Fantôme Chocolat

Bottle sampled with stegosaurus. Pours a light copper color with a small white head.Aroma of citrus, caramel, yeast, and a hint of cocoa. Flavor of yeast, malt and is tart with some spices and a cocoa power in the finish.

BCTC 2007. Cloudy dirty yellow body with a small white head. Looks dirty. Dry, dusty, a little papery et peppery, borderline cardboard. Not very flavourful at all. Even the signature Fantôme yeast was missing in action. Doesn’t look chocolaty, doesn’t taste chocolaty. Light oily body that felt rather empty. A real disappointment. As chocolaty as a cup of green tea and just about as memorable.

Bottle, from øltorvet.dk. Pours a clear, golden yellowish amber. Medium, creamy white head. Aroma has distant chocolate, covered behind fruity lemons, oranges and a little musty barn. Lively carbonation, very creamy. Flavour is special. It is generally dry, with tones of chocolate, oranges, yeast, lemons. I can’t make out the chili - perhaps in a peppery and slightly sour finish - but that might as well be from hops. This brew is more of an experience for its awkwardness - not its brilliance.

scura al cioccolato note acide della pasta di cacao forse la bottiglia non era ben conservata ma l’astringenza del cioccolato era troppo fastidioso

Bottle 75 cl. [Trade with thewolf] Average fizzy white head that mostly diminished. Hazy amber color with fair display of lacework. Aroma of caramel, barnyard or dusty grain like notes, citrus, yeast and light sour spontaneous fermentation like notes (This is of cause not a Lambic). Medium bodied with an average to lively carbonation. Acidic flavor was light to moderate with light sweet notes. Light sour finish.

750ml bottle. Aroma: The cocoa hits hard when I pop the cork on this one, but mellows after I pour. Grainy maltiness, light citrus, peppery and herbal, some light sourness and funk. Appearance: Orange/amber in color and very hazy. Off-white head was full and foamy with good retention. Great lacing. Flavor: Light grainy maltiness and a bit of acidic tartness. Chili comes across as a light earthiness with a bit of peppery bite. Very light cocoa in the flavor. Herbal, floral, and citrus notes. Some dusty funk into the finish. Palate: Medium bodied. Medium-highish carbonation. Overall: A good saison overall, but was hoping for a little more cocoa and chili presence. What was there was nice, just wished there was more. Nitpicking. This was good.

A mighty thanks to Hopscotch for supplying me with this saison. Pours copper / orange that is quite hazy with a somewhat fizzy tan head. The aroma is grainy and citrusy with funky yeast, hot pepper and a hint of cocoa. Medium / thin body that is crisp and a bit grainy with mild sharp carbonation. The flavor starts smooth with some dark grain tastes, citric acid, notes of pineapple and a hint of cocoa. The finish adds some sharpness and pepper. The alcohol is completely hidden in this. A decent saison I’d gladly have again.

Picked up this green 750 ml corked and capped bomber after having seen the likes of it around for a little while. As I poured it out, the typical rustic Fantôme look emerged, as the Saison settled into a cloudy, orange amber body, and was topped by a falling head that started out to be three fingers thick. Quite an understated aroma when compared to the previously sampled offerings from this brewery. I got pleasant floral notes and fresh cut hay when sniffing but neither the cocoa nor the chili pepper were detectable. Taste was tart, earthy, and crisp and any notes not typical in s Saison were minimal, which is sad since I was looking forward to tasting something akin to a Mole Poblano mixed with the beer. That disappointment aside, this was a solid beer with dry and refreshing flavor. Alcohol was so well hidden, it ought to be a crime. Easy to drink, just not as spectacular as hoped.