Fantôme Saison

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

I could rate this beer at different temperatures or at the beginning, middle, or end of the bottle. Exceptionally complex, and changes while I drink it. A cloudy orange beer with sediment. Aroma is barnyard yeast. Flavor has lots of orange but it is very light, if that makes any sense. Also weird, spicy undertones. Minimal dry hops, and a dry finish. Not as in your face as it might be, but a beer to spend some time with and drink slowly for an evolving experience.

Pours a hazy carbonated yellow with a white head. Sharp and spicy barnyard aroma with some cardboard and juniper. Spritzy and light on the tongue but with a good body also. Fruity with some pineapple and pear notes. Refreshing with some bitterness in the finish, lingering citrus flavors and no noticable alcohol. A slightly dirty note at the end detracts a bit. Very good though.

Bottle. Lemon and musty hay/grass aroma. Orange yellow color - cloudy with moderate head and effervescence. Slighty sweet cider flavor with mild citric bitterness and mustiness at the finish. Moderate carbonation. Unbelievable that this is 8%.

This is an odd saison. There is a definate fruity and spice character to the flavor, but I have a hard time figuring out exactly what the flavors are. There is also a slightly roasted flaver mixed in, which is very unusual for the style. Finish is dry. I personally prefer a more traditional saison, but this was still pretty good. Not quite worth the $9.00 a bottle my local shop is charging.

Sour citrus and strange indeciferable spiciness...seems like a strange cross between saison and gueuze. Lively tart carbonation and ending on a very dry note.

(Bottled, 0.75l) Opaque orange-golden color with a medium, firm and lacy head. Slightly sour, very lemony-fruity aroma with some spiciness and lots of fresh saazy-bitterness from the hops. No signs of alcohol. Very pleasantly refreshing, crisp-lemony-hoppy, slightly acidic, earthy and tart flavor. Medium-bodied, crisp and refreshing, bitter palate with mild acidity and slightly astringent underlying tartness. A beautiful, very drinkable and pleasant, fruity and mildly spicy saison with added features from Duvel and Urquell - and definitely not spoiled with sugar! The yeast sediment part is very ashy, quite stuffy and acidic - not nearly as pleasant as the top part.

big 750 mL bottle, that pours gold with some fizz. sourer than i thought it would be, with lots of grape and citrus fruits flavors and aromas. refreshing, being very light and dry, but a bit too tart and sour for my saison tastes.

Bottle. Cloudy golden with small head. Tropical fruit, funky, winegum, herbal and bitter ending, pleasently soft. Very nice.