Fantôme Brise-BonBons!

Brewed by Brasserie Fantôme
Style: Saison
Soy-Erezée, Belgium

Tried this on tap at Apoteke in Portland. $10 a glass and worth every penny. Nose of a smelly armpit mixed with fresh dog shit. Pungent, sour and floral notes with odd spiciness. Peppery and scrumptious. Poured a golden and slightly orange hue. Welcoming boisterous head. I am really glad I got to sip on this ballbreaker!

750ml Bottle $11.69 Sam’s Downers Grove Brise-BonBons (AKA Ballbreaker) pours a brightly polished golden with glowing orange highlights when held to the light. A big fluffy white 3 finger head formed on the pour and as it ever so slowly rteceded left chunky lacing down my glass. Head finally settles to 1 finger of sticky meringue like stiffness. This is one tasty smelling concoction. A medley of fruits start things off. Each seperate aroma is subtle but blended flawlessly with the next. Mildly tart green apples fade into juicy, dripping honeydew which in turn fades into a couple drop of orange juice. I believe I can smell some candi sugar as well, not sure if it’s added but there is that sweetness. There’s a mild tartness in there from the green apple but not really any of that "barnyard funkiness". Mildly grassy with as hint of alcohol occasionally. The flavors are a little more subtle and unfortuanately a little too well integrated to pick out the individual flavors like I would like to. Grassy up front followed by the tartness of green apples. Mild honeydew mid palate is quickly taken over by an orange zestiness. Grassy hops show themselves again on the swallow and leave a pleasant moderate lingering bitterness. The bitterness grows as the bottle empties. Body is light and zesty with prickly carbonation. Dry finish accentuates the hoppy finish. Very nicely done. This is outrageously easy to drink. Thirst quenching but as soon as my thirst is quenched the dryness makes me need more. Exceptional brew from Fantome. I’m glad I stumbled across this one. The label states "a beer too bitter for a normal person to enjoy". Not super hoppy but your tongue will feel the numbness. I won’t hesitate to pick this up again. 5/27/07

Pours a hazy orange color with a big white fluffy head. Aroma is malty, lots of citrus, bitter and peppery. Flavor is citrus, bitter, and peppery.

Nice barnyard nose - dry herbs and a hint of hay. Maybe some dried fruit as well, not sure. Cloudy orange body with faint white head covering the beer. Watery, slightly bitter body with taste like lawn. Almost a smokey characteristic to it as well. Body is WAY to watery and the herbal character only comes through in the very end of the body.

quite a robust complex flavors of Belgium. The taste of grass hops and crystal like malts. Dry and palate and one to try if you can get your hands on this.

The aroma is hoppy with mostly grassy and herbal hops. There is also an incredible amount of yeast and cedar wood. The malt is there but subdued as compared to the other flavors that carry through from the aroma. The palate is typical for the style. This is an nice Belgian because of all the hops. Very unexpected, thanks Dany!

750ml bottle. Pours a hazy golden orange with a large off-white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma is wild Fantôme yeast, pepper, herbal hops, citrus, and slightly acidic. Taste is peppery, loaded with herbal hops, citrus, funk, and slightly sour. Medium mouthfeel with a strong well balanced bitterness and light tart finish. Another wonderfull beer from Fantôme.

750 shared with Brie. Poured cloudy orange into 2 tulips. The taste was sour, grassy, butter, and piney. It wasn’t bad, but I’ve had much better from fantome. The grassy flavors are a little harsh near the end of the glass, but the sour acidity and floral aroma were great.