Fantôme La Gourmande

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

Courtesy of imadeadguy. Pours a dark amber color, with a smallish light cream colored head. Smells kind of acidic and tart, with some malts, spices, and fruits all blended in. The flavor was on the tart side as well. Slightly sour, with some earthy spices, light peppery notes, and soured fruits all made their presence known. Finished crisp and spicy, leaving an acidic aftertaste. Not my favorite of their beers, but a nice unusual take of this style.

750 from my (summer) Secret Santa - thanks, Santa!! Another weird and weirdly enjoyable beer from Monsieur Pignon. Amber pour, gleaming from within as it fights off the cloudy rising yeast. Tart apples in the nose, with just a slight metallic note that gives me pause. Mulled cider from the start, but with a funky wood character that blossoms the further you get into the beer. For Fantome, this is less complex than we’re accustomed to, and is highly quaffable. Drops off quickly, with no lingering characteristics. Sure it’s got more dimensions than other brewers, and that’s what merits the score. But it’s not their best effort imo.

750ml bottle. A slight lemon zest tartness and woody funk initially on the nose. Quite floral. Cinnamon. Ginger snap cookies. Very interesting. Slightly dusty with a hint of alcohol. Pours mostly clear bright gold with a bright white head that fades quite quickly. Soft, creamy and delicate on the palate with minute carbonation. The tartness is restrained on the tongue. Wood tannin. Some sweeter fruity esters. Plenty of tongue coating soapy notes. Just a tiny amount of pepper spice. Finishes rather abrupt and dry.

A New Year’s Eve night capper as the ball dropped, so the senses of this review may be slightly hampered...reddish brown opaque body with a frothy white head that leaves no lace in a La Fin du Monde snifter....strong and dark....for sure, herbal and citrus aromas--tough to identify for my neophyte nostrils (Shan laughs at my thoughts of prunes)...intirguing lack of presence--a soft body built for summer, with a slight acidity--otherwise, pillow soft at 7.0 alcohol, indeed a triumph... fruity (grapefruity?) wheat with a hops presence, tart and medium-bodied finish...chosen out of season, this saison acts like a winter warmer minus the weight of the winter... I will return to this beer--and this review--in the summer, when the season may heighten an already impressive experience...

This beers pours a dark amber color, jelly looking because there are small particles suspended in the beer and the small head faded quickly. The first sign that this is a different type of Fantôme, since usually the head is vigorous with visible carbonation. Aroma is a light floral-funkiness with some citrus-sweetness behind that. All of this is just wrapped in a slightly sweet apple maltiness. Taste is very subdued for Fantôme, light dry yet sweet herbal/grassy maltiness. It’s very nice and simple and works very well for the beer. An easy drinking light medium body. Again, so simple and light for Fantôme. Seems like a rather fresh bottle, no dating on this bottle but seems like a fresh beer. The dregs are ridiculous on this beer, looks really unappetizing (but I will drink it anyway). Gives the flavor a bit of a cider-y aspect.
750mL, Rodenbach GC tulip glass.

Been holding on to this for a long while, close to 8 months, waiting for an evening with friends to share it with. Yeah for friends, as we poured this out and smelled it right off the bat. However, and first most, lets see how it looks as the color is a dull peachy orange with somewhat of a murky glow to it. Once the last of the bottle is emptied it becomes much more clouded and yellowed. Not much action in the form of foam though. Just a breeze of large bubbles loosely float about the top for a small breif minute. Minimal lace in a few light, thin strings and some dots. Ahh, the aroma, Fantome’s usual high ended citrusy funk with a twist of old white grapey sourness, spicy salts and peppered herbs, and one large lemony barnyard fart on top. Taste is a firm yelp of deep, darkened sour lemony goodness backed by some funky touches of yeast, floral dried herbs, crunchy spices, and a slow sea salty pale malt stale cracker moody backing. Quite tangy and loud in the mouth with a big but well tamed sourness that wrangles the tongue into a quick pinch of soured, dulled lemon, weird other tangy citrusfied funk of old, over ripe stuff , just a drizzle of barnyardyness, and a buzz of yeasty fluffy dryness closes out the finish late. The body is a bit low and under a mediumness and not as bold as it probably once was. Maybe due to age? Not sure, but it seemed to be a bit underwhelming when going with other Fantome goodies that have that zip of boldness, malts, and buzz of yeasty girth. I liked that this seemed tamer and a bit more mellow then I’m sure it once was when fresh. A fun tangy, soured ale to be much like other Fantome brews.

bottle from Perfect 10.....appearance of orange brown with an explosive off-white head....nose of musty funkiness that pairs with some gentle citrus and apple notes. a little spiciness to boot.....flavors of a creamy elixir filled with spices and funk with light citrus notes and a peppery finish.

750ml bottle. Interesting funky, dusty character adds interest to this saison. Cloudy yellow/gold pour with a short white head. The aroma is spicy and sweet with funky overtones of dust and cobwebs. Notes of caramel and apple. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Moderate acidity. Medium body and slight sticky. Moderate carbonation. Dry finish. Some peppery zing from the alcohol.