Fantôme Printemps

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

Serve in Tulip

Tosa Tasting ala Silphium. 2001 bottle. Hazy amber color with a moderate off white head. Pale malt, licorice, rose and goldenrod aromas. Caramel and mild citrus flavors. Mild spice comes later. LIght and full all in one. Perhaps this one is getting dated, I’ll be looking for a fresh bottle to compare.

UPDATED: MAY 16, 2005 Rerate from a 3 y.o. bottle at Mikes: The sharp flowery and fruit notes combined with with belgian yeast funk to make this much more enjoyable than the first time I had it. The feel is more tart and Saison like. I improved my rating .3 after this tasting------Origina review: Thanks Mabdoney for the brew, you did get me this one, right? Had with Mike and Ann: Hazy golden hue with light head and some lace. Aroma hints of chocolate infused pipe tobacco, heavy spice, earthy and barnyard yeast, dusty, and grassy. The taste is yeasty and slightly fruity. Spicy and biscuit undertones are found throughout. Chalky and woody dry mouthfeel, lively in the glass, still didn’t quite feel right on the palate. Alcohol was well hidden. Disappointing, but hey, I got to try it once, so that’s cool. Disclaimer: Maybe too old or maybe my palate was trashed by the La Folie I had earlier?

Orange gold color. Medium head. Aroma is fruity and funky. Touches of leather and must. A medium bodied ale. Malts are fruity and sweet. Very funky, bananas, leather and musty. Dry finish. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter with a little bit of funk.

Corked and capped bottle courtesy of Skyview in Mystery Swap 4.0. I think I’ve had this a little more than a year now. Pours a hazy orange color with suspended white particles. Medium creamy white head lasts forever and leaves decent lacing. Fruity aroma with notes of mango, citrus and a peppery note. The taste is also very fruity... fresh mangos, apple, pear, some leafy notes, white grapes. Medium bodied. Very faintly tart. Soft carbonation. Nice beer.

I took off the cap and the cork slowly pushed itself up abuot 1/3 of the way out of the bottle. I thought I was seeing things. This is something I have never seen before, but I didn’t even need to use my corkscrew, I just popped the cork like it was corked and caged. This poured with a hazy deep copper body with a huge, slightly off white head. The aroma is floral with some lemons and a little bit of horseblanket. The taste is light and refreshing with some orange peel and apple cores. There is also some brown sugar and a little bit of black tea. This finishes surprisingly sweet. A decent brew, but a little bit of a let down for a Fantome.

Sampled from 750 ml bottle, I don’t recall who to thank for sharing this one at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits last summer. Pours a cloudy golden pale brew with plenty of white fizzy head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of yeast funk, some fruity character with honey and something reminding me of some plastic styrene. Taste is medium bodied, slightly acidic with flavors of citrus zest, green vegetable, and some lime. Finish is metallic and acidic. hard to say if this one needs some aging or was infected. Willing to try again.

Bottle. Thanks to Gazza for sharing this hugely expensive (£5.60!) bottle. Blond appearance. Fresh garden mint and nettles aroma. Softly spritzy. Mint again. Some bitterness. Lingering dryness. Wheaty finish, like those wheat cereals. Mildly interesting. £5.60 - I can’t get over that. I haven’t been impressed by the Fantome products I’ve tried, despite all the acclaim.

bottle, golden orange color with strong foam that finishes as a soapy film, sweet citrus, funky aroma, barnyard, flavor is a mix of lemon, honey, pencil lead, white pepper and spice, lasting earthy finish