Fantôme Saison

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

Pours an apple juice color of amber gold. Tons of sparkly carbonation rushing to form an acid-white head of better than two inches. Then poof! The carbonation is gone. Just like that. The bubbles continue to rise, vigorously at first, and then tapering off to almost nothing. Looking at the beer after it is in the glass for a couple minutes, you would think that it was flat. But its not. It is just throwing you the first of several curveballs. Very thin traces of lace hang around for the duration. Smell: Tangy sweet citrus. Then citrus spicy sweet. Then sweet-tart, like the candy of the same name. Then musty vinegary flowery. Every time I smell it, it smells just a little bit different. Now its apple juice and yeast... Now the flavor. More variations. I taste every combination that I mention above in the aroma department, but all with an underlying tartness that I find incredible (a tartness that the wife can’t stand, by the way). I swear I can sense a different flavor on every region of my tongue. And a sweetness on the roof and sides of my mouth where there aren’t even any tastebuds (right?). Now there’s somthing like peach pit, but sweetened. Peach pit? This beer is playing tricks with me. A complex, confusing, competitive, confounding, yet comforting confluence of flavor. A conundrum. Man I love this stuff!

Cloudy glowing golden color, nose of sour green apples, citrus. Has a spicy thing going on with green fruits (apple, pear, mango). Some dryness towards the finish. Complex and very enjoyable.

spicy yeast, saltiness, fruit in the aroma. Pours a cloudy golden yellow, thin head. Sour up front, smooth dry finish. Refined.

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.

My third 3.9 in a row!!!!!!!! haha Anyway, I liked this beer very much. A nice looking beer with a great big head. Smell is lightly funky, and a little unforgivably skunky. The flavor is spicy, and sharply bitter, with just a little funk. The beer has a mouth feel very similar to champagne.

This is fine stuff, worthy of kings, or beer swilling grad students. If they really give this kind of thing out on Belgian farms at lunchtime, sign me up for shit shoveling duty, chicken slaughtering, whatever you’ve got.

Cloudy amber, with a small dissipating white head. Sweet aroma with hints of apricots, some coriander, nutmeg. Mildly sour, sweet, some musty/farmy notes. Red licorices, bitter hints of the back of the tongue. Surprisingly wet palate, and amazingly refreshing for a beer that clocks in at 8%abv.

Thanks to my bro for tasting this brew! Pours a very cloudy straw color with white frothy head. Aroma is of yeast, light cherry, strawberry and citrus. Taste is of yeast, fruit (cherry, strawberry) and some light basement funk. Palate is nothing special IMHO. This beer, although not bad in any way, does not live up to it’s hype. The conflict between the flavors in it do not interest me at all.

8/22/03: on tap at Buckeye Brewing
pleasant yeast, floral and alcohol aroma. wonderful flavors of green apple with some yeast. tart, crisp, clean and oh so refreshing. loved it!