Fantôme Saison

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

Bottled 75cl. Murky copper, good head retention and appearance with impurities floating. Interesting aroma of champagne, lychee, rose, apple, plum, fresh cut grass, fig, coconut and vanilla- very fruity. Nice slight astringency bo balance out the sweetness. Yeasty. Reminiscent of champagne. Apple and plum being rather present in the taste. Refreshing. The alcohol is very well hidden. The finish is a bit boring, yeast dominated. Otherwise a very good beer. Plenty of character and delicious.

750ml bottle from City Beer in SF. Pours a cloudy golden color with a large white head and good lacing. Aroma is very fruity - apricot, peach, and citrus - as well as sweet malt and Fantôme’s typical heavy barnyard funk. Flavor is really, really fruity. Did they use actual fruit in this? Loads of apricot and peach in the flavor, as well as some Valencia orange. The horseblanket you expect is also in there, although not in excess. A little sweet and a little tart. Medium body with lively carbonation. An excellent saison overall, up there in the top tier for sure.

75cl Bottle at a tasting. Hazy golden orange colour, white head. Aroma is light sour, funky, a bit of sweetness, candy, grapefruit. Flavour is more subtle, with nice sweetnesses, like honey and some candy, light sour, a little bitter grapefruit, dry and bitter finish. A bit thin and watery in mouthfeel at times, medium bodied. Delicate and good.

I heard about this beer for years and the hype is real. It’s one of the very best brews I’ve ever had. Nose is wild but does not do the flavor justice; it was explosive citrus sourness, unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. I don’t even know what to say. It’s an ultra violent, totally ridiculous, perfectly detailed bruiser concoction that I would drink literally every day if it weren’t for the rough price tag. Unreal.

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Pours a beautiful rosy golden with a tall, thick white head. Aroma of lavender, peaches, blueberries, cherries, barley, malts, and slight hop notes. Fuller bodied for a saison with a laid back, easy, yet tight mouthfeel. Finishes with a tart, warm bite. Excellent saison.

Bottle, very generously shared by piscator34, thanks again Kris! Nose is dusty, very champagne-like, tart winter apples, rye bread, a suggestion of the sourness to come. Palate is dry, but not aggressively so, manages to be juicy despite the tart dryness, white peaches, yeast, lovely pervasive acidity, and a grippy minerality. Wonderful stuff.

75 cl bottle, Fargo, ND, via Chicago, with Jim, Whitney, Isabella and Kaarin. Cloudy, grapefruit juice colour with very little head. Cilantro and lime aroma; very carbonated and champagne-like. Bitter citrus flavor. Light finish, bread and pepper.

Sampled at the January Metro Detroit tasting. Thanks to whoever brought this! Poured a hazy orange with a red tint and a light brown head. Aroma was quite complex with a touch of tartness, and notes of floral and fruit. Flavor was tart at the beginning, but the finish was more fruity and earthy.