Fantôme Saison

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

I attempted trying two bottles of Printemps and both were absolutely skunked. So I ended up getting the Saison. Not a bad beer, poured a cloudy golden with high carbonation. After I popped the cork, I instantly could smell the sweet aroma of mild spices and fruit, especially pear. I usually do not drink Saison’s, so I forget how complex the flavors can be. I really enjoy the citrus and fruity bite of pears and grapefruit. Great beer.

Bottle. Clear golden coloured with a white head. Aroma of fruits, berries and spices. Flavour of fruits, berries and spices.

Bouteille verte de 750 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur d’épices et d’agrumes. Apparence: La couleur est blonde voilée avec une forte densité de bulle. Présence d’un énorme col mousseux, d’un dépôt et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes, de poivre et de gingembre. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de pomme en arrière goût. (Rating #594)

[Bottled] Hazy golden. Striking aroma of pear and winegum. Medium sweet with wonderful, elastic mouthfeel. Juicy and intense, an ultraperfect world classic in it’s own style.

Either (a) I got a "dud"--there were no signs of this, as far as I could tell--(b) this beer isn’t up to par for its style, or (c) I can’t appreciate the "intentional sapidness" of this white, sharp styled saison. I’ll sample it one more time, per Svesse’s recommendation (below), but I truly doubt my bottle was tainted. On to the usual stuff: ostensible amounts of caked sediment, undistributed; color-wise, pours like a pilsner, with a faint white head (I always pour at extreme angles to avoid dampening the effervescence with rough pouring); has a pungent, citrice, "saison" smell, but the taste--unlike the Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux--is dulsome and blasé (for a Belgium ale, that is). Green bottle, capped and corked, 1 pt 9.4 Fl. OZ, 8% abv.

Slightly hazy yellow gold hue, with a frothy white head, leaving laces, yeasty nose showing a bubblegum accent, with spicy notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, ripe apples, earthy pale malt, floral herbs in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with yeasty, zesty, spicy characters, with an earthy grainy pale malt, ripe apples fruitiness, hint of acidity, faint floral hops, leading towards a subtle hops bittering finish

(Bottle, White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 23 July) Well, you never know what you’re in for when you get you hands on a bottle of Fantôme. It can be infected to the core and absolutely awful ... or it can be absolutely brilliant. If it’s bad ... well, you forgive and forget and go on in search of the next one. If it’s good it will save your day (or even month) and you realize it was worth hitting a few mines on the way. So what was this one like? When the bottle is opened, a large lump of sediment falls from the neck down to the bottom, disintegrating. Oh dear, is this really a good sign? Pours a brownish yellow colour, hazy, with an explosive white head, slowly diminshing. So did this survive? Nose is ... lovely! Fruity, acidic (a bit like a gueuze) and with loads of spicy hops, not a hint of vinegar or other suspicious notes. Taste is fruity, slightly acidic with pink grapefruit, a lovely spicy hop character and a hint of raspberry. Slightly harsh, but that goes with the territory. Long, hoppy, spicy finish. Oh dear, what a fantastic beer ... on a good day that is. And this was a very good day. Thank you very much. Looking forward to next one (probably after a mine or two).

Gold color – white thin head - sweet/sour apple, wheat , sea smell sharp nose - wonderful sour green apples, as well as sweet red apples well balanced – light fluffy body – aftertaste slightly bitter with black olives