Fantôme Brise-BonBons!

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

Serve in Tulip

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Pours a lightly hazy, glowing tangerine color. A large, spongy, off-white head is well retained, leaving organic splotches of lacing on the glass. The aroma shows a very unique, musty, earthy, peppery hop profile over pale malts, light toffee, and mild spices. Flavors follow suit, with earthy, spicy hops working well amidst a classic saison background of pale malts and spices. Moderately funky yeast lends a uniquely Belgian feel. It smells and tastes just like a hopped up Belgian saison should. The silky, substantial mouthfeel is perfectly carbonated and easy drinking. Very reminiscent of De Ranke Père Noël, but better integrated and more smooth. Another solid, unique brew from Fantôme.

750ml Bottle (Delirium Cafe, Brussels) - Golden with a small white head. Honey, yeast, hops and dried apricot in the aroma. Fruity, bitter and slightly tangy taste with notes of apricot, lemon, yeast and malt. The label proclaims that this beer is meant to be really bitter. I can only assume that this beer was ahead of its time, as it certainly doesn’t taste very bitter compared to some of the beers around these days. Still, that is not a criticism, just an observation.

06-07/2011 bottle. Golden in the bottle, upon opening quickly transforms into a nasty murky even muddy yeast mess, making 1/3 of bottle undrinkable. Never seen a yeast so active, leaving a finger thick yeast sediments showing firework like yeast bubbles flaring to the surface. Dorée se transfromant rapidement après ouverture en un doré paille et sur la fin en un liquide opaque de pamplemousse pressé. Arôme garde ce profile très Fantôme, citronné, agrumes, épices voire origan? En bouche, épice léger avec au fur et à mesure un profile épais de levure et cela dès la moitié de la bouteille donnant un palais poussiéreux de veille sciure et de malt poudreux. Je ne vois là rien qui suggère une bière bien amer comme décrit par l’étiquette. Devient imbuvable vers la fin, le profile Fantôme mérite une bonne note, mais cette dernière est gâchée par la levure.

Bottle at Chriso’s Easter tasting 2012. It pours hazy straw yellow, with a thick white head. The nose is spice, sweet tinned fruit and farmyard. The taste spice, orange, peach, banana, herb, citrus pith and farmyard, with a spicy finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Ok, but doesn’t stand up against most of the other Fantome offerings I’ve had.

75cl Bottle, bought at the brewery, thanks Harmen! First pour is clear golden, white head. Second hazy to opaque golden yellow. Aroma of smoke, malts, yeast, hay, light spicy. Flavour is light sweet, floral, some smoke, light spicy, nice bitterness, light tartness, earthy liqourice root finish. Medium bodied, firm carbonation. Great beer, loads of flavours.

Pours hazy gold with a nice white head. Nose is smoke. Wow. First beer from fantome that I have tastes with smoke. Also some bits of peach and black licorice. Flavor is sour up front and then transistions to slightly bitter witha lots of smoke. Very complex. Mouthfeel is lively and smooth, great aftertaste.

(bottle) pours a shiny hazy amber colour with a frothy off-white head. aroma of barnyard and lactic acid, white pepper, liver sausage and straw, with a light hint of bretty funk. flavour is dominated by smoked ham, with hints of lemons and wood and a heavily tannic burnt charcoal finish. medium-bodied with average carbonation.

75 cl bottle @ Laiti.
Rated on 20101106.
Aroma of spices, citrus fruits, grass and some yeast. Flavor of yeast, citrus, spices, soapy notes and grass.

Nearly perfect. Not sure how old the bottle was, but this poured a cloudy yellow amber with an aged clove and Brett nose. Slightly sour with carbonation mostly resolved. Layers of complexity carry through the finish mixing fruit and herbs. As good a beer as one can find.

Bottle courtesy of Darrell at the recent Fantome mega-tasting. Served in a Fantome tulip. Reviewed from notes. Pours a nice golden color with a bit of an apricot hue. Nice white head with some ringy lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward a good dosing of lemon and citrus plus a bit of light earth. Mild acidity to the flavor along with lemon and citrus. Almost like a Saison d’Erezee Ete-light. Light body with great carbonation. Winner all around.

Bottle; Pour is murky golden with a very nice, fine bubbled off white head in this glass. The nose is sweet grains, lemongrass, apricot, and a hint of farmhouse. The flavor profile is more sweet grains - there is a hop bitterness present, though light. There’s more lemon - lemon peel and grassy hops really.. with more fresh fruits - its quenching - though there is a slightly odd aftertaste here - this is a nice saison.