Fantôme de Noël

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

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.

Bottle. Pours a deep brown body with huge head that is to be expected from Fantome. Aroma has a nice sour funk nose, chocolate, earthy. Flavor is a bitter sour, funk, chocolate, light caramel and spices. Nice warming feel. Wonderful beer.

Pours a beautiful murky black with a thick one/two finger creamy tan head. Nice sweet vinous aroma, . Sweet spicy, warm, vinous, chocolate, nicely subdued Belgian must, not as funky as expected, the alcohol may have had something to do with that, a little acidic. The palate was nice and carbonated very bubbly, came out of the bottle after opened. Produces a constant ring of carbonation in the middle of the duvel glass.

The color was black. The head was creamy, light biege, and thin. The aroma was earthy, pepper, and caramel malt. The flavor earthy, sour, tart, and peppery. The alcohol is maxed very well. The palate was very carbonated. The finish was long lasting.

Darker brown with some reddish hue and a medium tan head. Aroma is big and spicey - woody, yeasty, and quite spicy/peppery/herbal with a cornucopia of spice-rack scents. Flavor has some yeast and funk along with chocolate, lots of spice, and a light woodiness. Pleasant feel and a tingly finish. Not one of my favorite Fantomes, but still a good one for a cold winter night.

750ml bottle, i believe this is from 2006. pours muddy ruby with creamy tan head into fantome tulip. nose is oaky vanilla, hints of funky brett notes, caramel and chocolate notes, a spice i can’t put my finger on, and pepper. awesome nose. flavor has that great fantome house character, caramel and slight cocoa, hints of spice, touch of sourness, slight brown sugar finish. the alcohol doesn’t even warm. wow this is so light and drinkable. each sip really begs for another. at times it reminds me of Jolly Pumpkin Fuego but this is uniquely fantome and one of their finest.

Bottle. Upon first nosing, I would have thought this as a sour ale. Tart and sour with some cherry and wood notes. After the beer opens, it takes on a more dry yeast and spicy characteristic. Like other Fantomes, a truly wonderful aroma. Pours dark, rich brown with a big khaki head. Flavor has a nice and pleasant dry tartness to it. Some good spice balanced by a bit of roasted and sweet malt. Creamy, medium bodied with good carbonation. Another winner from Fantome.

[At Chez Moeder Lambic] Dark brown with beuge head. Spicy aroma that contains plums and raisins. Flavor is sweet and spicy and christmas is very present. Unique beer.