Fantôme Black Ghost

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

Major thanks to rater squidget for sending me a few bottles of the Holy Ghost… many, many months ago!

Fantome, GOD I love this brewer! Their beers always evoke the greatest memories of vacations, friends, girls, events, meals, and crazy nights for me. I chose to open this brew on October 31st – Halloween night, after many months of setting it aside. I don’t know what I was waiting for?
Poured a body hued of crimson and a head of tan. The aroma was so rich and fruity, but also in tradition, musty and dank. Apples, pears, plums, dark grapes and raisin sugar, and then later followed by a hint of toffee and chocolate. The brew presented a heap of doughy, yeasty, pumpernickel bready-ness, along with that lovely barnyard stable that I most enjoy from this brewer! Man, I could drink this brewer’s broth almost everyday for eternity!

Poured a deep and hazy reddish brown color with a large tan head. Lots of carbonation bubbles on the side of the glass when poured. Aromas and tastes of sour fruits, light spices, and oak. Lightly sweet and tart. Thin and somewhat of a watery body. Alcohol content well hidden.

Pours a cloudy amber/golden hue with a small slight off-white head. Aromas of funk, what, saltiness and a little more funk. Light to medium bodied Flavors of yeastiness and slight chocolate.

Poured a brownish red color with a thin, off white, creamy head and nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of sour cherries, brett, and oak. Taste was very oaky, with lightly spiced cherry. Spicy sweet with lots of oak. Dry finish. The taste does not live up to the aroma, by far. I am surprised this is not listed as a Flemish Sour?

This beer pours with a deep red body topped by a medium thick to thick head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is slightly sour with nice barnyard notes and a little sweetness. The flavor is slightly sweet yet slightly bitter and sour with a slight barnyard note. Medium bodied, smooth and slightly dry.

Pours a deep caramel brown with a light brown, rocky, head. Retention is low, but provides a fine creamy layer and a sticky lace. Aroma is of malt, caramel, spices, and is lightly tart. Flavor has a caramel sweetness with dark fruits chocolate, pepper and an unexpected tartness. The finish sneaks up and has a nice surprising dryness. Palate is medium bodied, peppery, light effervescence and creaminess and a lingering hop bite. Black Ghost evolves and changes character, aroma and flavors throughout. A well-balanced yet complex beer without heavy, intense flavors and palate.

Large light brown head, large bubbled, good retention, sparce lacing. Dark brown, almost black color with a hazy brown edging. Spicey, dark fruited nose with hints of anise and yeast. Medium body, lightly creamy. Flavors of licorice, lightly chocolatey, cherrys with some piney notes and a pleasent spiceyness. Dry, spicey finish, different, tastey.

dark oak red pour with medium brown head; a sour fruity aroma...flavor was abundant (intial fruity taste, followed by a grassy or flowery taste and wood-like flavors); this beer was more watery than not...a little too much for my liking...otherwise, an overall enjoyable beer