Fantôme Black Ghost

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

Murky and deep brown with a thick and cake-like head that lasts fairly long. Yeasty, citric sharpness in the nose. Some hints of lemon and orange. Soft but weighty mouthfeel; mild carbonation. Rather toasted and bready (wheat, and maybe even pumpernickel). Flavors of earth, wood and yeast. Some spices poked through, but they were mild. Alcohol was hidden well, save for a slight warmth in the back of the throat. Finished slightly bitter and dryish, with lingering notes of grape skin. Hops, spices and malt flavors were all relatively mild, but everything blended quite nicely. Not overly exciting, but I thought it was a pleasure to drink.

Medium, cloudy, reddish brown with a hint of purple, off white head, flavors are a mix of spice, yeast, bread, raisin, toffee, sugar. Alcohol in the finish. Pretty good.

Dark brown color, brown head. Aroma of roasted and chocolate malt, some hop, licorice. Bitter taste, very malty, bit spicy. Weird balance, like most of the Fantome beers. There is a certain degree of quality in its beers, but still most of them are slightly overrated IMO.

Black color with brown edges. Not much aroma. Some richness in the flavor but very delicate. Not what I expected at all.

Opaque dark brown, with creamy light tan head. Aroma is slightly roasty, moderately sweet, cocoa and cherry. Taste has strong cherry sourness that’s a little overdone, and finishes chocolate.

The color of a stout (almost black and opague), but with a less dense head. Malt, licorice, nutmeg and pepper in both aroma and flavor. Some sweetness, but that is overpowered by the spicy character of this beer. Reasonable balance, but too spicy for my likes.

I am consistently enjoying this brewery, and this beer is no exception. Had a nice outdoor smell -- or even like a damp, moldy basement when it’s cool and raining outside. I could detect the woody components in the nose and flavor, as well as some sourness. I haven’t had too many FSA’s but this did not strike me as particularly sour; in fact I didn’t find this sour at all. Considerable carbination lends it a moderate mouthfeel, while the acidic components give it a dry finish.

A hazy red beer with a beige head. The aroma is spicy with notes of grass, thyme, and sage. The flavor is malty with loads of spices.