Fantôme Brise-BonBons - Brasserie Fantôme

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A light saison colour with little white head. A saison aroma bit also cidry. Higher carbonation than I am used to from Fantome. Bitter, sour, acidic, coriander. Drinkable but not as good nor common as I have come to expect from fantome. Bold in your face as always though. Drying finish.Thanks Viggo.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2006 02:37:51 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sunny mimosa with a splash of orange juice. The beer is lightly peppered with fine yeast and the occasional bubble can seen zipping up to a fantastic looking head. The alabaster colored crown, a study in Belgian beer excellence, is leaving one of the most extensive, stickiest lace displays that I've seen in quite some time. Whatever else it is, this is gorgeous beer.

The nose manages to meet the sky-high bar set by the appearance. It's different from any Fantome beer that I've smelled thus far, but still manages to smell like a Fantome beer, if that makes any sense. It's fruitier than most saisons and has a tropical vibe that I'm enjoying immensely. A whiff of yeasty funkiness is evident, although it's far from the defining characteristic.

Brise-BonBons! is wonderful beer in the wild and wacky way that only Dany Prignon can manage. A quick glance at the label tells me that he named it 'ball breakers' and intended it to be too bitter for the normal person to enjoy. Most of the hopheads I know aren't normal people, so where does that leave us?

I wonder whether this is one of the original bottles and is over a year and a half old, or whether it continues to be brewed and I got a relatively fresh one. It isn't overpoweringly bitter, so I'm guessing the former. No matter, it has held up remarkably well and is still much more bitter than the average saison. Assuming, of course, that a style like saison has any sort of consistent rules.

Noble hops are front and center, yet don't overwhelm the other members of the flavor profile. Lemon zest, lemongrass, unripe pears, tamed white pepper and clove make the biggest impressions on the palate. As with most all Fantome beer, Brise-BonBons! is dizzingly complex and its code is not easily cracked. Thankfully, I have 750 ml to try to figure it out.

Perhaps the best part about the beer is the interplay among bitter, sweet and tart. I'm enjoying letting them play off one another in interesting and varied ways as each (large) mouthful progresses. I have no idea what herbs and spices have been used, or whether any have been. I suppose it's possible that a killer yeast strain is responsible for the nearly limitless number of flavors, but I find it hard to believe.

The mouthfeel, while still good, isn't quite as wonderful as the rest of the beer. It's on the lighter side of medium and is nicely carbonated. It just doesn't have that buoyancy, that effervescence that I've come to expect in a world-class Belgian ale.

I wasn't too happy with my last beer from this brewery (Speciale de Noel). Thankfully, this one gets things back on track, reorders the cosmos to a place where Fantome beer is at or near the summit of brewing excellence. If I have one of the original bottlings, I hope to be fortunate enough to taste a more current batch. My balls are still intact, so I welcome the opportunity to test them against a fresh bottle of Brise-BonBons!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2007 21:56:55 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very cloudy and hazy with a huge billowing head of white coming up and over the top. Really nice carbonation could be seen streaming up toward the top of the glass and a light bit of sediment in the bottom. Light aroma, light spice, bananas and light grain, nothing really over the top here at all and very understated. The taste was a bit bigger, grainy with a light fruit hint to it, but still nothing that is terribly over the top. Good, but not great. Light dry finish with a hint of peach and pear as it rolls out.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 03:32:35 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The pour is a cloudy orange color with a big white head that sticks to the glass quite nicely.

S: A strong yeast and funk aroma to the nose with some green apples, lemon zest, pepper, wood, and some mild skunk. There's a touch of grapes, and maybe some grapefruit or orange peel.

T: The flavor is quite strong. It's surprisingly bitter and hoppy for a saison, and particularly a Fantome saison. Fruits on the front end: peaches, grapefruit peel, and lemon zest. The back end has some skunk, alcohol, yeast, and bitter grassy hops.

M: The body is medium with a medium, lively carbonation.

D: I wasn't terribly fond of this beer to begin with, but it started to grow on me the more that I drink

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 04:25:33 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Darrell at the recent Fantome mega-tasting. Served in a Fantome tulip. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice golden color with a bit of an apricot hue. Nice white head with some ringy lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward a good dosing of lemon and citrus plus a bit of light earth. Mild acidity to the flavor along with lemon and citrus. Almost like a Saison d'Erezee Ete-light. Light body with great carbonation. Winner all around.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 12:09:50 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a cloudy light amber color with a prodigious head that few but Fantôme
can produce; sheets of lacing all over the place

Smell: Unripe pear, white pepper, lemon and clove; very rustic, with pronounced herbacious aromas

Taste: Although there is a touch of perfumey sweetness that persists throughout, this is an aggressively bitter and funky beer; bready, with a variety of pear fruit flavors up front; the bitter spices pick up at mid-palate, with lots of lemon and pepper as well; after the swallow, the sweet, tart and funky flavors blend together but lean toward a herbacious, almost naturepathic medicinal flavor

Mouthfeel: Medium body with heavy, and prickly, carbonation

Drinkability: Not my favorite among the Fantômes, this is an interesting beer, but the more I tasted it the less I enjoyed it

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 02:17:33 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a very hazy dark orangey color ale with a huge foamy off-white head with perfect retention. Aroma of funky yeast with a side of horse blanket is very attracting. Taste is a mix between some sweetness and strong malt presence, sourness and funk from the yeast are just plain great and the slighter bitter hops finish is very rewarding. Body is quite full and alcohol is well hidden. Another masterpiece in this brewery line-up.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2006 15:05:08 | More by Phyl21ca

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

There's a sumo wrestler in a desert landscape speaking French. Whatever, let's drink it...

Hazed pale orange, brobdignagian bone-white froth, slowly settling.

Funky fresh aroma. Tart. Fruity. Lemons and apricots. Ginger and pepper.

Smooth entry on the palate, though the taste is entirely an odd animal here, utterly quixotic. A crazychop blend of spices and fruits, tart and sweet, zesty and tangy, and altogether refreshing. Bracing bitterness, who knows how much hops, swirling into the combined effect of all these other flavors.

Taste again: sweet, then sour, then mellow, fading, but citrus kick hanging on and lessening some...taste again: soft, sour, spicy, orange, mellow, cool, yum...
Taste again: lemon and spice, and super smooth.

A masterful, flavoful brew. A nice time spent with a bottle of Belgian beer.

(thanks to bditty187)

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2006 10:17:28 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared by Darrel and set up against a couple of dozen different Fantome beers one night in the woods outside of DC. We won't talk about the rest.

Beer is gold with a bit of haziness, lacing is good from this white head of small bubbles.

Lots of lemon / citrus in this one too, but not as strong as the blanche, earthy, sulfury almost like hops.

This was one of the "tart" ones, it is mildly sour with a little late acidity, i liked this one. It was very similar to the ete, which is another good one. I would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:40:17 | More by drabmuh

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy copper color that is topped by a frothy, almost three finger thick, pale tan head. The aroma is sharp and herbal with a bit of grassiness thrown into the mix as well; it is purely driven by hop aromatics. Though as I get used to the aromas a bit of soft fruitiness starts to pick through; notes of green apple and a hint of pear.

The taste is lightly sweet up front, but quickly takes on a sharp hop bite that leads to an herbal, astringent bitterness in the finish. There is some definite yeast driven flavors as well, including a light, mouth drying almost cotton ball-like, funkiness. There is a definite fruitiness here that the hops are trying to drown out, but can't quite do: I get notes of tart apples, pears and perhaps a hint of sour plums. Seems that Dany did not make this quite hoppy enough, I still get plenty of Saison like characteristics, though it is certainly is hop dominated. There are quite a bit of earthy spiciness here with notes of black pepper, a hint of allspice, perhaps even a hint of nutmeg.

The interesting thing about this beer is that this was supposed to be an unbalanced hop attack of a beer, yet it is instead quite a bit more balanced than perhaps many American hoppy beers. The upfront, characteristic, Fantôme fruitiness, and that touch of earthy spiciness really balances the hop character, especially as the beer warms up a bit. A spectacular failure, indeed!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2005 04:48:20 | More by Gueuzedude

Gavage

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: clear dark orange in color with a creamy 2" head that lingers. Nice lacing develops.

Smell: muskiness, alcohol, and a bit of bitterness.

Taste: definitely wrapped in a big musky blanket, flavors such as caramel, tart green grapes, plums, green apples, and a strong spicy bitterness. Alcohol is definitely noticeable, but provides some balance.

Mouthfeel: crisp and extremely dry from start to finish. The bitterness dominates the aftertaste. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: very interesting beer that grew on me as the bottle finished. I probably could have had another glass or two in the session.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2006 14:07:34 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml cork-capped bottle:

Pours deep amberish golden with a thin off-white head that leaves plenty of lacing.

The smell is of lemon with spicy yeast - as is common with the brewery, the spiciness is a bit tough to describe, but smells wonderfully refreshing - this one in citric bitter sort of way.

The taste is of lemon and citrus - bitter with some sweet and sourish notes underneath giving it a wonderful balance while putting the bitterness in the front. An awsome yeast strain adds to the complex enjoyment of it - spicy, slightly peppery breadiness. There's a rounded herbal bitterness in the finish.

It is super smooth and creamy. Light-bodied with a creamy texture and a refreshing effervescence help to make this dangerously drinkable. Alcohol is very well-hidden.

This has a nice bitter touch that is wonderfully balanced. Highly drinkable. Very enjoyable. Another winner here from an outstanding brewery!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2008 01:18:21 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am drinking a 750 mL bottle poured into The Chimay goblet.

Appearance: Amber colored ale pours into the goblet with small-ish head that leaves an acceptable amount of lace. The ale is hazy, but there are no big chunks of sediment or yeast visible.

Smell: A musty natural smell is evident, as are undertones of fresh fruit and pepper.

Taste: There is a hop presence in the taste that quickly transitions into a funky, earthy taste that is as once refreshing and mouth-puckering. For an 8% brew, the alcohol is remarkably well hidden.

Mouthfeel: This ale sits very nicely on the palate. The spices and fruit flavors mix nicely together and give the ale a good feeling.

Drinkability: I think that this ale is very drinkable, although at 8%, caveat emptor.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2005 02:21:33 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a foggy gold with almost no head even off a very firm pour. Nose is typical yeast but a bit more sugar. Nice earthy qualities on the edge there too. Flavor is very hearty and earthy. Somewhat sugared since it has a touch of a sweet edge to it. Feel is a bit thin. Not as "meaty" as I would have liked. Overall pretty drinkable. another solid saison from Fantome.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 02:26:10 | More by RblWthACoz

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was happy to find this one still available a few days after the Blind tiger's saison event. Gotta love Fantome on tap at the Tiger! Anyway, this one poured a cloudy dull golden, supporting a white head and leaving fine, wispy lacing. Nose was multi-faceted, pepper, must, barnyard, earth.
This one hit me as being quite sour.certaintly notions of lambic running around in this concoction. Sort of a lactic, yeasty, wheaty, saisony, Belgian taste missile. Nice peppery spice thing also going on. Tasty, complex, intriguing, not a beer for everybody, but I loved it. Viva Fantome!

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2005 04:43:34 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

2.78/5  rDev -33%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From 06/25/11 notes. Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Bruery tulip. Unfortunately I do not know the vintage of this bottle, but I'm pretty sure it is very old.

a - Pours a clear orange color with one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident. Leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of heavy bready malts and fruity malts. Very sweet smelling, and a little bot of cardboard. A bit oxidized.

t - Tastes again of bready malts, sweet fruity msalts, and cardboard. I think this one is a bit past its prime.

m - Medium body and light carbonation. A little bit creamy, but undercarbonated.

o - Unfortunately I think this bottle was past it's prime. I picked it up at a store that has Belgian beers cellared back to 1991 that also had a bit of a sweet bready/cardboard taste to them, so I'm guessing this bottle is 10+ years old. Going to have to try and find a more recent bottle to re-review/update, but I'd stay away from older vintages of it.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 15:00:28 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light fizzy head, hazy golden orange peach color.

Nose has tons of fruit and Belgian malts, light candi sugar, bit of booze, light spices, touch of funk, bit of white raisin, brown sugar, ester, Belgian yeast fruits.

Taste has some esters to start, bit of booze, semi sweet with a bit of candi sugar, light spices, hint of anise, light fruit and citrus, white raisin, hints of aged hops, a nice light funk, saison, Belgian malts, spicy and tingly.

Mouth is med to heavier bodied, lots of carbonation.

Overall great, not as amazing as I expected but tasty, nice Belgian malts and hints of funk but I wish there was more, and its a bit estery.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 19:01:22 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a murky amber toned orange with a nice white head that slowly fades into a smal white film. Seems unfiltered with some floaters dangling around in the brew. Scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is earty, musty, funky, with that Fantome saison yeast, along with bitter lemon zest and light grassiness.
Taste seems equal to the aromas with a nice sugary citrus blast standing out.
Mouthfeel is smooth, sugary, with grated lemon peel bitters hanging around the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2005 18:04:16 | More by weeare138

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Sam's in Chicago, they always seem to have a few different Fantomes on hand, enjoyed with one with DrJay, grub, northyorksammy, and biegaman.

Pours a cloudy amber, thick white head, settles to a layer, sticks, nice lacing. Smell is sweet, sour, cider, roange, and citrus, some funk, bit of alcohol. Taste is toffee, citrus, yeast, sweet middle, citrusy sour funk, bitter acidic finish, nice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, very smooth and easy to drink. Fantome never disappoints!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2007 05:40:47 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Kind of a glowing orange body. Thick looking. Quite hazy. Cigarette stained white head. Great blend of musty yeastiness, fruitiness (nectarines/apricots) and hoppiness on the nose. The aroma is earthy and hearty as many of Fantome's brews are. The earthiness translates onto the buds nicely. Grassy hop notes are definitely present. As is a bitterness not usually associated with Fantome (or Belgian brews in general for that matter). A little acidity is noted and paired with its accompanying tartness. But it's very low key. Lemon zest and orange rind come into play as well. Hop derived in all probability. This is nice tasting for sure. The mouthfeel is soft. Just a little bit of a prick from the CO2. Body is approaching medium. All in all this is another solid brew from Fantome.

Many thanks to my freind in Long Beach...Darren.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2006 03:07:27 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy dark orange color with a two finger frothy white head that slowly fades into a lasting cap/ring. Streaks of chunky lacing left behind.

Earthy aroma with lots of funky saison character along with some earthy hops, light fruit and zesty spice. Musty and slightly vegetal with hints of grass, straw and wet hay along with subtle apple, pepper and bready yeast.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation and a slightly creamy texture that counters that earthy/funky saison character. Slightly dry with some musty barnyard funk that's mildly bitter with some earthy hops, bready yeast, zesty spice and light fruit. Excellently balanced, complex and extremely quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 09:50:01 | More by corby112

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750ml capped and corked bottle purchased from K & L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA. Brought back to share with Sam & Rich during our Fantôme tasting day.

Pours a very light and pleasantly clear golden hue, with a frothy, messy and rather sticky head of pure white, bubbly foam. Lacing is chunk and forms honeycombed patterns across the inside of the glass. Some fine carbonation, but surprisingly little. Body is quite light. It looks quite refined, but a little bit aloof, like it has hidden secrets.

Nose is smooth, classic and very pleasant. Slight green vegetative bite, with a smooth, rounded Belgian yeast overtone. Light, lilting citrus characters, with an underlying sweetness that gives a sherbet or fairy-floss undertone. It's really very nice, if lacking some real bang.

Taste is clean and crisp, with some mild lemon pith characters around the edges of the palate, and a direct, mildly bitter note through the centre. Some peppery characters come through on the end, along with the first truly earthy, rustic character—but even then it's quite subdued for a Saison; it comes through as a strong Belgian golden ale would.

Feel is light, but a little bit acidic: even though there's not a lot of tartness or true acidity in the flavour.

Overall, this is a really very nice Saison indeed. It's clean and fragrant and classic, and superbly refreshing. It's light, but it has subtle complexity throughout. A real winner, as far as I'm concerned.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 05:10:52 | More by lacqueredmouse

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a murky tangerine orange with a foamy, bubbly off white head. There were tiny micro-bubbly carbonation streams steadily rising upwards from the bottom of the glass.

S: slighty yeasty, yielding soft perfumy notes of fresh oranges and lime. There was some herbal spiciness of basil and oregano as well.

F: yeasty, with musky dry oranges. There was a definite peppery spiciness to the flavor right in the middle of the palate. There was some celery and a slight grassiness in the finish as well a soothing light sourness of oranges lacing the tongue.

M: The mouthful was medium bodied with an oily texture, soft carbonation and a yeasty dry lacing.

D: Drinkability was incredibly smooth with a gentle fade of dry orange sourness leaving you wanting more. As always with fantomes brews, the last sip is as intriguing as the first.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 02:16:08 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy, almost cloudy, caramel yellow with a fine, white head. Lots of lacing from this one, pretty much from start to finish. Interesting aroma - a combination of coriander, cider, fruit, citrus, bready yeast, with a bit of earthiness. Nice flavour too, with some apple and yeast, mild acidity, and more citrus than expected. Medium bitterness. Low carbonation with a lightish body. It finished with a bit of dryness on the palate. This beer was super easy to drink and felt lighter than it was. The mild yet interesting flavours made it quite enjoyable. Thanks for sharing Viggo!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2006 22:33:25 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle with an odd label. Sumo wrestler...
Pours with some head, a clouded sandy orange in colour. This is a real smelly one! Aroma full of soft orange rind with malt and coriander. Quite pleasant once you give it a swirl and let the air get to it. A pretty low carbonation for a saison, almost syropy at times. A light sourness in the back of the mouth, it really only creeps up right before swallowing. Sourness compliments the flavours well. Some light funk, but otherwise nothing too explosive in the taste department. Still though, a fantastic mouthfeel and great finish. No alcohol detected at any point. Recommended.
Big thanks Viggo!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2007 17:28:05 | More by biegaman