Fantôme Brise-BonBons!

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

Bottle from Sam’s Clybourn. This may have been the top for me with regards to Fantome. Pour is a cloudy orange. Nose is a bit skunky and barnyard, some tartness in the nose. Taste is the same. Lots of bitterness, dry finish with a ton of tang. Nice and frutiy/tart, some Bretty character as well. Very, very good.

Poured a medium, cloudy brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas and tastes of light spices, a little grassy, citrus and some yeast. Dry and clean finish.

750ml - The initial aroma is Fantome signature barnyard funk followed by half-baked bread dough, lemon zest, coriander, fresh herbs, and hops with some spice on top. Pours cloudy orange/brown with a nice big fluffy head and great lacing. Flavor is similar to aroma but not as funky. It is actually kind of sweet like fresh melons or peaches, then you get hit with some hop tartness. Palate is oh so smooth and creamy. I love it!

Ball-breaker beer. My kinda name. Aroma is quite hoppy for a Saison, but it is not that west coast essence of grapefruit and pine hoppiness it is bitter, but quite floral and herbal in nature. Actually has a very enticing aroma and lets a bit of sweet fruity malt sneak through. The color is a hazy yellow/orange and the head is a creamy white affair about a thumb thick and it diminishes slowly. Fore is floral, tastes a little like a rose petal (yes I have eaten rose petals) and has a smooth almost buttery feel to it. Very bitter on the bank end, but mildly pear and apple accented through the middle. Some citrus peel and fruit asspect are also present in the middle and finish. Very nicely balanced. Not at all tart or overly bitter. A damn tasty brew that is going down amazingly well despite having come in from sweaty yardwork. Excellent beer.

Opened with a terrifying big bang! Right away, I am overwhelmed by the farm aroma! (cowshed, horseblanket and green apples!?) Rocky HUGE head, lots of laces, oxidized-honey-colored (hazy). Aroma of citrus, cabbage, horseblanket, hay, and lots more. Very bitter and a little acidic. Bitterness reminiscent of, earth, herbs, grapefruit and endives (someome mentionned unripe plums). A litlle fruity lemon, cantaloup. Finishes very dry. Body is crisp. Overall, and atypical beer, nothing comes close. I found the aroma incredibly complex but I was a bit disconcerted with its extreme bitterness. I have never had so much fun to try and analyze a beer.

Semi-hazy with an initially booming off-white head, now a 1/3" fluffy white froth creation emanating beautiful cascading lace. Lovely snappy aroma with candi sugar, licked lemonheads, orange sprits, lemon zest, coriander, cloves, dried nectarines, snapdragons and a staunch souring aspect to predicate its beauty. Hoppy indeed with a staunchy malt profile. Scrapings off the lemon rind help to aid the sour and bittering mission. Baguette yeast powder and bakery floors prior to the health inspector’s arrival. Earthen tendencies include ragweed, sprouts, Irish mist and cattails. Another enjoyable Fantome saison.

Glowing yellow with a rich creamy head. Definitely has more hops on the nose than the typical saison. Smells like it belongs with all those other earthy and ephemeral scents. Substantial body, especially for a saison, which I think can run too thin sometimes. This is hop-heavy for the style but it all still balances out.

Pours an attractive slightly dark golden color with a uniform thin white head. Aroma gives off bits of honeyed musk, herbs, fresh soil, none of them strong, but subtle and pleasing. Tart-bitter start to the taste, then sweet grains and a slightly dusty sourish finish. At first nothing jumps out at you since the smells and tastes aren’t real intense, then the finer qualities come out, and I realized I really hadn’t had a brew quite like this (even a saison). I too should’ve tried this when fresh.