Sleeman Honey Brown Lager - Sleeman Breweries Ltd.

hunteraw

China

3.6/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Recommended by the guy behind the counter at the shop.

Appearance: Attractive amber/honey in color, with a one finger head. Little lacing.

Smell: Light malt aroma, with hints of brown bread and honey. Aroma falls a little "flat."

Taste: Calls toast with honey to mind. Overly sweet, but not as bad as the reviews on BA would indicate. Underhopped, but this is obviously a malt-focused beer so no one should be surprised.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: Sweetness does become cloying half way through the glass. Not for hopheads, but if you're looking for an easy-drinking malt-focused beer, you could do a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 23:44:44 | More by hunteraw

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a amber brown colour with an eggshell head, 2 fingers. Not a lot of lacing to speak of.

The aroma is faint. Some honey as expected, with some graininess and malt. Sweet bread, cookies?

Taste is pretty disappointing after looking at the color of this beer. Its pretty straightforward and bland. Very clean finish. Soft carbonation and watery mouthfeel make it seem a little flat.

Drinkable beer, good to pair with food when the beer is on tap. Overpriced though, and nothing to brag about.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2008 04:12:33 | More by EatsTacos

riversider76

New York

3.53/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden amber with a thin white head.Good retention,and a pretty decent lacing. Nose is of honey and malt. Body is medium with some carbonation.Taste is of honey up front with a bitter sweet fruity finish.Decent balance. Worth a try if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 00:06:53 | More by riversider76

zerofear13

New York

3.8/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm not sure I agree with the very low scores. I had this beer on tap in Montreal and enjoyed it very much.

Brown, amber hue. Nice head, not very creamy, and not very good retention. Smelled of faint nuts and spices, and maybe a dash of honey. Great nutty taste and the sweetened malts were very good. I don't think I got an "artificial" sweetness out of it like many have claimed.

Pretty light-tasting beer. Not very complex like a brown ale or usual dark lager, but I think the honey effect is present and noticeable. Overall, a good beer. If I saw it on a menu, I'd definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2008 21:37:44 | More by zerofear13

dsa7783

New Jersey

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

Single, 11.5 oz bottle purchased singly from The Palisade Liquor Store in Jersey City...
"Beer with natural honey added" on the bottle neck sticker...
Pours a light-to-medium brown hue with a decent-sized foamy head that quickly receded and left behind a generous amount of lacing...
Mild, malty aroma with slight hints of clovers and honey...
Taste had a strong malt-backbone with nuances of candied sugars, honey, caramel, and vanilla...
Good mouthfeel with an ultra-easy level of drinkability...
Not too bad...

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2008 21:47:07 | More by dsa7783

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

A: Poured a deep honey-copper color with a dirty white head that was thin and scarce and quickly diminished. Visible carbonation was very light and soft.

S: The nose brought forth some light honey malt and was fairly sweet.

T: The initial flavor was dry caramel, honey toast, and a hint of apple cider. There was some sweet caramel and a flowering bitterness of hops that balanced the initial sweetness quite nicely in the finish accompanied by some dry alcohol rounding things out. Overall nothing to write home about but a decent example per style none the less.

M: medium, syrupy, and smooth with a very soft carbonation.

D: A sweet toasted lager with slightly above average drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2008 15:49:13 | More by beerthulhu

Antilochus

Ontario (Canada)

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

Clear bottle. Fridge temp. 5.00% abv, 341mL. Into a wine tumbler.

Reddish brown body, no head. A bit of a white bubbly collar.

Grainy nose. No honey here that I can get, but perhaps a bit sweet. Noble hop spice. A bit sour.

Full palate. Inoffensive flavours, finishes sweet with spice. A bit fake. Perhaps a bit of honey. Not overly complex, that is for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2008 19:26:58 | More by Antilochus

mwilbur

Minnesota

1.05/5  rDev -64.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Poured from bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pale tan-yellow with very thin white head that quickly disappears.
S: Malt, caramel...and skunk. Bad.
T: Very bad. Hint of malt. Mostly just tastes bad though.
M: Acidic, thin, and watery. Terrible.
D: Not drinkable. Unbelievably bad. Stay away...you have several thousand other beers that taste better to spend you money on. Don't be a fool like me.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2008 22:05:54 | More by mwilbur

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.83/5  rDev +29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very suprised to see this beer on the shelves of a cheap, cut price store in Shropshire. No other Canadian beers to be seen.

This was a brown 341ml bottle and I poured it into a stemmed Corsendonk tulip glass.

Deep golden/amber colour, good white head. Looked like a Dort, except the head soon began to leave.

The aroma was sweet, toffee and honey mix, not overpowering, but there for all to smell.

Very pleasant drink, a little sweet for some maybe, but I liked it.

Overal I thought this OK, honey beers are becoming more common and this one was better than a few I've had the misfortune to try. I will have a few more if there are any left when I revisit the shop.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 19:56:38 | More by BlackHaddock

Spikester

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Recently tried a few different Sleeman's products. This was the best of the group. It is an unusual type for me, a honey lager.
Poured a handsome honey-amber color with a sweet malty aroma. Nice amount of white head and some lacings.
Taste is sweet but not unbearably so. A suprisingly tasty well balanced lager. A pretty good hop level for a lager. It would be a good beer for someone who finds the bigger hop styles unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 10:44:50 | More by Spikester

botham

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

on tap poured into a pub glass. pours a crystal clear amber color with a single finger of off white loose head.

aroma is of a sweet malt character with notes of caramel and munich malts and a tart honey base. a fruit note of apple is in the background.

taste is malty, with caramel and munich malts and a sweet base of honey. a subtle apple note is present here as well.

mouthfeel is medium bodied with a mild bite from CO2 and a mild finish of residual caramel.

drinkability is good. this is an easy going brew with just enough honey. smooth and mildly complex. decent.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2008 04:04:53 | More by botham

dirtyoldtown53

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Very drinkable, smooth with a bit of honey sweetness. Haven't been drinking it as much lately, because of cost. It's above average in my opinion, but lacks a bit of unique character. Sleeman definitely brews better beers than most bigger Canadian companies, but on a student's budget I haven't had the opportunity to try some of its other brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2008 21:41:54 | More by dirtyoldtown53

rodenbach99

Quebec (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

bouteille transparente de 341ml.

cette bière a belle couleur ambre foncée, mousse blanche passablement fugace. elle possède un nez marqué par le miel, aussi de sucre et de malt, bouche ronde avec un petit coté de miel non pas désagréable. finale courte. pourrait finir par écœuré à la longue.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 16:14:45 | More by rodenbach99

GrimmReaper

British Columbia (Canada)

2.33/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep brownish,copper kinda color with a decent tan head that dissipates fairly quick and very mild lacing.
Smells sweet caramel and a tinge of hay,not much else.
Taste is kinda sweet toffee,maybe buttery,malty and musty.
Medium mouthfeel that goes down not bad but leaves a musty aftertaste behind. Not to my liking.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2007 02:48:01 | More by GrimmReaper

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

livingregret

Washington

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

Serving Type: 12 Oz Bottle

Appearance: A light brown colour w/ little to no head to speak of. Lacing is there which helps a little

Smell: Malts and honey. Some nuts mixed in too

Taste: Sweet malt w/ a touch of honey and spice. Was pretty decent

Mouthfeel: Smooth and Crisp, went down easy

Drinkability: Good enough on a hot day and goes great w/ BBQ. I couldn't see myself pounding these down...but good enough to enjoy

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2007 03:53:16 | More by livingregret

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

This beer actually fares better than most Sleeman products. Not that it's a great beer, but it avoids any critical errors that would kill the beer. Opens with a bright copper / oragne hue, highly carbonated, and leaves a decent foamstand with lacing. The aromas release a part-malt, part-grain flavor, that indicated lightness of both. Mild hops ride in the background, along with a light butter scent. Flavors show the balance of grain and malt that the aromas show, albeit light. Light, earthy, metalic hop flavors and bittering hardly offset the grains / sweetness. Feels light and partly scrubbed to the palate, leaving a light diacetyl on the toung. Finishes quite grainly, and lightly grain-astringent. Basically ordinary and un-eventful. I'll be happy to drink a free one in the future, but not likely pay for another.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2007 17:17:10 | More by BEERchitect

kguyty

Missouri

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

This is my first Canadian offering in quite some time... here goes...

Pours a nice nutty brown/caramel color. The off-white head quickly foams up, then disappears. The smell is of honey, and is sweet. The taste is also sweet, with a little spice from the hops. The body is light, with a little carbonation. This is a good beer that is fairly drinkable, but it is nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2007 23:57:58 | More by kguyty

shadow1961

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sleeman's Honey Brown Lager 77* pours a big stiff head over a clear amber
brew. Carbonation is steady and active, and there's good lacing left in the
glass as the brew goes down. The nose is a bit of barley malt and lager yeast.
The flavor is mildly toasty malt up front, with a bit of an herbal hop finish. The
mouthfeel is crisp and a bit dry. There's nothing about this brew that transports
me, but on the other hand it's your good basic session or picnic brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2007 07:52:16 | More by shadow1961

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a caramel/brown color with a foamy, off-white, one-finger head. It did not leave any lace.

S - It smelled of honey and nut.

T - It tasted of sweet roasted malt. It had some subtle hops spice. There was also a touch of honey flavor.

M - It was smooth and crisp. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This wasn't bad. It just didn't grab me with a lot of flavor. Not the best offering from Sleeman.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2007 14:51:22 | More by zeff80

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is great tasting beer. It pours an orangy red colour with a slight head. The aroma is nice and malty with a hint of honey. It works well on the cheeks with mild carbonation (unlike Sleeman Cream Ale which is way too fizzy). The taste is crisp and clear with hints of fruit and honey. Goes down well and tastes great with barbecued ribs.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2007 03:20:07 | More by cyrenaica

aquatonex

New York

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

One of the offerings at Ric's in Calgary...

Pours a medium copper brown, mostly translucent with a large frothy head. Moderate lacing. Smells pretty sweet, malty, and slightly floral. Taste is good, not much complexity, but the balance between the sweetness, malts, and hops is pretty good to provide a very easy drinker. I downed the first one rather quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2007 21:06:48 | More by aquatonex

drinkininthewood

Ontario (Canada)

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

served from a 341ml twist off bottle

A- bronze in color, off white head disappears in seconds leaving lace.

S- sweet, grainy, a little spicy(hops)

T- sweet, grains, malt, roastyness, slightly spicy flavor from the hops, a little earthy, the lightest hint of honey.

M- light bodied, moderate carbonation, fairly sweet mouthfeel.

D- Thanks to the light bodied it is fairly drinkable if you dont mind drinking sweeter tasting brews.

Overall i enjoyed this one and for a honey lager its not too bad. I might pick it up again sometime, i dont think ill be going out of my way to get it though. If offered drink up!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2007 22:01:09 | More by drinkininthewood

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: Amber-brown, slightly off-white head; not much retention, but it initially leaves a little lace.

S: Sweet amora with an underlying spicyness.

T: Modest bitterness allows the sweetness to come through. Slighty nutty, with a pleasant spicyness (Willamette?).

M: Moderate body; residual sugars have a hint of syrupyness.

D: Easily approachable, but too sweet for me to session.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2007 15:07:56 | More by Derek

kdoc8

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had this before - it comes in stylin' clear glass bottle with raised images of Canadian paraphanelia - beavers and maple leaves and all that. It didn't really have a head, the color was golden-brown. The smell was faintly like sweet malt but it's very faint. The taste isn't much of anything actually - just light and tasteless. It's not my first Sleeman's choice - I'd probably choose their Cream Ale over this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2007 21:06:44 | More by kdoc8