Fantôme de Noël

750 ml bottle. Creamy large beige head settles to a smooth thin layer over a deep amber pour, and eaves good lace. Fruity aroma, dosed with caramel and peppery spice. Medium body, light carbonation, rich, warming, slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet caramel with a a distant tartness and a softly bitter finish.

Poured amber in color with very thin white head. Smells of ammonia. Palate is crisply carbonated. Tastes of malty spices with subtle sour notes through the finish.

Nice nose. Doughy yeasty, a touch of exotic fruit (mango?), spicy, peppery. Hazy copper, big beige head. Flavor is clean, honeyed sweet, smooth. Moderate crisp/tart finish. Hints of toffee, cocoa, perhaps spruce, a touch woody at least, musty, old tangerines. Another indescribable Fantome.

Tap @ Belmont Station... Poured deep, reddish with a white head. Aroma was far off from the flavors. Like urine and bitter alcohol. However, the sourness and spiciness of the brew’s taste were wonderful and countered the aroma nicely. It was well carbonated and had chalky malt notes in the finish.

THOUGHTS: My first Fantome. I didn’t even know there could be a dark saison. I almost didn’t get to try this the night I opened it because I couldn’t find a corkscrew. I think need one was another beer first for me. An incredible beer. I can’t wait to try more Fantome beers. Hid alcohol incredibly well. If I didn’t have a little cold this might have received a perfect rating. It was like a sour porter. Not all that Christmasy, but I guess it was Christmasy for a saison. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark, brownish red that was nearly black in the glass, but still had red highlights. It also had a large to huge, off-white head that slowly diminished. The aroma was light roasted, milk chocolate, mild coffee malts, cocoa powder, moderate yeast, sour fruit, a little fruit, and once the yeast is added, a slight funk. The flavor started sour and lightly sweet; and finished very sour with and average duration. There was sour fruit, along with some wood and maybe smoke, some yeast and very light coffee and cocoa powder. The light to medium body was a little creamy then fairly dry with very fizzy carbonation and a moderate astringent finish. I went down easy.

Good beer. Has the rustic feel of a saison with added coriander. Tastes flat and thin in the mouth.

Pours a nice burnt-sienna (in Crayola terms), medium head that settles to a thin halo. Good lacing Aroma is mildly citric, raisins, mild brett funk, fresh bread, and very mild allspice. Flavor is initially warm and malty, mild burlap and cobwebs, giving way to a bit of hop "pepper", sour cherries, woody notes, a medium alcohol note, and a dry finish with a hint of chocolate near the end. Goes down warm, great for a cold evening such as this. Good meshing of flavors.

Marachino cherries and spice. Reddish brown, small soapy head, solid lacing. Bitter orange and sweet syrup, cinnamon tartness, like a distant cousin of Campari. Big carbonation, full body, slow but solid burning finish. Might be a little hot, but a very interestingly fruity and spicy beer, unique.