May 18, 2009: Sloeber

Roughly translated; in Flemish the word Sloeber translates to epicure. What's the hell does epicure mean? If someone is called an Epicurean, it means that they are a person of sophistication with a very refined taste for the finer things in life. So the name Sloeber is meant to represent the sophistication of this beer but the brewers have got a few problems, in my opinion. First of all, Sloeber reminds me a lot of the English word Slobber, and there is nothing elegant or refined about the act of slobbering like an idiot. (yeah, yeah... I realize that the name is Flemish and it's ridiculous to criticize the name Sloeber because it sounds and looks like Slobber, but I don't care). Secondly, a beer that considers itself to be gourmet should have artwork and presentation that gives off an air of elegance. The label of Sloeber features a warped cartoon version of a beer bottle wearing white gloves. Ummm.... I'm not really even sure where to begin with this one. I have a soft spot for beers that are kinda funky or kitschy, but the label of Sloeber was a little too strange even for me. If they're trying to attract young children to their product with a cute cartoony logo then I think that they've hit the nail on the head. I'm not so sure how many adults would be into the cartoon logo though. I can't quite explain it but there is just something kinda creepy about the logo. Thirdly, for a beer that has aligned itself with the term epicurean, this beer doesn't quite live up to the name. Sloeber didn't taste all that gourmet in my opinion. In fact, it was just a kinda regular tasting beer with very little distinctive characteristics. Ok.... Maybe that's being a little harsh because this beer was pretty decent, I just think that it wasn't quite epicurious enough for my liking. Sloeber pours a hazy golden grapefuit color, with a thick, slighly off-white head. Flavors of hops and apple dominate this beer in a not-so-remarkable fashion. Overall, I'd probably give Sloeber a B-. But if I was marketing it here in the USA I'd probably consider changing the name.

A vorte sante and Op uw Gezondheid!
Ian

http://www.roman.be/nl/brouwerij