Breaking through the bottom of the barrel

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Wed May 25, 2005 8:49 pm

Under a new forum heading of evil brewing reviews, this is one of the worst press releases I have ever read ( and I own shares of these guys).

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[url]http://ca.us.biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255821.html?.v=1[/url]

It is wrong on every level. 170 year brewing tradition???? Not.

"many breweries seem to have forgotten about the beer consumer" - or decided they're complete morons.

"Taking inspiration from the famous Sleeman family recipe book" - if he pounds this puppy any further, I'm going to yak. Did his grandfather advise that he should have a mediocre mainstream, low hopped, low malt beer that his marketing managers hired from the consumer products mega-manufacturers advised him to have, product??? I don't think so but he was convicted of smuggling so go figure!

All right...enough raving, go read for yourself. I'm just generally disgusted.

"Original Draught is the first of its kind for our brewery." - what??? good beer, bad beer...what???

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Wed May 25, 2005 8:52 pm

My link didn't seem to work so I will try again:

http://ca.us.biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255821.html?.v=1

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:33 pm

Sorry, back again with:
"Brewed to fit every taste and every occasion"

What, you're grandmothers funeral... the first time you got laid???

I think I'm stressed and need a vacation...

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Wed May 25, 2005 11:07 pm

The first sentence alone contains two complete and utter lies:

"continues its 170 year tradition of brewing" - uhhhhhh... no.

"an authentic draught beer" - sorry, but if it's being sold in a bottle, it's not a draught beer.

If anyone needed any proof that Sleeman had long ago ceased to be a true craft brewer, I think this barrage of marketing doublespeak bullshit should serve that purpose well.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu May 26, 2005 11:02 am

You know, I could give a toss how factually Mr. Sleeman markets his "Canada's Premium Beer" (Sleeman-branded) line, because THIS stuff makes him a LOT of MONEY, and I don't drink it.

If THIS line makes him a LOT of MONEY, he can fiscally justify maintaining the super-premium (and expensively-made) UNIBROUE line he now owns and we all like - or did you forget. There will never be as much profit in Trois Pistoles as Honey Brown Lager, but he can serve both markets if he's smart, and we should support the Uni line.

Let's assume he is very smart. To change any Uni products would be to eradicate them, essentially - not much point, if J. Sleeman in fact wants to (dichotimously) serve BOTH the Pistoles-drinking market and the far disparate Honey Brown-drinking market. I mean who would BUY a junkified version of Fin Du Monde anyway? You can't dictate to discerning palates what is 'premium' or in Belgian form.

Let's give J. Sleeman a chance to step up to honour the world-recognition better Uni products now have. This is a survival model for beers we love.

Steve Beaumont · Post by **Steve Beaumont** » Thu May 26, 2005 11:35 am

How about the first three references to the beer?

"...with the launch of new Original Draught"
"...occasion, Original Draught has a refreshing taste"
"...Original Draft focuses on what Sleeman does best"

So what about it? Draught of Draft?

On a different slant, re: Belgian's post, the Unibroue brands actually have significantly higher margins than does the Sleeman line. As such, I'm sure that John would be thrilled if Maudite or Trois Pistoles could garner the sales that Orginal Draught/Draft no doubt will.

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Thu May 26, 2005 11:43 am

Steve Beaumont wrote: On a different slant, re: Belgian's post, the Unibroue brands actually have significantly higher margins than does the Sleeman line. As such, I'm sure that John would be thrilled if Maudite or Trois Pistoles could garner the sales that Orginal Draught/Draft no doubt will.

Steven, you aren't seriously trying to tell us that people are willing to pay a premium for a quality product they enjoy over a non-descript beverage that has effectively been commoditized are you????

I got nothin....

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu May 26, 2005 5:40 pm

Steve Beaumont wrote: re: Belgian's post, the Unibroue brands actually have significantly higher margins than does the Sleeman line.

I didn't know that Steve.

I only assumed it must cost a lot more to use pure, non-GMO organic ingredients in carefully-crafted UniBroue Belgians.

(As compared to the less critical production of all those GMO- and adjunct-laden, non-organic Sleeman beers.)

So my assumption, while dumb, was based on thinking the price difference would not make up the full difference in materials & production costs. It's nice that it does, even if I find it a bit baffling. Prices at the Beer Store are almost non-relative to the difference in quality (part cause of the public confusion in "premium beers" perhaps.)

pootz · Post by **pootz** » Thu May 26, 2005 6:06 pm

Hey guys it's simple: Sleeman has hired the Chimpanzee that the LCBO has making purchasing decisions, to write ad copy for his "products".

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Thu May 26, 2005 8:24 pm

Sorry, just when I thought I had seen the ultimate in lame comes:

""No light beer currently offers consumers the high quality drinkability coupled with the prestige and cachet of Heineken Premium Light Lager," said Andy Glaser, Brand Director, Heineken USA. "Heineken Premium Light Lager combines a lighter taste with subtle flavor cues of regular Heineken. With the introduction of Heineken Premium Light Lager, we are exceeding US consumers' desire for a higher quality, premium light beer."

Heineken Premium Light Lager is brewed with the unique Heineken horizontal fermentation method, creating its uniquely flavorful and refreshing taste. This method allows more gravity on the proprietary Heineken A-yeast retracting greater flavor while maintaining a light and refreshing taste."

The "horizontal fermentation method" is the method every beer I've ever brewed from Labatt, Upper Canada in the mid '80's, Algonquin, Lakeport and most of the small micro's I visited have followed. If small brewers only use uni-tanks, it's because they're budget is limited or they don't know to transfer and age their beers which has a profound effect on beer quality.

Does it never end? I am going to Charles tomorrow and demanding we get more gravity on our yeast.

I guess my big mouth will be fully silenced when I answer to the 'ice beer' claims on ROB TV on Monday. It's been a mentally draining week.

PRMason · Post by **PRMason** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:08 pm

Relax and have a Sleeman Draught!
Both the Sleeman and Heineken press releases are loaded with requisite gobbledygook. Sure they'll sell a lot of it this year. They sold a lot of Sleeman Clear...LAST YEAR. Its the big boy mentality. Since they don't really want to create new and different beers, they create new and different hype instead. Remember the Bubba craze opf a few years back? Where are they now? Then came lo-carb with the Atkins craze. That has faded away as well and Molson Ultra, Labatt Sterling and Sleeman Clear are gathering dust on the shelves. Now we have beer with caffeine...next year who knows. Maybe a very hoppy IPA

The cost of creating the advertising buzz that goes along with any major product launch by the Big Boys is enormous. Beer drinkers are very fickle too. Its best to relax and be amused by the absurdity of it all.
Now i must get back to my mash tun. I'm brewing a fresh batch of Glengarry 90/- shilling to be cask conditioned. Wait for the advertising onslaught when I release the 40 litres of that puppy!

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:19 pm

Thanks Perry!

"Its best to relax and be amused by the absurdity of it all. " Ah yes, but can I remember that when I need it...not! I'll try though.

Cheers - Rob

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri May 27, 2005 5:30 pm

PRMason wrote:Now we have beer with caffeine...next year who knows. Maybe a very hoppy IPA

"Introducing "IPA", a Sleeman original. From page four hundred and eighty-seven of my great-great great-grandad's ancestor's recipie book. In the Sleeman tradition of brewing fine craft beer since my family discovered hops in the Cretateous period......I hope you buy it."

old faithful · Post by **old faithful** » Sat May 28, 2005 2:18 pm

In defense of Sleeman Brewery, there IS a recipe book and it is historical. I saw it with my own eyes and thumbed its pages with English beer expert Michael Jackson on an early tour of the brewery. The Cream Ale recipe is from that book and it incorporated (even in the 1800's) some adjunct, I believe corn grits. As I was mentioning to Michael Hancock recently, the jibes and jokes Sleeman attracts here have always mystified me. These are excellent, fresh-tasting products (I mean the Sleeman-branded ones) that fill a niche and a need. Cream Ale is a delightful beer. The new Draught is good too, not great, but a solid fresh-tasting summer quencher. (I am not sure what Draught means, exactly, and I don't lose sleep over it but I assume the beer is not pasteurised and if so the description is correct enough). John Sleeman has revived the steam beer style here, he has made a tasty Porter, his lager is excellent.... The beers may not please all but they please many including this dedicated beer fan. The ad campaign has tended in recent years more to lifestyle and vapid formulae but so what? If the beer tastes good that is enough for me. I love great beer (I just sent in an order for my 24 Tsarina Imperial Stout - can't wait to try it) and to me Sleeman is a model for the microbrewery segment. (So was Creemore). To some degree I think we forget what beer was like when Sleeman started up. He offered a real alternative and still does and it worked. More power to him.

Gary

Andicus · Post by **Andicus** » Sat May 28, 2005 4:20 pm

Apparently, your taste impression of Sleeman products is the reason you're mystified by the Sleeman bashing that occasionally goes on here. My taste impression of (most) Sleeman products is exactly why I understand, and am not surprised at the bashing. As I've stated before, I have never been impressed with a Sleeman brew, in fact I've found most of them downright unpleasant. I say most because I have yet to try the porter (nor the draught, or is it draft?)

The fact that there may be a recipe book just tells me that long ago, their beer may have been just as unpleasant. Something being from an 'authentic' recipe certainly doesn't mean that it'll taste good.

Regardless, taste being subjective, I'm not surprised that some people have a different opinion from me. Enjoy!