Lagunitas Sirius Hi-Gravity Cream Ale

Lagunitas (say LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS) has come out with another interesting ale. This one is a Special Release for spring (I guess I'm drinking it a little late) and it's called Sirius. They refer to it as a hi-gravity Cream Ale, and it is definitely hi-gravity. It has a very full body for a beer of this color. It reminds me of a Heller Bock, only hoppier. It poured a light amber color with a medium sized white head. It is quite sweet and malty, and the body borders on syrupy. The finish is hoppy and warming alcohol. I enjoyed this one, but I bet it would be a little much for some folks. Lagunitas scores another high score in my book.

Sleeman's Crean Ale #64

I bought a sampler of Sleeman brews, and this is the first 1 up for review - Cream Ale #64. The story behind the number 64 is that a recipe book was found which contained the original Sleeman family beer recipes, and the number corresponds to the page number that the recipe was found on. There must be a lot of recipes in that book! This is a nice looking beer - a clear golden color with small white head. I found it to be very typical of Canadian beers, and felt that it was more like a golden lager than an ale. It had a nice hop presence, and crisp finish. Unfortunately, there was nothing to make it stand out in a crowd of other Canadian beers. Solid, but kinda boring.