Fantôme Chocolat

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

An interesting creation, although there is something to be said for the clean and crisp straight saison. Bottle cork popped with a loud and strong pop. The pour was nice, cloudy, amberish color, generous initial head (not ridiculous, though), great lacing. The araom was strong peppers, some citrus, sublte cocoa (probably only because I was looking for it, per the beer name). The flavor followed suit a little sour citrus up front, light cocoa (not chocolate or dominating, very nicely done) flavors, and the typical dry peppery finish that is the hallmark of Fantome productions. Did not specifically note any "chilli" peppers, seemed more like black pepper. The finish was a little acidic and dry at the same time, a nice selection for the middle of the tasting lineup.

Cloudy orangish brownish color with a long lasting offwhite almost brown head. Watch out for that yeast in the bottom of the bottle. Leave it in there if you can. Aroma is of yeast, citrus, and the cocoa comes through slightly as well. The taste is slightly sour. Refreshing beer. The finish is the most interesting with a slight bitterness and the cocoa. Oh the cocoa is slight but leaves that chalky chocolate taste in your mouth.

Glass w. sediment is cloudy brown, thin white head. Nose is fantome yeasty funk, rich caramel, malt, pepper masquerading as alcohol, almost bbq sauce smokiness. Flavor is fantome funk - lemon, yeast, must, earthy malt. Some smoke and sweetness in the finish w. rindey goodness. Very good.

Golden body with a thin white head. Sweet aroma, light spices and chocolate. Smooth taste, hoppy with chocolate. Somewhat awkwark ending with spices and chocolate.

Sampled at the Richmond Beer Industry Gathering 2006. Hazy light amber body with a small creamy white head. Sweet spicy very light chocolate aroma. Light spicy flavor with a bare hint of chocolate and a touch of sour.

Bottle from trappist glass. Poured cloudy brown color with a minimal frothy white head that diminished slowly with fair lacing. Moderate yeasty cocoa tart fruit aroma. Light to medium body. Medium dry chocolate flavor with a medium sour spicy finish of moderate duration. Interesting drinkable beer.

Pours *very* cloudy, murky, brown (light brown or dark tan) with a very thick tan head. The aroma is of yeast and grass, some banana nut bread and green raisins, with hints of chocolate and fruit. The flavor starts with hints of acidity, some grass, hints of malts, and some bitter cocoa. In the middle it tastes like sourdough bread with stronger flavors of bitter chocolate and fruit (citrus, apricots). The beer finishes crisp and strangely dry - I suppose from the dry, bitter cocoa powder that’s been added - with some hop flavor. The finish also leaves hints of hot cinnamon on the back of the tongue - likely from the chili pepper and cocoa combination. The mouthfeel is dry and light on the tongue. Not bad and very interesting, though not quite as delightful as their normal Saison.

The cork popped healthily on this one, there wasn’t much for aromas out of the bottle as I’ve come to expect from Fantôme. Hazy brown/red body, the haze reminds me of a foggy morning. There is a mostly white head that was large on the pour and ended up as a thin coating. I don’t get much out of the aroma even after heaving my nose into the glass. There does seem to be a hint of burn in my nose, possibly from the pepper, but it could also be just my mind. When I sip from the glass, I get a bit of chili burn at the roof of my mouth, but nothing intense and it quickly fades. I get a feeling of eating a chocolate bar faintly as the after taste. There are hints of a regular old siason in the background. This beer doesn’t really pop, but I can’t decide if that is a bad thing. The elements are all there, but I feel a bit dissapointed because they aren’t as prominent as I would have hoped.