Sleeman The Bards Beer

Formerly brewed at Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. (Sapporo)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Guelph, Canada

Draught. At Chaucer’s in London, Ontario. The Sleeman rep was in the house - when I told him it reminded me of their porter, only not as syrupy, he agreed, but I think he was being polite. Poured a deep clear mahogany with a large lasting creamy/frothy beige head. Smells very much like a Sleeman product, sweet slightly syrupy malt, generic grain, some cereal and light herbal character, caramel. The taste initially did nothing for me, the caramel sweetness (not in a good way) carried me away at first, but I started to get oats, light chocolate toffee, some herbal (if stale seeming) hops and even alcohol - what is the ABV, anyway?? - a little metal in the finish, but not much. Average body, slightly chewy, mildly astringent, ever so slightly harsh aftertaste. Really a lot like their (pretty lame) porter, less syrupy, grainier - pretty good .... for Sleemans.

Tap at Chaucer’s in London, ON. This one pours beautifully into it’s own special chalice. Chestnut coloured with ruby hues, billowing beige froth tops it off. Roasted nuts and burnt malts start out the aroma, followed with fruit (plum) and caramel with a toufh of hops. Flavour profile is nice and bitter upfront, burnt sugars, lots of malts here, bready, leading to an earthy and substantial finish. Nice prickly carbonation. Why don’t they make stuff like this on a regular basis?

At The Shakespeare Arms in Guelph, being recently rolled out for the Shakespeare Festival in this town. Served in a special glass, Sleeman being a good resident. This half pint has the head right at a crown protruding from the large glass. A grapefruit amberish body with this white head, quite the appearance. And this left a generous lacing.Hoppy aroma, what have we hear? I mean here. concurrent bitterness, malty cream all fresh. Malty finish. A good one from Sleeman. Lots of hop in subsequent sips, leaf sucking bitterness. Would love it on cask.Aggressive carbonation.