Fantôme Black Ghost

750 mL bottle purchased at Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Pours cloudy, lightly particulate, tawny with an average, fizzy, light brown head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, cookie, straw), average hops (flowers, grass), heavy yeast (barnyard, earth, leaves) with notes of cola and dust, some spices. Light bodied, slick texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity and bitterness.

22oz bottle. Pours a reddish brown. Big tart nose of black pepper, cherry and fig. I smell a bit of molasses or something too. Wierd. Flavor is typical Fantome craziness. Tart and sourness all over the place but fairly restrained. Some woody and roasty notes as well, about the only thing that hints of this beer’s origins of a stout. Peppery finish with vanilla and caramel notes lingering. Really great beer as usual from Fantome.

Courtesy darkguardian. Pours a deep maroon, with a small off white head. Smells of some Fantome funk, with a fruity backbone. Raspberry and cherry seem to come to mind. The flavor is really fruity, more than I was expecting. Lots of that raspberry and grap mix going on there. The funk and other spices were quite noticeable in the finish, with a little vinuous note to it as well. Solid like usual from them.

750 ml bottle, corked and capped, from Bottle Trek. Cloudy dark amber brown color with a tan head that climbed and died. Aroma has a touch of bret and dates or similar fruit. Near medium body with frothy, creamy carbonation. Flavor is a little roasted malt, a touch of sour funk, and something like dates, perhaps raisins. Finish is slightly tart, pretty dry, with woody notes. Really tasty.

Courtesy Beerlando! I have grown very fond of this brewery, almost bordering on fanatical at this point. Poured an brown, semi-opaque color. The aroma had some funk and dankness, dark fried fruits, with a slight acetic note.. The flavors were pretty spectacular, with a dominant sweet spice/fruity component, yet there was underlying slightly woody astringency that brought everything together almost perfectly.

Bottle. Dark brownish color with a thin sparse white head. Light tart notes with some suggestion of musky spices, figs, and vegetation. The taste takes a while to really settle in. Initially I was thinking that this was a pretty bland brew for a Fantome. But the more I drink it, some subtleties come out. Some vague fruity and smoky plum or fig-like characters start out. The finish provides some light trademark funk with an odd herbal note that seems to give off a slight peppery heat. Body seems a bit undercarbonated, but that’s not a big issue.

Bottle. Pours hazy brown with red edges and a beige head. Aroma is tart with some sweetness. Flavour is far too sour and tart - I don’t like it, give me another one...

No date. Pours a hazy, deep garnet color with an average, creamy, beige head which settles quickly to a very small pillowy layer leaving minimal tight lace. Nose is interesting to say the least; notes of smoke, burnt maple wood, light molasses, dates, sage, and just the faintest touch of acidity (maybe plums). Flavor is similar with lightly burnt maple wood, some definate acidity carrying a plummy note, light smoke, faint molasses, and light milk chocolate notes with a moderately light bitterness. Palate is less than medium, lively, and a bit watery. Finishes just a touch dry with the wood notes stiil remaining, sage, faint lingering molasses, and light smoky, spicy bitter note. Somewhat interesting with all the dark notes, but by the finish, the saison notes are prevalent. Not one of my favorite saison hybrid or in the fantome family but certainly interesting and enjoyable.