Fantôme Brise-BonBons!

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

Cloudy golden body topped by a large white head. Wild and cheesy aroma. I was told this was a herbal rather hoppy Belgian. I got none of that. Instead I got an oily body with plenty of bready malts and cheesy yeast making me feel like I was drinking a bagel with cream cheese topping. Also present were some orange pulps and citrus fruits. The cheesy flavour had a raw-milk-cheese flavour to it. Appears to be retired now. Excellent beer, about average Fantôme. Looks like I got a bottle from the last batch thanks to Rastacouere. I already miss it more than a blind gunman with hiccups misses the target.

750mL bottle. Hazy pale golden color with a massive rocky white head. Rain-swollen timbers and dusty cobweb, tinges of butter. Butterscotch immediately, quickly followed by and earthen floral component. Peppery tones underneath bubblegum esters. Grassy and lemony in the finish, with residual estery fruitiness and a dusty astringency. Mouthfeel is a medium light, rather dry.

The aroma was spicy with a building bit of diacetyl, a strong presence of butter. A light tartness built as the head retreated. The aroma was earthy and spicy with a bit of a peppery presence. The copper beer was crystal clear in the chalice with a strong moussy white head which lasted extremely well to lace the glass. The flavor was crisp with only hints of the diacetyl noted in the aroma. A strong peppery spice and notable bittering were the dominant characteristics in the beer. The flavor was earthy, interesting and complex with some resinous hops which were a bit grassy in the background. Malt was present, but mostly as some light caramel and not as a prevailing wind. The body was medium with a moderate level of carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. Overall a nicely done Saison, the butter in the aroma I can do without, but still the flavor on this one is nothing but a winner. 750 ml corked and capped bottle.

Thanks a bunch to moejuck and spector for opening this up. Pours a little yellow golden with a white head. Nice yeast, funky, citrus aroma with some slight sourness. Real light and dry flavor. Very tastey. Saisons are slowly moving up the scale of favorite styles.

From a capped, corked 750 ml. green bottle with what appears to a coded lot/bottling number on the cork, a humorous front label and a brewery blurb on the back label, sampled in a tulip glass at a cool cellar temperature. Poured a cloudy orangey golden with a fluffy, frothy, creamy topped white head, good retention, some laced sticking. Aromas of orange rind, lemons, clove and spices, and earthy, musty, bready yeast. Good even carbonation, a little low for a saison, and a crisp, dryish, lightly tart, velvety smooth light-medium bodied mouthfeel. Pleasant, enjoyable taste, earthy, musty bread, tropical fruits with some lemon, clove and pepper, a light grassiness, a soft sweet maltiness, the alcohol is well in the background and only provides a slight warming presence in the palate, and a dryish, earthy, grainy, soft hoppy finish. Easy, smooth drinkability, one of the better saisons I’ve tried in the last few months, went well with the Pad Thai I had for dinner tonight.

750ml bottle. Pours a very cloudy pale orange, with a very dense one finger head that fades slowly to a solid layer of foam. The cap leaves behind a thick webbing of lace. Smell; lots of citric fruits with oranges and lemons, but there’s also some other tropical fruits with pineapple and mangoes. There’s a little bit of tartness swirling around in the back ground as well as bit of a musty funkiness. Taste; wow, the funky, mustiness that was in the background of the aroma is definitely more present in the flavor, but not overwhelmingly so. Once I get past that, the flavor becomes fruity with the tropical and citric fruits, and finishes dry and a bit on the tart side. Mouthfeel/Drinkability; mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice smooth, almost creamy carbonation, and the drinkability This is my first foray into the world of Fantome, and it was an excellent trip. Hopefully the others that are available around here now are just as good, and refreshing as this one has been.

A Saison. Bitter, citrus, and yeasty flavors. Finishes stickey, chewy, and bitter.

Bottle. Poured hazy amber with an average fizzy white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Heavy yeasty citrus aroma. Light to medium body with soft carbonation. Medium sweet flavor with a medium sour finish of moderate duration. This was a standout beer.