This is a shift. I am going to include true six packs which are not necessarily pale ales when cause warrants. This one does.
It is the first Sleemans signature series brew, out for a limited time only and it is a porter. Interesting stuff but, first, look at the outside - they are blinding me with science. If packaging were up for a prize, this one wins. Beer porn. I could photograph it all day. Textured packaging, a sticker across the top and a flyer inside. Real corrigated cardboard. It made me get out the damask as a background and makes me feel like the photography studio needs an ungrade - or maybe a start.
The beer is in the style of Burton Bridge porter, highly hopped and only then malty brown. Not the other way around as modern porters would have it, like, say, Cooperstown Benchwarmer. That is good, legit. But it may make for issues with the expectant market. But who cares. This is a page from the recipe book, the Sleeman's artifact from its 1800s heritage that is a glimpse into south-western Ontario brewing as it was over a century ago.
The brewery gives its pitch at the website:
Taken right from page 68 of the family recipe book, it pays homage to the original Porters of Great Britain, and was brewed by George Sleeman back in the 1800’s.The book is a big thing with Sleeman. It was passed to the current owner two decades ago by an elderly relative who had held it since the demise of the brewery in the Great Depression fifty years before:
John Sleeman, great-great grandson of the first Sleeman Brewmaster, revived the family business, locating its new facility just a few miles from the site of the original Guelph brewery. Pure spring water from Guelph's celebrated deep wells again provided the first ingredient. Rare, small batch brewing vessels, similar in size to those once used by John H. himself, were imported from Europe. In 1988, Sleeman Cream Ale went on sale in Ontario for the first time in over half a century. Brewed according to the recipe found on page 64 of George Sleeman's personal notebook, and sold in distinctive clear glass bottles reminiscent of those used by earlier Sleeman brewers, the refreshing ale soon earned a loyal following among the growing circle of premium beer fans.So, one wonders what is on the other pages.
My tasting notes are not necessarily as loving as either the packaging or the story. This is a challenging style. It is not as big in terms of mouthfeels as I might like but we have to trust that the brewer is being faithful. It is somewhat sharp and decidedly hoppy. I wonder what hops were used in 1864 and how these modern hops were chosen to reflect that. I wonder if the attenuation would be as great in 1864 as 2004. Attenuation is the ability of a yeast to consume as much of the sugars as possible and determines both how dry the finish ends and how high the alcohol is. Current production would greatly change what was to what is. When a beer ends up at 5.0%, the Canadian standard, I do not think there is much chance it is honouring any tradition. This beer is at 5.5%. There is hope.
The beer advocatonians are on the case.
Comments
Alan - December 1, 2004 11:23 pm
I had another tonight and liked it more. The chocolate malt struck me more than it had the other night. Not so much balance as counterpoint.
DR Hammond - December 6, 2004 12:43 pm
I have been keeping a six pack of this around the cellar since it became available and somehow it always seems to empty too quickly. Since the availability of Black Oak Nutcracker in bottles is very limited, and the Fullers London Porter at the LCBO is expensive, the Sleemans has been filling a gap for me (I love porters).
This is one of the only locally produced bottled porters in Ontario. ( at one time in the not to distant past there were a dozen or so before the yellow fizzy corn-lager craze) This brew SHOULD become a standard brew for Sleeman but I do not hold out hope as porter (as a style) has not regained significant following to warrant the rediculous shelf costs at the distribution monopolies. All the same, this porter has grown on me as I put aside some petty complaints about thinner mouthfeel and sharp edges to appreciate it for what it is: that is a true representation of standard Canadian pub fair in the age of tavern porters. This beer is true to what one would expect to find as the house porter in any pre prohibition Ontario tavern. Very drinkable...that is it's nature.
CapFLU - December 6, 2004 7:20 pm
I must admit that when I first saw the Sleeman Porter, I thought that they had tried to rebrand the Dark/Red again so people would buy it for the holidays. It is rather nice though it carries the similar "Sleeman Tinny-Egg" bottle smell.
It makes you wonder who John Sleeman was hoping to attract with this beer? The hardcore macro-swillers will likely stay away while the beer snobs will likely pick-up the Fuller's London Porter in the next aisle.
Cheers to John for the effort though. Perhaps he has a true India Pale Ale recipe in the "Great Book" that will make an appearance in the near future...
CapFLU
Alan - December 6, 2004 8:23 pm
I agree with that point about the Sleeman smell, CapFLU. It would be interesting to know what efforts, if any, were made to replicate the yeast and hop varieties of the original. My immediate reaction was that this could be nothing like it was until I considered the Burton Bridge porter and the potential for a relatively thin and sharp porter. I am still not convinced, however, and prefer the bigger, heftier, rounder ones.
Len - April 7, 2006 3:48 pm
CapFLU, I bought Sleeman's Porter which was incidentally sitting next to Sleeman's IPA, in Halifax, NS, at the NSLB outlet Scotia Square. Only place I've seen both signature brews.
It was an impulse buy, and when I opened the pack later at home, I saw clear bottles and thought it would have the slightly skunky smell - it didn't, despite being kicked around at the end of an aisle (and the cold Cream Ale was oddly enough). Very drinkable, a notch below a stout tastewise (yes, that's what came to mind), and a head that stayed intact a bit longer. I agree with Alan, it had a sharper taste and was thinner and less smooth than a stout. I wasn't disappointed, but wasn't overly excited either.