Fantôme Chocolat

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

Serve in Tulip

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.

Bottle: The aroma is lemony, yeasty, peppery, and floral. It pours a cloudy orange with a small white head that quickly fades to a ring. The flavor starts with some nice tart lemon with some light orange. It finishes with a peppery yeastiness and light floral notes. The chocolate isn’t really noticeable in the flavor, but the beer does sort of leave a chocolate aftertaste. Unique and very tastey.

Aroma is yeasty, chili powder is quite prevalent. Golden color, white head, hazy, with particulate matter. Can’t say that I taste any of the cocoa, but the chili powder is definitely there. It kind of seems like a gimic beer, but it is pretty decent. However, I wouldn’t want more than one in a day.

Bottle from State Line sampled with Beerded_one. Cap over cork brew, some sediment floating about, loads of sediment awaits me in the bottom. Pours orange/golden with a sparse white head. Aroma of spices, caramel, slight fruit, and citrus (no traces of cocoa to the nose). The flavor is citrus, tart (not overly), slight traces of hops, spices, smooth 8%, cocoa is lightly present only in the finish. I found this brew to be quite pleasant.

Pours a very hazy, dried apricot color, with a fluffy two finger head. The foam settles slowly to a thick cap, that lasts throughout the entire beer, and leaves a thick sheeting of lace. Smell; this has the typical Fantome funkiness to it, with some caramel malts and a little bit of chocolate, but it’s a little hard to pick out. I can’t really detect the peppers at all in the aroma. Taste; starts off with a bit of the farmhouse funk you expect in a saison, with a little vinegar, slightly sour and a little herbal. In the middle the sweet malts make an appearance, with just some hints of the peppers. The chocolate shows up in the finish just when I think there isn’t anything left. Very interesting, and surprisingly refreshing. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly creamy carbonation. Drinkability is really good. I picked this up on the recommendation of bditty187, and I’m glad that I did. I’m definitely going to pick up more of this one.