Fantôme de Noël

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

750 ml bottle, capped and corked [2003 version; sampled Feb ’04 ]: dark orange-brown translucent caramel. A full light brown creaminess on top. Textured aroma of burnt raisins, prunes, all spice, mint, pine, medicinal alcohol, strawberries, and anise. Almost shocking palate: sweet blueberry and boysenberry alcohol and strikingly fresh cracked pepper. Full malty flavours that are most noticeable in the finish; towards the back of the mouth. Strong Fantôme yeast, leather, cherry-oaky sourness, strong licorice, dry baker’s chocolate, toasty-buttered grain and a not-so-subtle mustiness. A wonder to behold on a cold, snowy February eve. . .

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.

Dirty chocolate color, with a yellowish-green glow around the rim. Aroma of lemon juice, citrus rind, and grasses on the bretty hop front. Caramel, brown sweetness and some tart cherry skin unfold more expansively. Simple and dry lemon juice flavor, with which a bite of alcohol forces the suggestion of all-purpose cleaner. Some Christmas spices and sprucy bitterness, like wet mountain air on the tongue. Smacks a bit leafy and earthy, with a pungent boiled cabbage coating. Palate is slightly hollow and poorly rounded. Lacks sprightliness. Thanks for sharing, Jason! 6/3/6/3/13 3.1

2006. Aroma and flavor full of bretty stink and funky fruit sweetness; soured fruits, horseblanket and sweat, boot, chewy chocolate malt and lazy spices underneath. Burly, forceful sourness in a fantastically thick body; uniquely gratifying. 8/4/8/4/15 3.9

Dark brown pour with a thin cream colored head. Malty, sweet, dried fruit nose that leads into the flavor. Dry and spicy, and subtly smokey, along with a slight sour influence. No hint of alcohol.

Very dark brown color. Almost black. Very small brown head. No lacing. Looks good. Coriander very prominent in the nose. as well as a myriad of other spices that I can’t quite recognize. Sweet and spicy flavor, bit of honey in there. Creamy mouthfeel. Rich complex and enjoyable. Alcohol is masterfully hidden. This shit gets my dick hard.

Poured a very good initial head... very tall and rocky. However, that quickly dissipated. Nose is of roasted brandy or sour brandy with a hint of brown sugar every so often. Starts sour, with a sweet grapefruit middle. Overall not too strong, but very flavorful and yummy.

750ml bottle thanks to footbalm.... pours a lively dark amber brown with a hefty light brown head.....aroma somewhat sour and metallic with a lot of mustiness and cobwebs to it.... flavor of sweet and sour, yeasty with a lot of mustiness and some discernable spices. nice creamy full mouthfeel.

Draught at Kerstbierenfestival 2005, Essen, Belgium
Muddy, brown body. Nose of yoghurt, apple, soured milk. Lightly sweet, lightly bitter initial flavour. Lightly bitter finish. Nice beer from Danny.