3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: MAR 9, 2003 Re Rate 3/9/03. Had this again at the Pizza Port Belgian Fest and i have to up the rating. Dark and malty, bready,heavy spice finish with less of a mildew smell and more of the barnyard thing. I wonder if the original rating was from a bad bottle?Dark murky brown color with a 1/4' tan head.Musty aroma almost a mildew like smell. Tart flavor that has a bitterness to it. I am really just seesawing on saisons. Dont know what to make of them.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
75cl bottle. Pours a murky brown color with little to no head. Soapy bubbly foam. Aroma is similar to a mix between flemish red and a stout. Taste is tart upfront with a distinctive roastiness and wood notes after it. No alcohol at all, very impressive. This beer is smooth as hell and with the fresh tartness and lemon zest begs you for drinking more. Very dangerous and very delicious.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
A full bodied malty beer with a strong spicy, peppery kick. Dominant alcohol aroma and warmth. Rather syrupy, yet this balances the alcohol and spice.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
750 mL bottle. Aroma of sweet barnyard funk, plums and honey. Sour taste of spices, nutmeg, sweet chocolate malt and slight barnyard finish. Really different, really good.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours a hazy nut brown with an enormous frothy tan head. Head dissipates to just a trace later. Some fine light lacing. The nose is alcohol, no mistaking that. But also undercurrents of molasses and lively spices.
Tastes is amazing. Spicy (clove, cayenne) followed by a alcohol burn followed by big notes of sherry. Molasses and English toffee just below the surface. Hints of vanilla, hints of oak. Underlying fruity and cidery flavors. A new taste with every sip. Did I mention the spiciness? The most impressive characteristic of this beer is that although is is rich and malty, the mouth is not sticky or overly sweet. It has just enough balance to remain drinkable as well as deeply flavorful. Pretty good stuff
4.5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
22oz bottle from Knightly Spirits. Pours an awesome dark brown almost like a stout but with deeper reddish hues. Modest tan head that stays around for the duration. Nose is thick with chocolate, caramel, honey and of course that fantome sourness and light funk. Incredible aroma. Light carbonation. This is a remarkably unique beer, a cross between a saison, a stout and a scotch ale and ABT. The sourness and spiciness of a saison hits first then is followed by intense dark fruit reminscent of a good ABT, following that is a bit of dark chocolate bitterness reminscent of a stout and to finish it all off a huge scotch ale like caramel note and a dry and slightly tart finish. Incredible. Not sure how Fantome comes up with this, but they never fail to impress me. Also worth noting there is absolutely no hint of the 10% ABV. This thing is so well balanced its crazy. I think maybe a touch more carbonation would have been good but other than that, magnificent.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: OCT 9, 2005 Couleur noire très foncée, abondante mousse blanche concassée. Arômes de tabac, de terre, de fruits noirs et de poivres. En bouche, une amertume marquée semble provenir des levures, une aigreur fruitées est aussi de mise et est accompagnée d’une touche sauvage. Aucune trace d’alcool de détecter, ce qui est étonnant compte tenu du 10% indiqué. Texture laiteuse, corps semi mince à moyen, finale ramenant des notes de poivre noir. Délirium café, voyage Europe 2005.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
750 ml bottle purchased at Holiday Wine Cellar for their after Christmas sale in December 2009 ($10.23 after 20% off). I would have drunk this around Christmas 2010, but did not have a corkscrew to remove the cork until recently! Pours as perhaps the darkest "saison" I have encountered -- a beautiful deep rusty ruby-ish red with a full finger of dark beige foam. Aroma of dusty sour malts, caramel, sweet candied fruit (plum, cherry, raisin), spice, and maybe a hint of chocolate. Flavor has mostly the same as what is found in the nose: sour maltiness, overripe dark fruit, caramel, and spice. The 10% ABV is huge especially for the style, but the alcohol is well hidden and this big brew has a nice "softness" as well. But unfortunately, I find the sourness in the nose and taste distracting from the better elements. I do like the idea of a big dark "saison", but this recipe could be improved. (516, 451)
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours dark amber. Nose is heavy complex esters, spices and caramel and toasted malts. Flavor is fruits spices, roasted, toasted malt, caramel. Dry full body and complex. nice creamy mouthfeel. just some slight tartness in the mouthfeel. gets mixed with the dryness.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle shared with cole and savvy1982. Thanks for the share savvy! Pours a hazy chestnut brown. The aroma is very complex with candy sugar notes with hints of hops and spice. Flavor is crazy complex, plums sweet fruit, candy, just a hint of tartness. Very nice carbonation. Excellent.
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