Fantôme Hiver (Winter)

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

04 bottle shared by Crosling. Poured a clear light crimson color with a 1/4 inch beige head that faded to a bubbly layer and left some scant spots of lacing. Aroma includes some moderate fruitiness (grape, apple, and light lemon rind), soft caramel, a bit of leather, and a light barnyard yeastiness. Smooth, moderately tart entry with some orange and lightly tart lemon leading into a soft caramel earthiness paired with a funky yeastiness that finishes with some faint floral hops and a hint of wood. Low carbonation, but I think the age thinned the body out a bit. An enjoyable beer for sure, but it seems like it probably peaked at about 3 years rather than the almost 5 we tried it out. I will need to revisit it sometime.

Big bottle. Not as musty as i remember the other fantomes i’ve had. A lot more of a xmas’y character w/ the amber body, caramel malt, and ample spice. pretty good

75cl bottle bought at Delerium Cafe, Belgium. My 2400th rating. Pours dark golden reddish with a full creamy white head. Nose and taste is earthy, cardemum, cellar, caramel, spices, pepper, fruits and yeast. Full bodied. A fine Fantome!

Bottle shared with Crown and my wife. Pours a murky amber or brownish color with a short lived off-white head. Patchy head retention and very little lacing. This is my second Fantome and I don’t know what they put in these things but they sure are tasty. This is fruity with some cloves but also yeasty barnyard flavors, some dark fruit, musty with peppers and slightly sour in the finish. Not hard to drink either. Nice one.

[Bottle @ Odense Tasting, 14th February 2009]
Thank you, dedollewaitor!
Pours lightly hazy, red-orange with a big, frothy, off-white head. Great lacings. Aroma is super, some tartness, pepper, earthiness, spices and malts. Medium carbonation, great creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is sweet, good tarty plum notes. Great dryness as well with notes of cardemum and cloves. Very nice.

Pours a very hazy golden brown with almost no head. Im getting hay, herbal hops, grainy malt, bread, hints of fruit, citrus, some lemon and funkiness. A well made, yet standard saison.

750 ml bottle shared by Tmoney99. Pours a hazy golden color with floaties throughout. A large off white head develops with good retention and lacing. The aroma is an interesting blend of Belgian yeast, spices like ginger, herbs, and medicinal fruit. The flavor has a malty, cereal base that gets overwhelmed by a unique herbal floral funk. Dry, tart fruitiness is also present. On the light side of medium bodied, mostly smooth palate with a kick in the finish.

Bottle, capped with a cork... A muddy orange color, good head. Nice earthy, light fruity aroma. Taste is dry but not bone dry. Slight tartness to it, light fruit, maybe some orange/lemon, earthy. Well balanced, really smooth. A hidden sweetness in the aftertaste. Overall a really good saison.