head that looks great at first but unfortunately doesn't last long.

Honey/molasses smell, with some typical macro-ish hop smell as well.

Pretty smooth tasting, goes down easy for a dark-ish beer.

Overall, a pretty solid beer, not one I search for but often is the best thing on tap in a sea of molson/labatt.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 19:04:41 | More by NV9

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: It has a nice golden/orange color to it. It has an off-white head that dies down fast and leaves very litte lacing.

Smell: The aromas give out hints of honey, caramel, grains, corn and some grassy hops.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a sweet caramel and honey character to it with some light grain, corn and hops.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium/high carbonation with a somewhat light overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with bland flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 19:00:51 | More by SebD

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Running low on cold beer in the house, and the Thanksgiving weekend totally destroyed the stocks at my local liquor store. This was an old high-school favourite of mine, and it was one of the few cold six packs left. So there you go.

Poured into a little Hoegaarden bucket. The very definition of amber, with a sticky 1/2 inch head that dissolves into a little ring.

Nose is sweet and one dimensional, no hops or grain to speak of. Just...honey brown. Maybe a bit of molasses or brown sugar.

Tastes about the same. Overly sweet, not the faintest trace of hops or anything interesting, as if the brewmaster forgot to add them in the brewing process. Finish is just diminished sweetness. Thin bodied, sharp cola carbonation.

Now, having said all this, I don't tend to mind sweetness as a general rule, and I would probably drink this instead of a lot of macro Euro lagers. Also, I'm about 20 minutes from the brewery, so this is a brew that tends to show up a lot at parties, so it's in my best interest to cultivate a taste for it. Fortunately, I rarely get stuck in this situation, and when I do, I drink it as cold as possible straight from the bottle.

In summary, unless you like overly sweet, overly carbonated honey lagers, avoid this.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 01:20:44 | More by JohnnyBarman