Fantôme Chocolat

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.

The beer was a cloudy tan, with a big off white head. Floating in the beer were a few little pieces of chocolate. After swirling the beer around in a glass i could smell a hint of chocolate. The beer tasted like a run of the mill pilsner, and the occasional little chocolate bit tasted like stale chocolate. No hint of chili pepper at all. I drank the beer close to the best by date, so wonder if it was past it’s prime at that point.

[Bottle from La Roche.] Maybe some high expectations to this beer, but it ended up unbalanced and thin. Weak choccolate at all and some pepperspices.

Bottle at home. Cloudy orange - white head. Fruity, yeasty, peppery, citrus, wheaty, light sourness, orange, light spicy, medíum carboantion.

aroma is slightly chocolate at first, then a little tart. Appearance is a hazy straw color. Flavor is tart upfront and finishes sweet with a bite on the lips from the carbonation. Palate is thin but creamy, a little thick compared to other saisons. Slight aclohol taste hidden under the belgian "funk." Pepper in the back as it finishes. Very nice overall.