Fantôme de Noël

Cork reads, "Brasserie Fantome Soy 086/477044." Bottle number? Very dark ruby/black. Massive, dense, tan head. Nose of fresh grains, slightly sour barn funk, spices, chalk, pepper. Intensely strange aroma. Flavors are more of the same with roasty chocolate malt and sour yeast. One of the most complex brews I’ve tasted. This beer has the full flavor spectrum- sweet, bitter, roasty, sour, spicy, earthy, grainy. Unbelievable. The palate throws a change up as well, just when you think it will stay smooth and rich, it finishes musty dry, with a pleasant sour bitterness and hint of roastiness. Alcohol hides in the shadows like a phantom, only showing itself a split second at a time. Definite black pepper kickin in the back of the throat from about the 600ml mark. Have to get some more of these to lay down.

Bottle shared with blankboy, HogTownHarry & tupalev - courtesy of HogTownHarry. Hazy ruby colour with a small beige head. Aroma is quite herbal, almost floral, with a yeasty backing and something that reminded me of an orange flavoured candy I used to like as a kid. Flavour is quite complex - my palate was starting to suffer by this point in the tasting, but got some spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and a hint of candied orange rind (my wife makes some every Xmas, it’s awesome!). Warm, peppery finish. Another unique & enjoyable beer from Fantôme.

Pours to a deep hazy brown colored body with visible carbonation and a nice thick creamy tan head. Dense lacing. The flavor is chestnuts, yeasty spiciness, light chocolate, coriander. Very interesting. The aroma is yeasty, coriander, orange peel, clementine oranges, light chestnuts. The palate is carbonated, creamy, medium-bodied, earthy. Warming on the palate.

kind of a cloudy brownish mahogony color w/ some slow rising visable carbonation and a huge frothy tan head. Smell is a nice bread hints of brown sugar some good spices peppers and corriander, along w/ some yeast notes. Pal is well coated lightly spiced. Flavor is lightly spiced definatelly some all spice and clove, bread dough and a nice full sweetness along w/ some lightly floral hop. Odd flavor in a saison but pretty good.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a murky reddish brown with sediment and a big lasting light-brown head. Flowery aroma of slightly sour fruit, malt, spices (especially pepper) and alcohol. Dry flavour follows the aroma. Quite carbonated and acidic. Good stuff, Fantome make some interesting beers.

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, GregClow and tupalev - my bottle. Poured a murky reddish-brown with a large lasting pancake batter light brown head. Aroma was quite mild perfumy spice, quite sweet, light pungent yeast and caramel malt. Taste - quite a surprise - tons of crushed peppercorn funky spiciness, nutmeg/allspice caramel sweet roast malt, ear-warming alcohol, citrus rind and a bit of yeasty Christmas cake - some very faint hops joined with the alcohol to give this one a touch of bitterness in the longish finish. Mouthfeel lively, acidic, pretty thick but mostly spicily alcoholic. Not too sure what exactly to make of this, but unique among the Christmas brews I’ve tried - very warming, definitely not a patio beer.

Bottle, shared with GregClow, Hogtown Harry, and blankboy. Dark brown, small beige head. Some alcohol, some spice in mild but pleasant aroma. Taste was very dry, some yeast, some hops, and a little sour. A really neat musky finish. Sourness as it warms. Pepper as it warms. Nice without being outstanding - I like these guys, they always make something not quite like anything you have tasted before.

Bottled. Really dark brown, thick light brown head. Very spicy aroma of anise, wormwood, ginger, mint and alcohol. Foresty impression in flavour, some, leaves and moss with notes of coriander and bark. Herbal, spicy and foresty aftertaste. Finishes dry and pleasant. .