Fantôme Black Ghost

Brewed by Brasserie Fantôme
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Soy-Erezée, Belgium

From a capped corked 750 ml green bottle with a blurb on the back label. Poured a hazy dark brown with a fizzy head that settled into a thin lacing. Aromas of solvent alcohol, plums, vanilla and musky yeast. Moderate carbonation, crisp and a little rough, but I guess smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. Plums with wood, mild peppery and a bit herbal, the alcohol does warm the palate, but has a solvent-like flavor and a dry earthy, herbal and anise finish, average drinkability at best. Not one of my favorites from this brewer, was given this bottle as a gift from a friend, wish I had a higher opinion of this ale.

Holy fricke shyt. This is badass, unique stuff. Look, it smells like one of those super serious lactic sour bacterial lambics. Given that I had no idea what kind of beer this is, this worried me that I might be wasting it as only AC was there to share. He likewise fretted. "Best sewers in the world" we thought. But once poured and drank, it revealed itself to be a rather multifaceted beast. Barrel cherries start to emerge. Woody, and with a character of red wine. Suited extremely well to sipping with a smoked provolone. Song sourness, but drinkable by acolytes. Cidery and good with spicy food as well. Deep dark brown-black with nice creamy tan head. Almost 500 beers in I found this beer a huge adventure with an exciting reward. One to return to and frighten and then soothe people with and to try pairing with many things.

75cL bottle. Dany’s beers have to be some of the most interesing anywhere. This one is darker in color, of course, with a small head. The aroma is very spicy with some mint and maybe something peppery. Okay, that’s it, the flavor has some cumin, chocolate & mint, sage and it tastes sort of winey. It’s not too sweet. Great beer.

Wow... fruity Flemish Sour meets the funky fungus monster. Beer is pretty; a nearly-opaque very dark red-brown with a large, white, frothy, mostly lasting head and light Belgian.<P>The aroma... well, I’ve never smelled anything like this before. It’s one of those aromas that is initially repulsive, but totally captivating and eventually quite winsome. It’s malty with moderate notes of roasted grain, light note of cookie; hoppy with a moderate note of dusty dried herbs; powerfully yeasty and funky monkey with heavy notes of piquant horseblanket, barnyard, wet cement/basement, sweaty socks, dried mushrooms and blue-veined cheese; miscellaneous notes include moderate sour cherry, vinous grape, and light notes of copper and candy sugar.<P>The flavor is moderately bittersweet, lightly acidic with a long, lightly warm, moderately acidic, lightly bittersweet finish.<P>The body is medium, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively.<P>Gets an extra overall point for being such a freak show and still being likable.

Cork says 086/477044. The beer pours deep blackish with some ruby edges and a mini tan head. The aroma is very fruity, tartly krieky, with some Bretty malts and dark chocolatey cabernet. It smells Flemish soury. The taste is indeed Flemish soury, with a complex, medium to dense palate, and flavor hints of cherry, berry, oaky dark malts, some cacao, and some floral spices as it warms. What is great is that Super Saver has 4-6 Fantomes that I haven’t tried yet, and I can’t wait until next week to try them!

Pours black with a light brown rocky head. Smells of perfume, flowers, sugar, some nuts and mildly fruitty. Tastes fruity with some nice spicey chocolate and nutty elements. Palate is medium/light like a saison. Some soapy elements on the finish.

Dark muddy brown with a tan head. Heavy carbonation. Aroma is yeast, sour, and fizzy carbonation. The sourness is fruity and tart. Flavor is a dry chocolate with heavy amounts of spice and some sour notes. Has some barnyard notes similar to a lambic, some sourness similar to a flemish, some roasted chocolate notes resembling a stout, and some belgian yeast. Finish is dry and sticks to the mouth. Interesting brew, but not quite great.

Bottle. Spours a dark brown colour with an off-white head. Roasted and spicy aroma. Malty and very spicy flavor leaving you with some bitterness in the aftertaste.