RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Fantôme de Noël

Fantôme de Noël - Saison

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
96
overall
Brewed by Brasserie Fantôme
Style: Saison

Soy-Erezée, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
4603.72/5.03.71/5.0Winter10%93.9Tulip
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients. The alcohol content probably goes a long way toward explaining that very warm and satisfied feeling one finds on the very first sip. A rich, dark-flavored beer with lots of deep-roasted chocolate malt, but still fairly dry, with a hint of sourness at the core. It is very spicy, with some winter spruce flavor in the bargain. The wild yeast sourness also adds to its welcoming character.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Bart (1625), Vosselaar, Belgium
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/513/20
Dec 16, 2007  
Darker amber coloured beer with an off-white head. Fruity light sour aroma. Full palate, some fizzy mouthfeel. Finish is light sour, fruity and herby. Rather special and good.


 Jerre (1755), Waregem, Belgium
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Dec 16, 2007  
On tap, yesterday @ Kerstbierfestival. Dark amber-brown color, with beige head. Aroma very spicey, roasted malts, yeast, some sourness. Medium body. Taste = sweet, roasted malts, very spicy, alcoholic. Bit dry and sticky.


 bdigital (585), Ft Wayne, Indiana, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/55/103/512/20
Dec 9, 2007  
Bottle 086/477044: Ruby in color with a slight cream head. Light caramel malt, cherry and funk aroma. Dry, cardboard sour funk. I’m realizing that I’m not that much of a fan of the farmhouse funk.


 kmeves (1080), Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/516/20
Dec 7, 2007    Updated: Jan 8, 2008
Pours a dark copper color with a big beige head. Aroma of roasted malt, fruits and spices. Flavor of sweet malt, chocolate, spice and wood. Alcohol is present. Medium to full bodied, normal carbonation for the style. Big Saison!


 wickedpete (625), Lexington Park, Maryland, USA
2.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/54/103/59/20
Nov 24, 2007  
Dark brown with a thin layer of tan bubbles. Aroma is alcoholic with some sour fruit. Flavor is sour all the way through like granny smith apples. Some sweetness mixed in and possibly some bakers chocolate with a helping of earth at the end. I don’t care much for this.


 ryan (1774), Beltsville, Maryland, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/515/20
Nov 14, 2007  
Sample provided by jasonp. Light cola body with no head. The nose is milk chocolate, berry, green apple and raisins. The flavor is chocolate, light spice, figs, caramel and herbs. Medium body is very soft with light carbonation.


 mj (4971), Colorado, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/54/103/514/20
Nov 11, 2007  
750ml bottle, vintage unknown, but most likely 2006. Brown and purple hued body, with a small film of an off-white head. Oxidized nose of cardboard, sweet plum and wood, and a flavor that it up front sweet and starchy, then turning sour and lactic when the Fantome yeast is noticed... overall it’s a bit confused and detached, feeling thin in the mouth, weak and watery on the palate, never coming togethor with that rich frothiness that you find in other Fantome. Sharp, astringent at times, and cloying, it’s too messy. The finish especially is hard to deal with - the moldy cardboard and biting yeast.


 jhumphries69 (717), Tyrone, Georgia, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/56/103/512/20
Nov 6, 2007    Updated: Nov 7, 2007
750ml capped&corked bottle. Pours a very dark and cloudy brown/black with a thick tan head that quickly fades into a thin, wispy layer of small bubbles. The aroma is alarmingly similar to Jolly Pumpkin’s Madrugada Obscura: a mix of spices, dust, chocolate, sour apple vinegar, and alcohol. The sour vinegar smell seems strangely inappropriate with the earthy musk and chocolate. The flavor starts dry and dusty with semi-sweet chocolate - balanced by hints of fruity acid. The combination seems a little more successful on the tip of the tongue than in the aroma. The middle of the tongue detects some funk - the acid builds and is paired with dry, musty notes - but is strangely lacking sourness. It is incredibly dry on the tongue at this point and leaves a strange, cloying mix of vinegar and unsweetened cocoa powder. The finish is hot with alcohol, very dry, and keeps going the odd combo of vinegar and unsweetened cocoa. The mouthfeel is pleasantly carbonated and surprisingly light for a beer of this strength - but the funk (brett, lactic bacteria, acid) gives a wicked sensation of dryness across the middle and back of the tongue. As the beer warms up (or maybe its the alcohol hitting my brain) it improves a little: the beer reveals flavors of roasted grain and prunes, mixed with the chocolate and must. Also, the dryness isn’t so distracting once the tongue gets acclimated to it. Overall, I’m a bit disappointed. I have really enjoyed a few other Fantôme beers (especially their signature Spring Saison), but this one is much weaker. I think this sort of thing - the funky, brett stout - just isn’t up my alley. I think Jolly Pumpkin’s brew was a little more successful than this one, though.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Saisons

Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux (3.92)

Boulevard Saison Brett (3.9)

Fantôme La Gourmande (3.84)

Fantôme Saison (3.82)

Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs (3.81)

Saison Dupont Vieille Provision (3.8)

Fantôme Pissenlit (3.78)

Southampton Saison Deluxe (3.76)

The Bruery Saison Rue (3.75)

Lost Abbey Ne Goeien Saison (3.73)

Moinette Biologique (3.73)

Lost Abbey Brouwers Imagination Series Saison (w/ brett) (3.72)

The Bruery Saison de Lente (3.72)

La Moneuse (3.72)

Boulevard Saison (3.72)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC