Fantôme De Noel - Brasserie Fantôme

RickS95

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks great as a winter warmer, rich dark brown with a thin, soft white head on top. The head doesn't last long, but leaves a nice creamy looking top to the deep brown beer.

Doesn't smell much like I expected, but for a saison it's right where it needs to be. Funky, fruity yeast, some white grape, Granny Smith apple, bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon.

Pretty hoppy taste, grapey wine-like, roasted bittersweet chocolate, a bit of alcohol in the finish.

Starts off sweet, but doesn't last long. It's bitter before you know it and lasts well into the swallow. The finish is dry and slightly tart. Medium bodied. A bit of heat at the end.

Kind of a strange beer. Like it can't tell if it wants to be a winter beer or a saison, so it's a little bit of both. Slightly more bitter than I care for for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:37:03 | More by RickS95

falloutsnow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 bottle purchased from Binny's in Schaumburg.
No 'bottled on date,' but "2011" on bottle lets you know the year.
Poured into a bowed-out pint glass with a column.

Into the glass, pours a rather voluminous, off-white head of small and medium-sized bubbles. These decrease within a few minutes, leaving some good lacing along the sides of, and a ring around, the glass. Body is a slightly cloudy brown-burnt orange color with some sluggish carbonation.

Aroma features prominent sweet maltiness with fruit esters, particularly of cherry, slight tangerine, and orange rind. Some tartness, from some Brettanomyces is also detectable, though not huge in presence.

Taste opens with sweetness tempered by some Brettanomyces burnt electrical flavor, which is noticeable, but not overpowering for me and even enjoyable. Sweet from malt and fruit esters, perhaps some cherry, overripe pear, and ripe fresh fig. A bit of yeast. Not picking up the spice that some others have mentioned, but thought that might have gone nicely. No notice of the supposed 10% ethanol ratio in this beer.

Medium bodied and carbonated well-enough to be enjoyably sippable. Carbonation a bit aggressive at first, but after a few minutes in the glass, I found this much more comfortable and pleasantly carbonated for the mouthfeel. Finish is semi-dry.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this beer. Was a bit worried that the Brettanomyces strain they used would be overpowering in the beer, but this turns out to have been a noticeable, but not bludgeoning use of that bacteria. Tasty all around, one I would have again (though the price $15.99 makes one have to think about it).

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 00:15:05 | More by falloutsnow

phichifiji00

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage.

Appearance: Amber, thick 3+ inches of off-white head that fades slowly. moderate lacing.

Smell: barnyard, citrus, earthy, grassy, lemon grass.

Taste: saison, spicy, earthy, citrusy up front, and some tobacco/leathery notes towards the finish.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, heavy carbonation, crisp, zesty.

Overall: A tasty saison. The tobacco/leather finish is very unique but enjoyable. Drinkability is high. Fairly complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 18:55:43 | More by phichifiji00

atomeyes

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a large bottle in Buffalo and drank it the following day.

Poured a beautiful strawberry blonde colour. nicely clouded with a head that quickly dissipated.

Its bouquet was fruity; hints of cherry with some lovely but not offputting funk.

Taste: I dig this more that most typical saisons. It had a funk or tongue-hanging bitterness to it that also carried traces of cherry. Sourness was minimal, but its there. The mouthfeel was slightly coating - almost cream-like - but I don't mind. I paired it with a home-made okra and tomato stew that had 2 chilis in it. It was a great yin to the spicy yang. Its slightly sweet, but the bretty funk keeps the sweetness to a minimum.

You cannot taste the 10% alcohol in here. Well hidden.

If you're looking for Saison Dupont, then no, this is not in the same family. Its funkier, fruitier, yeastier but downright delicious. We really enjoyed this drink and hope to stumble on it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:06:04 | More by atomeyes

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fantome Noel

Appearance: reddish-gold, medium head, and some good lacing.

Smell: yeast, nutmeg, and malty fruit base.

Taste: faint yeast, cherries, slight raisin, and a hint of sourness.

Mouthfeel: medium-light.

Overall:
This is a nice brew. The fruit flavor is good without being overbearing. Cherries are nice. The full flavor of a cherry is captured fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:25:27 | More by megahurts4

harrymel

Washington

2.53/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Unknown lot (no notches)

pours a good looking dark garnet with brown hues. A fine light latte foam sits atop. Fleeting sheets of lace fall. I'm smelling apple skins, nutty yeast, some nougat and a little metal.

The flavor follows with a bit more of the yeasty character and a hint of a raisin layer. A relatively doughy character, the beer is really yeasty. Even the mouthfeel is heavy, but with excessive carbonation and a dry finish.

This beer is interesting, but I'm likely not to purchase a second bottle. I've only had one other Fantome, and that was fantastic, but this one is not impressing me.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 09:04:00 | More by harrymel

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml green capped and corked bottle.

It pours a murky magenta brown with a fizzy white head that quickly dissipates with no lacing.

The smell is intriguing for sure. It has a port/sweet white wine type smell to it with also some berries. There is both sourness and funk in the smell as well as some spiciness and herbal character.

The flavor carries the port. It is caramally, rich, malty, raisiny, slightly boozy. There is still a good amount of tart berry and spices. The sourness is medium to high and the funk is abotu medium. Plenty of lemon acidity on the back end. Vinegar in the aftertaste.

Interesting one. Fantome has some really strange flavors but they are interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:52:55 | More by crossovert

womencantsail

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark mahogany color with a large off-white head. Not quite what I was expecting from the nose. A bit of sour dark fruit and herbal notes to go along with various spices, especially pepper. There is some sweetness of malt to it and maybe a bit of yeast. The flavor is sort of sweet and sour with a pronounced prune and raisin flavor. Some more of the herbal notes are there as are somewhat faint spices. Weird. Not really my favorite Fantome.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 21:55:23 | More by womencantsail

oline73

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet. This was opened during a New Years Eve Tasting.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a layer of fluffy off white head that fades to a ring.

Smell: Sweet malt with a strong fruity characteristic. The fruity notes remind me of banana, cherry, and some citrus. There is also a hint of tartness/sourness.

Taste: Light and sweet, there is a ton of fruit in this one. The cherry and banana from the smell are present. I'm also picking up some spices and the mild tartness. The finish is sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with very tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I love the fruitiness of this beer. Light and refreshing, I would definitely have another. This brewery hasn't disappointed me yet.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 03:01:28 | More by oline73

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

this should be a 2010/11 release.

pours a deep ruby reddish brown. very little creamy head.

some faint cherry and raisin with a slight booziness.

sweet, quite sweet. light fruit, such as raisin and maybe fig. light spice and funky malt.

moderate bite on the tongue

not much else to say about this, very subtle through out. could use some more boldness. for 10% ABV, seems a bit boring.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 23:47:56 | More by hooliganlife

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.45/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a murky red orange with a reddish head.

Smells of strong spices, some raisins and bready graininess. A little bit of tartness as well.

Flavor somewhat follows although everything kind of seems disjointed. Spices seem to fight with the normal grainy funky flavors.

A bit too light with a bit too much carbonation.

Some good stuff is present here, but this beer is very confusing. The flavors don't work especially well together.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 17:14:13 | More by jmarsh123

kscaldef

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Cork pops out rather eagerly. Attractive garnet brew, with a loose, 1-finger tan head that recedes in about a minute to a ring.

S: Malts and candy sugar. A little pepper, citrus rind, and cloves.

T: Sugar and spice and everything nice. Honestly, more like a quad than a saison. Some candy and fig. Finishes with a nice orange note.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Nice long linger.

O: Very enjoyable. Not at all what I expected based on other Fantomes, but delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 05:51:07 | More by kscaldef

bonkers

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I poured from a bomber into a SA perfect pint glass, murky orange pour with a moderate six=zed white head. The aroma is citrusy, spicey, light barn yard quality. The flavor is non offensive, light citrus, light grass, some spices, light funkiness, drying finish. The body is light, good carbonation(below average for a saison), no noticeable alcohol. A decent saison, although for $15 I am expecting beter than decent. I think I am just going to stick to his original saison instead of the differnt varities.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 00:37:45 | More by bonkers

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

2.1/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Muddy caramel color with a large, frothy, sand colored head. Head melts like Frosty in July and leaves only a spitwad skim floating around my glass.

Brown bread, anis, and raisin German stollen aroma. Messy.

Tastes as messy as it smells. Anis, bruised MacIntosh apple and not much else. Thin, fizzy mouthfeel wipes the palette too quickly.

I've come to expect engrossing, complex masterpieces from Fantome. This is a bummer.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 22:03:02 | More by donkeyrunner

MrOH

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Light mud with a single finger of light tan head. Not much in the way of lacing. Definitely not the prettiest beer to look at.

Kinda smells like fruitcake and pfefferneuse cookies dusted with cocoa. Some slight vanilla and molassas. Rich malts. A touch of barnyard. Reminds me of my grandmother baking Christmas cookies.

Earthy, malty, a lot of spice, a touch of citron. Sweet flavors, but a very dry beer. Light bitterness lingers for quite a while. Some cocoa in the back. Seems disjointed. Less than the sum of its parts.

Very light bodied, fairly high carbonation. Hides the alcohol very well.

My very first from Fantome, and while I'm glad I tried it, got what my impression of the Fantome experience could be: Aiming for greatness, but falling just short. Very disjointed. It just needs something to pull everything together, like maybe a bit of residual sweetness and a touch more mouthfeel. Then it would definitely give me some warm fuzzies from childhood. Quite a letdown at the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 00:47:38 | More by MrOH

larryi86

Delaware

2.75/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter

A- A clear red/brown color with a very small white head the disappears quickly.

S- Tart fruits, dark fruits, caramel malts, sugar, some funk, some spices.

T- A mess, funky with a hint of vinegar in the finish, tartness and fruit from the nose are muted, some spices, 10% ABV is very well hidden. Just a mess of muted flavors that are not coming together.

M- Light to medium body, low carbonation.

O- I feel that I might have gotten a bad bottle. This is the first beer I have had from Fantôme and it was not a good one. This is a very expensive drain pour but it will not stop me from trying more from Fantôme. Still not undrinkable, but for the money it cost I feel that it should be much, much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:41:42 | More by larryi86

Bendurgin

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks to Andrrewinski1 for sharing this one with me. Pours a copper brown color with about an inch of beige head. Nice soapy lace.

The aroma is a bit on the malty with hints of green apples and a little bit of funky yeast. The flavor has a noticeable Belgian yeast flavor to it with some apples in the flavor and a bit of caramel rounding it out. A little strange honestly.

The body is a bit on the light side with expansive carbonation. Kind of a strange saison. Probably my least favorite from Fantome.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:31:04 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. The color is dark amber. There is a largish off white head with some sticky lacing.

The aroma is full of tart plum and sweet malt, with some sugar.

The taste has some sugar and plum, with just a touch of tartness. This has a nice balance.

The body is on the lighter side of medium, with nice creamy carbonation.

This is nice and unique for a Christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:25:54 | More by andrewinski1

birchstick

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brownish red without much of a head. Nose is fruity with some musty sour tones (way more fruit and malt than spur). Taste is similar. Surprisingly nice maltiness fades to a subtle sour tone. Some small funk also comes into play at the end with some dey, dark fruits. Nice mouthfeel complements the beer well. Pretty good Christmas ale, worth a shot but maybe not worth the price point.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 03:19:41 | More by birchstick

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Fills the glass with a hazy and murky rusty orange/light brown body and crowned by a dense tan head that slowly fades and leaves plenty of sticky lace behind.

Aroma is a bit funky and yeasty upfront. Juicy fruit notes come in next before the sweeter caramelish malts come in.

Nice balance of flavors on the palate with a solid malt base that provides some sweetness and graininess. Green apple fruitiness as a nice sweet but tart aspect. As always with a Fantôme, the yeast gives you a good bit of barnyard funk and a some peppery spice.

Mouthfeel is the part that seems to be lacking in this beer. A bit thin but has a nice drying finish. Overall, another solid saison from one of the world best saison brewers however this one doesn't quite hold up against some of their other beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 00:56:52 | More by Kinsman

GJ40

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from a 750ml bottle in a chalice. Started at about 50 degrees.

A – Amber with good clarity and a small beige head that dissipates quickly.

S – Caramel and a variety of spices.

T – Fruit and caramel with several spice components. The spices overshadow some of the more typical Saison aspects. The 10% alcohol is very well hidden.

M – Silky and smooth with a moderately high carbonation.

O – I'm pretty new to Saisons, especially spiced Saisons, but this is clearly a flavorful and interesting beer. It's also very easy to drink. Great for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 22:49:38 | More by GJ40

mindspin315

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Glowing amber body and a small amount of head as it was poured but has settled to almost nothing. Carbonation streaming up the glass and moving all across the top like a mini whirlpool.

Big sour sweetness hits the nose right away. Medicinal tart fruit, peppery yeast spice/funky barnyard notes, and red wine vinegar.

Tart apples, plums, apple cider vinegar come out in the start. Red grapes, funk, must, dirt/soil, and raisins. Apple cider flavors and the mouthfeel is chalky like cider. Finishes with a candy like sweetness on the lips, spices from the yeast, and pretty dry sour aftertaste with a bready dough flavor. Alcohol is note detectable at all.

The aromas did not make me feel I was going to enjoy this beer all that much, but it was better than expected. Flavors/mouthfeel are a bit disconjointed though. Being pulled in multiple directions. To me this is not one of Fantome's better offerings. For some odd reason I want to buy another bottle of this, but will be moving onto some other Belgian holiday beers that I'd much rather drink or have yet to try.

[73/100]

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 07:14:32 | More by mindspin315

impending

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml into a tulip. Pours an uninspired murky dark walnut, minor tan head was slow to recede, minor lacing.

Incredibly complex aroma, a deep strong dark with dirt, sour grass, tart apple, a cornucopia of spices. The complexity resides in the high notes.

The flavor is chaotic. The tart and sour while in the forefront are mild, they sit atop a traditional strong dark. The aftertaste lingers long and evolves significantly. Warmth accentuates the sharp dryness in the finish. Perfect touch of the rustic. Medium bodied lively mouthfeel.

I understand what the other reviewers have written, both in praise and condemnation, this is a polarizing brew.
unique
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 05:16:29 | More by impending

GilGarp

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle with cap and cork served just cooler than cellar temp into a goblet.

Fantome Noel is a deep redish brown with fizzy white head. It settles very quickly leaving no lace.

Aroma is full of great Belgian yeast character overlaying a sweet caramel and chocolate malt base.

Flavor is a unique combination of the above with sweetness, spice, and funky yeast.

Mouthfeel is medium-light in body with more than ample carbonation.

Overall a good dark saison but most of the time I would prefer their traditional saison. Given the price it is really only worth having once.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 01:34:16 | More by GilGarp

SpdKilz

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A huge thanks to Patrick (kingkong) for this great extra. Cheers! Shared with my brother-in-law.

Appearance – Poured into a tulip with a rather hazelnut color and about two giners of slight off white head.

Smell – Saison like as expected: apple, white pepper spice, slight pear and barnyard funk/wet hay. Sweet fruits and just a hint of cocoa.

Taste – Similar to the taste. Something is a bit off here though I can’t explain it. Tastes like apples mixed with raisins and off-flavored barnyard funk. To be honest the tastes do not meld together that well.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, decent carbonation.

Overall – An interesting beer and one that I will probably not visit in the future. As with all Christmas seasonals (since I’m a dork and love trying them all) I am glad I was able to sample this. Thanks again Patrick!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:03:56 | More by SpdKilz