Fantôme Chocolat

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

Serve in Tulip

VRBT. Golden yellow. Woodsy sour saison style aroma. In the flavor, there is a nice sour note going on, appealing tartness. There is faint white chocolate on the finish, probably because I am looking for it. Not at all sweet. A very solid beer.

Bottle from Knightly Spirits. Pours a cloudy orangish color. Frothy light head. Aroma is funky sour yeasty and some nice spice. Flavor is really nice. Tart yeasty,spices and fruit. This normally isnt my style of beer but I really enjoyed this.

750 ml bottle - thanks to beerlando for the trade; intrigued by the description; pours dirty yellow with increasing yeast floaties; thin and flat with almost no head; slight tart and choco aromas very minor; drinks smooth with little to no chocolate flavors; i think the chocolate gives it a unique texture, thickness and smoothness though; very interesting; don’t get much of the chili pepper either except in a generically spicy finish; a confusing beer

Bottle. Pours a dark brown cloudy body with an off white head. Coco chocolate wheat, chili pepper and other spices. Flowers and malt. Odd beer but enjoyable.

UPDATED: AUG 26, 2009 nose is of yeast flowed by a very atypical (for beer) scent of chocolate. difficult at first to place, then subtle but reminiscent of cocoa puffs or similar breakfast cereal, almost artificial. besides occasional whiffs, the cocoa element remains elusive. pours an almost ruby, definitely darker then the usual fantome or other cloudy saison. this is not the cocoa profile usually presented in a porter, or anything else for that matter. begins with belgian spice and bitterness, maybe a bit of alcohol, leading to a quick dry finish. it is only after the finish that the fantome reappears -- to bring you a fading delivery of supple, dark and barely sweetened nibs. unfortunately, cant say much about the chili outright, however that may be what tempers the chocolate down to such a background element. through it all, the yeast remains and keeps this wild (if slightly unsuccessful brew) firmly a saison. the dregs ("blood cleaner") at the bottom of the bottle taste much more strongly of chocolate.

RATING #1000!!!!!! 750ml bottle with a good inch of sediment in the bottle, poured into my Duvel tulip. Hazy golden pour with a big thick stick white head that is really sticking to the sides of my glass. As soon as I popped the cork i got a big whiff of funk! The aroma is littered with sour funk, sour apples, and that textboox peppery/spiciness you get in a saison, and if you really look for it, i can get a hint of bitter bakers chocolate. The flavour is quite sour, lots of fruit, apples, grapes, and in the finish i’m getting some dry bitter chocolate. There is a touch of chocolate in the aftertatse along with a nice tartness. Overall, a pretty complex saison, I’m not detecting any chili pepper though.

Bottle from John’s Marketplace in Portland, OR. Pours a hazy orange tinged gold color with a white head that departed rapidly. A deep inhale reveals cocoa. The chili might be there. Think there’s a light funk. Near medium body with creamy carbonation. The flavor is shot with mild cocoa, there is a typical light stone fruit aspect, and there are some hot notes towards the back of the tongue. Little, if any funk. Finish is notably light cocoa. Drinks quite well, though the chocolate may become tiring.

Very light color. Sweet funky smell. Very complex taste but very different than the description on the bottle. I do not get any cocoa or chili. I do get a complex flavor almost like a lambic.