Fantôme Chocolat

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

Poured golden orange with a white head. Aroma was heineken, god aweful aroma. Flavor is some cocoa butter, decent malt body. Not really spicey at all. The alcohol is unoticable to the extreme. Noticed no real chili flavor at all. Just not very good.

Slightly hazy golden body with a thin, persistent tan head. Wow, that is a killer nose of green apple, caramel, cinnamon, grains, cocoa, some definite chili pepper heat and some light, yeasty esters. The body is light to moderate in weight with a nice, active carbonation; it’s very pleasant on the tongue. The flavor is an interesting combination of heavy malt and very little sweetness. The spice is subtle and very enjoyable. The chili is definitely perceptible but there is only a very light heat provided. Some light, earthy hop bitterness comes out near the end and actually matches the spices pretty darn well. The finish is lightly warming but leaves you satisfied and almost yearning-physically-for another sip. Tasty and one helluva beer; well worth the wait.

Pours cloudy yellow brownish color with a medium white head. Aroma reminds me of coleslaw (salade de choux St-Hubert traditionnelle) with white vinegar. I found the flavor very interesting: sour and a tongue-numbing spicyness with a powdered finale reminiscent of cocoa or black chocolate bitterness. Round body. Not my everdyday beer but definitely one worth trying. Once again, Fantôme brews are really in a class of their own, nothing to compare with.

Semi-hazed and bright glowing copper orange in color with a white ice pond sheaf and a sudsy white wrung for the head. Aroma gives us golden promise. Honey on oats, buttery almond bark, macadamia nuts coated with white chocolate and orange dream custard cones. Thicker mouth feel and flavor profile than expected, imparting a new dimension to Fantome saisons. Lovely white chocolate Kit Kat flavor is served up in pudding style format. Lovely, balanced expedition. White chocolate coated pretzels remind us of Christmas bark. No tartness whatsoever. Gentle carbonation lets the white chocolate buttered almonds and macadamias settle in with a formidable nutty smoothness. Maple oat bread teams with a rustic farmland aged hop ruggedness. Some callow tails with pollen are brushed with liquefied vanilla tootsie rolls. Medium-to-fuller bodied with a warming urge at the tongue near the hinges. Alcohol hotness hangs around for closure, and gets smoothed out with an Irish cream sentimentalism. Such a tale of originality to be added to the Fantome chronicles.

Earthy somewaht acidic and dms nose with more caramel that chocolate. Grassy hop notes come and go with the almost dirty malt aromas. Spicy and acidic finish.

Bottled. Cloudy orange with grey hints. Low creamy white head. Wet grass, soices, almond, tart pears, sweat and yeast in the aroma. Fairly light flavour (compared to other Fantômes) of funky yeast, almond, all-spice and cocoa. Stronger notes of cocoa-powder in the finish along with nut-shels, yeast and spices.

Opaquely dull milk chocolate brown with an ugly cast of grey-yellowishness to it. One uniquely, unappetizing looking beer. A huge bubbly head of crunchy brown foam grows up quickly during the pour as it nearly breaks out of the bottle with excitement, but nothing remains once diminished. Sticky pieces of brown lace speck the glass along with a dry oily film. Aroma is all funked up with dirty sweat socks, grasses, flowers, sour grapes and yeast, fouled earthyness, turned caramel and marshmellow, and a tad of milk chocolate from time to time. Taste is mostly soured and tangy with puckering lemonyness scratched with all sorts of funky yeasty sourness and bittering teathers whipped with grassy flowers, dirt, dung, hops, and one uniquely bittering chocolate thats more milky then dark and less candyish with just a smidgeon of caramel. Finish has a fun dispay of all these things dancing around in a spicy fashion of dryness thats more grassy/herbal then anything. Feel is quite souring and actively so in that area of interest. So if sour is your thing this will suit ya just fine. Medium pucker, medium bittering bite, medium dryness, acidicness, hmmm, lets say medium, and a good amount of sour to keep it all together. Only the light chocolatey/caramel hints keep this from going completely over the top. Well, for me at least. Body, overall seems medium too. Definately a twist of Saison to a twist of Belgian Pale on a twist of more Saison. Its a tongue twister, I know, and so is the beer. Not my fav from Fantome, and nothing like Black Ghost, which is my fav, but it has its own unique charm that grows on ya.

Sample at Sleepy Bear tasting 09/30/06 - Aroma is Fantome yeasty funk and chewy malt with a touch of pepper. Pours cloudy brown with a medium head and good lacing. Flavor matches aroma. I cannot detect any chocolate flavor, but there is a powdery aftertaste that makes me think cocoa powder. Palate is sticky. An interesting brew.
Had a 750ml to myself last nightand the score and rating stay the same.