Sleeman's Original Draught

Since I've been writing this blog, I haven't had occasion to review many mass-produced domestic lagers.  This is not intentional--I fully intend to write about the entire spectrum of beers (except light beer of course).  It's just that there are so many diverse and interesting beers out there.  It's hard to bring myself to order a pint of a Canadian marcrobrew or lug home a six-pack of some generic suds I've been getting since I was in high school.  However, there's a place on this blog for all beers.  To that end, I recently purchased a mug of Sleeman's Original Draught. 

In the world of Canadian macro lagers, SOD is near the top of the class.  It is sold on tap in many bars, as well as in Sleeman's distinctive and attractive embossed clear bottles.  Sleeman's does a couple of beers that are better that this one.  It contains the standard 5% alcohol and has the standard pale gold colour.  It pours to little head and moderate lace, both of which recede quickly.  There is substantial carbonation.  There is a faint aroma of corn and bread.  There flavour is pretty good, but contains no surprises.  The taste travels from mildly sweet to mildly bitter.  Along the way, there are notes of corn and slight hoppiness.

SOD is extremely drinkable, but not remotely innovative.  Compared to other mass-produced Canadian lagers, it's pretty solid, though compared to a nice small-batch lager, it comes up short.  It's a good beer for watching a football game or bringing to a party--you get a dose of alcohol in an inoffensive format.  Plus, if one of your buddies swipes one, it's no big deal.

Rating:  6.5 out of 10.