3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
750 mL bottle. This is one I’ve been waiting to try for a while, so, as I listened to my grandfather tell the story of when he used to make his own dandelion wine, I had to crack this bottle open. I took the cap off, and the cork immediately started to move ... surprisingly, it wasn’t a gusher. Hazy copper with a nice head, with a good amount of sediment in each glass. Sweet and dry in the nose with a little funk to it that’s hard to explain. It’s not farmhouse or alcohol, but somewhere in between. Sweet mouthfeel to begin, but it becomes more dry as it goes, and picks up a little sting in the back of the throat. Very spicy (peppery, corriander, clove, lavender) and malty from molasses and caramel. All of it is in nice balance. Very nice beer, although I’d have liked it to be a little dryer and more musty. (It was a hit with the family, as well)
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Poured a hazy amber color with a small off-white head. The aroma was tart with some vinegar notes and some light funk. Sweet caramel malty flavor with some tartness as well. Much less than the aroma. Mild CO2 bite.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
big 750 mL bottle, opened and drunk at basement temperature. grassy spicy and herbal saison aroma, bitter but not "hops bitter", more of an astringent acidic and slightly chemical bitter aroma. tangy saison flavor, finishing with more bitterness which isn’t quite hops, and although i must admit i’ve never tasted dandelions, it tastes a lot like what i would imagine dandelions to taste like - very green and harsh, slightly dry. very carbonated and effervescent. excellent as far as gimmick beers go, but for the price, better saisons can be had.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
2004 bottle from the Cellar of Gondor. Poured a medium caramelly-amber with a beige head. First pour was clear, and all the particulates showed up shortly afterward. Intricate lacing followed this down. Nose was strikingly odd at first.. with an old rustic farm, dandelions, caramel, darker spices, and a hint of dust slowly emerging. Flavor found plenty of dandelions and their resultant bitterness, a spicy caramel base, grass, and the top floor of an old dusty barn. Medium-bodied. Malty middle became a tad tacky. Bitterness heightened at the back-end. Tasty and unusual. Enjoyed it!
4 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cork # 096/477044
Being a new fan of FANTOM , which I discovered last year during a trip to Ann Arbor, I was joyful to find this. Summer properly sums up this brew, as I agree with many of the complexity comments. Tastes of the dandelion underwhelm the palatte, as rich flavorful spices, take over. Stewards review is spot on, with floral delacacies awaiting, alongside the beloved Fantom amber and frothy head.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
2004 bottling.
Translucent and magnifying amber-orange (early on - later, it’s quite cloudy in consecutive pours.) Fluffy, half-inch, frothy and foamy head creates a blanketing tan lace pattern along the way. Such an imaginative aroma and flavor. Wafts signal complexity, composed of honeysuckle rose, candi sugar, daffodils, dandelions, cotton breezes, lemon grass and capers. Flavor comes in with said aromatic precursors, but in amplified format. Lemon sugariness takes hold with some pollen, ragweed and caramel currents. Herbaceous indeed. Coriander and lily petals. Lemon grass, channeled tulip oil and sweet candi compliments. Effervescent and expansive throughout the palate with a glossy, dry feel. Balanced equilibrium is attained, winding down with pine sap, daffodils, coriander and starch. Is my tongue stained yellow? Thanks for the bottle, CaptainCougar!
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
2004 bottle via Joel. The beer pours to a clean body but then gets tiny particulate further down the pours. The beer pours to a nice glowing amber body with a nice white head. The aroma is bitter dandelions, goldenrod, grass, and alfalfa. The flavor is very outdoorsy. Bitter dandelions, grasses, apples, spicy. The palate is strangely bitter with a full feeling. Quite unique.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Thin wispy head of dense foam. I expected more carbonation from this brew. Sweet grassy aroma with some spices and yeast. Color is a cloudy dark copper. Dry, and grassy yet a bit on the sweet side for a saison. More herbs and spices. I guess you can taste the dandelion in this. Kind of has a light bitterness. Lively carbonation in the mouth. I don’t know about ths one. Does not seem as fresh and clean as most Fantome saisons. Nice alcohol warming. Slick finish with more dry spices. Not one of Fantomes better beers in my opinion.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours dark amber into a tulip. Medium sized head with slight lacing. Dough and hay aromas. Fairly flat and bittersweet with some honey notes. Long bitter finish.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
I can definitely smell and taste the dandelion in this. Common as a mixed green, the flavor and intense bitterness make a showing. Pretty strong alcohol kick accompanies a slightly funky saison like taste. Little carbonation. An interesting beer though a bit of a slap in the face as you drink it.
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