Fantôme Pissenlit

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

Serve in Tulip

Very cloudy orange, no head. Tart citrusy aroma. Very tasty Floral, musty, crisp, dry white wine flavors mix with yeasty, bananas and clove flavors. Did I mention white wine? And floral? All these flavors meld wonderfully and this stuff is insanely drinkable. Very tasty.

Pours a hazy deep orange color with a white head. Aroma is funky, citrus, and spice. Flavor is wheaty, earthy, a hint of citrus and a spicy finish.

UPDATED: NOV 30, 2007 750ml, big ups to my boy ogglethrop for this want list extra in a trade several months ago. finally found the right hot early summer night that required an odd (i.e. Fantome) strong (i.e. 8%abv) thirst quenching saison (i.e. Fantome Pissenlit). pours a beautiful bright, vibrant reddish orange with thin white head. the color is almost mesmerizing (possibly a homer call but whatever it really looks great). oh baby is this fun to sniff, aroma of flowers, hay, and grain that tingle the ofactory senses. flavor is real interesting (duh, fantome) it initially starts out sorta sour with low acidity (exactly what i’d want in most saisons, a touch of sour), and middle notes are very earthy, flowery, and hay that blend into the very long finish with some slightly sweet biscuit and woody contributing to the complexity. mouthfeel is full. carbination is smooth. no abv in taste. to me, a perfect palate. sorta a cross between a belgian ale and saison. wow what a fun beer to drink oh and a f’n tasty mo fo at that, fo sho. dag yo...mad respect to fantome for this wonderful treat.4.3

11/29/07, sampled a 2004 vintage. i’m still really digging on this beer. it is probably my favorite fantome and is something so unique. the hops have faded a bit but i think that really brought out the dandelion aroma and taste as i was taken back to my childhood rubbing dandelions on peoples arms to make them yellow..4.1.

Bottle. Amber with an orange glow, hazy. Big head. Complex fruity aroma, with sour lambik-like notes as well as herbs. Flavours seem to fill the whole specter from sweetish fruity, via sourness to a herbal, bitter finish that I suppose is due to the dandelions. Very interesting- I just hope the beer does not live up to its name!

Pis en lit poured a hideous dark murky orange. Good head retention for a 2003 vintage saison, very decent lacing too. Floral, spicy and musky aroma with strong esters and a weird integration of Noble-hops. Had a good bit of that horseblanket, dirty socks thing going on. Tangy, tart and somewhat sour taste, not so complex but very spicy and full-on. Long, dry and tart spicy finish. Quite substantial mouthfeel, very upfront carbonation, overall heavy on the palate but still nicely drinkable. Bizarre beer, I didn’t expect anything less from Dany. A refreshing and off-beat saison.

2004 bottle. Just slightly sour. Malty and estery. The flowers are definitely there to taste, but they give a strange earthy flavor. Almost herbal in some way, but not quite. Definitely the right style of beer to try this with, but not a smashing success. There’s also a very mild but long lingering bitterness hiding in the back there. Full flavored and full bodied, but still refreshing, light and easy to drink. I would like to try this beer fresh. I suspect it would be very different. Right now it seems to be very rounded and blended. A pretty good beer, but a big step down from the fantastic regular saison they do.

UPDATED: APR 11, 2007 Cloudy amber pour. Billowing off white head, replete with sedimentary particulates. Perfect retention and spectacular lacing. Aroma is more subdued and more interesting than most Fantome offerings. Acidity is high. Barnyard funk is kept at bay by powerful yeast, spicy floral hops, figs and nuts, sourdough breads, apples, toasted grains in moderation, fruit basket with a musty tinge, flower bed and woodiness that is unexpected and blends this all marvelously and cohesively together. The flavor is just as radical, with accentuation of the yeast and spicy notes, earthy hops, more acidity than preluded to, orange notes and gobs of caramel and chocolate. The finish is medium dry, hoppy, peppery and fruity, slight notes of wheat and must lingering. Palate is somewhat full and has a lively, entertaining carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden throughout. This has to be one of the most unique tasting beverages on the planet, always holding a rightful place in my cellar. Older samples have shown a great deal of refinement and pronounced funk, while retaining the yeasty and spicy character that I found so endearing in the first place. A world class beer from a ridiculously talented and innovative brewer. Dangerously drinkable doesn’t even come close to describing the level of quaffability found here. As for the Dandelion: I’d imagine without it this just wouldn’t taste the same, even though I’ve never been able to directly identify it upon tasting. Superbly crafted.

Bottle. spring 2004 vintage. Pours a regular copper body with a foamy, large white head with sticky lacing left behind. Dusty aroma consisting of some funky lactic character, mild fruits (pear & banana), along with spice, and doughy malt. Starts out quite soft and fruity with some yeast twang and bitterness. Some wheat type flavours but it’s quite smoothed out and pleasant. Finishes bitter and reasonably acidic. Very light and quenching considering its advertised strength.
Purchased at Bello Vino in Ann Arbor during the month of December in 2006.