Fantôme Pissenlit - Brasserie Fantôme

rye726

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful, hazy straw with a silky white head. Very nice lace.

Nose has crisp fruity malts, musty wood, manure, horsebalnket, flower, sour yeast and white wine grapes

Taste has tart citrus fruits, sweet candy malts, floral herbs and barnyard funk. Quite complex yet superbly balanced.

Clean, refreshing body is delicately carbonated. Nice dry, acidic finish. Perfect example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 07:37:40 | More by rye726

HiroProtagonist

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fantome Pissenlit was served from a 750 corked and capped bottle dated spring 2003. The cork was fine-textured, instead of the usually choppy-textured cork. When the beer was poured into a Duvel tulip, an ample sticky white head rose, then settled down leaving excellent lacing. Brilliantly golden-orange and semi-transparant, the beer was a radiant beacon of light, attracting the attention of others in the room. The nose was fascinating, with the expected Fantome sourness carrying with it the fresh flowery aromas of dandelions, honey, and lime-orange citrus. This bouquet of smells became more pronounced and complex as the beer warmed. The beer was a masterwork of flavor...clean and refreshing, yet bold and balanced. The moderately sour silky malt body quickly releases a carbonated barrage of lemon-lime-orange citrus flavor, then very slowly melts into a molten malty zippy finish with a touch of bitterness. There was so much more going on here that I can't seem to describe, but I can say that it is totally captivating. The body was wonderfully silky and smooth, which balanced out the acidity well, and made for a satisfying finish. Again, Fantome has tugged at the heart of my soul. The work of a genious.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2004 04:02:35 | More by HiroProtagonist

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Well, its my birthday. Might as well break into this bad boy. Might hit up an Oud Beersel Kriek later too.

Really great looking beer. Really awesome deep orange color. When held up to the light it is a bright burning intense red. Very high carbonation leaves a massive pillow of a head that has yet to subside after 5 minutes. The bubbles are still flooding out of the etched D of my Duvel glass.

Really amazing nose. Get some nice burnt candi sugar notes that are fairly subdued. But up front I get a touch of earthy musty scents that I think this brewery is so well known for. I might even detect some lobster in there. I know that's weird, but its just what I smell. EDIT: but after tasting the Fantome Saison, this thing tasted as clean as a munich lager in comparison.

Very nice taste, but not the 'exceptional' taste I was expecting, but 4.5 ain't shabby. Fairly mellow beer with a very well rounded pallette. Starts very smooth with some nice sweet candi notes, passes through a nice mellow fruity phase and finishes with a vegetal like astringency (not that astringent) that is quite nice. Maybe its hops but I doubt it. I imagine it might be the dandelions. But who knows??

Perfect mouthfeel. Really right on the money. Creamy without being thick. I like it. the intense carbonation also helps bring the beer to life.

Dangerously drinkable. Not cloying at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2004 00:35:53 | More by cerevisiaephilus

Beerenauslese

California

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Body is amber gold. Poured to a half-inch head, the head dissipates quickly into a cap and ring. Slight amount of lacing.

Smells of wild sourness, green grass, and flowers, with a little sweet brown sugar in the background. Quite delightful although subtle.

Tastes of tart apples and lemon peel, then has a nice long dry green grassy/vegetal finish.

The body is light and the carbonation is fizzy. Together with the acid level, this makes for a very refreshing beer. I'd like it to be just a bit more carbonated. As it is, it is tasting quite like a dry champagne.

This is a very tasty and drinkable saison. Really quite outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 02:48:16 | More by Beerenauslese

ark57

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2003 Bottling - It pours an orange gold with a slight haze and a thin creamy head. The aroma is funky with some yeastiness and the impressions of tartness. The bubbles of the carbonation are tiny and dance over the tongue. It has floral and citrus (mostly lemon) notes. It is slightly acidic and has a dry almost tart like finish. There is also a bitterness that is reminiscent of a bitter vegetable. I guess this is the dandelion coming out. I have never had dandelions in any fashion before, but now I think I have an idea what they taste like. A great refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2004 17:08:30 | More by ark57

Dspohn

California

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle enjoyed at Red Feather in Boise ID, I'd been wanting to try a saison from Fantome for quite awhile so finding this one in Idaho was a treat. 2008 vintage.

Poured hazy peach in color with an inch of nice bubbly white head that settled into a collar and left little lacing.

The smell has a large floral character with additional spicy yeast, earthy barnyard, sweet green apple and grapes. Some cheese-like funkiness also present. Light hop presence

The best tasting saison I've ever had. Sweet floral nectar balanced with bitter floral/earthy hops and tart green fruit (apples, grapes). More fruit presence than I was expecting from the smell, peaches, grapes and something similar to Rainier cherries? Wonderful. Plenty of earthy, funky, animalistic yeast that I look for in all top-tier belgian saisons. Tartness and sweetness meld perfectly, with a slighlty bitter and dry finish. Solid mouthfeel overall, light and bubbly for an 8% beer.

I loved it, one of my new favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:41:46 | More by Dspohn

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A short head of frothy white foam resides over a hazy orange body. Its very fine, natural carbonation helps it to maintain a creamy collar and lacy surface covering throughout the glass; and it leaves some minimal short-lived lace with each sip. The nose is floral, grassy and somewhat citrusy with a touch of "barnyard"; and it exhibits some fruit and a touch of sweetness as well. It's bright, interesting, and invigorating with a bit of complexity. The body is medium/light with a delicate, natural carbonation from bottle conditioning that gently caresses the palate before fading smoothly away. The flavor offers an incredible balance between lightly sweet malt and gently tart yeastiness on either side of a distinctly grassy, herbal, and floral character. It finishes dry, and a touch powdery, with a short lingering fruity-sweetish-tart malt note and some low-key herbal and delicately spicy-grassy hops. It's a really interesting beer that appears at first to be more than it is; reveals it's true self upon tasting; and then displays more complexity than it alludes to while still remaining very straightforward. It's quite drinkable, and most enticing. An impressive beer that should be on the "must have" list of any Belgian beer fan.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2003 03:36:33 | More by NeroFiddled

cjgator3

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle

A- Pours a somewhat dark orangish amber color with a thin off-white head that quickly turns into a thin lace around the glass.

S- The aroma is simply fantastic. It is sour, musty, earthy and floral. Very saison/farmhouse like. 

T- The taste starts out tart with some citrus and some earthy/musty notes as well. There is also a nice dry malt backbone. Well done! 

M- The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with a low amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, another fantastic brew from this great brewery. A must try if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2010 04:37:51 | More by cjgator3

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Capped-and-corked 750ml bottle bought in Portland. Paid $14.49 for the bottle. Split into our pair of Fantome tulips and shared with my wife TulipSnifter.

A: Papaya nectar with a couple fingers of white head. Recedes to a full cap that sticks around for a while. No lacing, but some surprising legs show up well. 4/5

S: Bright and bruising lemon-lime zest. A wonderful sourness reminiscent of lambic is exciting. I can hardly recognize this as a saison, but I look forward to tasting it none the less. 4.5/5

T: Intensely sour! Oh boy is this nice. The slightest dose of earth funks it up a bit. Saison esters, cucumber skin, and some grape seed liven this up. A great saison. Possibly my favorite bottle of Fantome yet. 4.5/5

M: Appropriately moderate body with fine carbonation reminiscent of champagne. Clean and dry finish. Perfection. 5/5

O: In the world of beer, some are bad, some are good, and some are flat-out ugly. Very rarely do I come across a beer that is borderline a transcendent experience. This is one of those. Memories of this bottle may very well haunt me for some time if the other ones I bought don't live up to this level. 5/5

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 09:12:22 | More by hopsbreath

cokes

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Muddy apricot bronze with a modest bleached tan foam.
Nose is plump with caramel breads, cilantro, farm, lime juice, and a noticeable, reedy dandelion bitterness.
Enters with grainy bread notion, with tickles of spiciness that suggest rye. Later, it solidifies into a sweeter, moister notion of sourdough and caramel. Light almond skin nuttiness, followed with a wash of lingering lemon juice tartness. Earthier and funkier from here on out. Quavering mineral astringency, dirty linens, mushrooms, and coriander. Rides out with a weedy floral hue that can only be associated with the dandelions.
Medium bodied, but with its gentle, steady carbonation, this is nearly as solid a quencher as it is an experience.
Hats off to Fantome, once again. Likewise to Bighuge, for coming through with this weed.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2005 18:54:26 | More by cokes

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer poured into the chalice crystal clear golden amber with an off white head which rose tall and fell very slowly to lace the glass.

The aroma was interesting with earthy hop presence and a very slight citrus note and a bit of grass thrown in for good measure. The aroma contained a muted caramel and a light fruitiness. Belgian farmhouse ale yeast aroma was present but at a very low level.

The flavor was very nice and light with a low grassy flavor and a very well done earthiness that was expressed in the bittering and the flavor. The bittering was just to the level to be noticeable and balance the malt. The malt has a low caramel flavor. All the flavors melded well in the beer for a nice complexity. A light spice was also present.

The finish was dry with lasting earthy and slight grassy flavors that dry out further to a very light spice in the finish. The body was medium and the carbonation well done. There was only a slight bit of farmhouse in the aroma and another slight bit in the flavor. A very easy drinking beer with no indication of the alcohol level.

750 ml capped and corked bottle. Number on bottle is handwritten in ink marker and is #836 I have no idea who put this on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2005 23:19:29 | More by GCBrewingCo

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The 2003 Pissenlit. The beer that made me fall in love with Fantome. At Max's today. Alas, I did not pay $8 for it at Max's.

The beer pours a cloudy honey color, but with the usual specks of God knows what floating about. There is virtually no head retention or lacing. On the nose, one gets lemon, straw, apple cider, fresh mown grass and light honey. The beer smells very nice, but on the palate.... there is an initial blast of sour lemon and cardboard, followed by honey, a touch of bitterness and hay. Only Fantome could make a beer with this kind of flavor. Amazing. Mouthfeel is smooth and long, probably all the more so as the carbonation is pretty low. There is almost a sweet and sour, ice tea flavor component to this beer. The 8% alcohol level is meaningless in this beer. I know it's there, but I get no sense of it.

Dreamy. Exceptional. Fantome.

Note: Had to go back and up the appearance score a bit. While there was no head or retention to speak of initially, a second pour revealed a much more lively beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 21:17:34 | More by johnmichaelsen

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750ml capped and corked bottle purchased from K & L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA. Brought back to Sydney, where I shared it with Rich and Sam for our Fantôme tasting day.

Pours a mildly hazed but very pleasant deep golden colour, with a fine bit slightly filmy head of white. The head really only consists at the edges, forming some pocked bubbles in a pleasant ring, but feeling a little lacklustre elsewhere. Body is solid and holds some nice carbonation. Some patchy but inconsistent lacing. Not one of the better looks of the Fantôme range.

Nose is pleasant and clean, with a mild chamomile sweetness and a slightly green herbal quality. Clean and very pleasant funk comes through lending some crispness and a touch of acidity. Underneath is a very nice sweetness, almost a honey character: this is subtle, but it really provides a lovely basis for the other characters. Very pleasant indeed.

Taste is also very good: clean, light, really well-balanced acidity, bouncing off the other complexities that flit and dive in and out of the palate. There's herbal qualities, sweetness, faint pepper, even a pleasant carbonic character that works very nicely with the beer. Pearskin rounds it out, but really, the flavour keeps going for much longer, with a dance of acidity and tartness cavorting right to the very end. Lovely stuff.

Feel is great: smooth but with a clean acidity to cut through it very nicely.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer. It's so refreshing and very, very drinkable. 8% ABV? Not a hint of it: this looks like a clean, summer session beer, and seriously I would drink it as such. It's so very, very drinkable and so very delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 06:58:21 | More by lacqueredmouse

nickfl

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Pours with one finger of white head on top of a hazy, golden body. The foam shows decent retention and leaves nice lace.

S - Earthy spice notes with strong honey/chamomile character. Peppery yeast and some bready malt with a hint of toffee.

T - Tangy wheat with spice notes of pepper and chamomile up front. Sweet, bread like pilsner malt in the middle with a huge note of earthy, wild honey. Unrefined sugar and more pilsner malt blend with the spices and honey in the finish and are balanced by moderate acidity.

M - Medium body, high carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - As usual, Fantome has created a unique and enthralling drinking experience with this beer. The honey character is huge and complex with an earthy, wild note that is evocative of both chamomile and really good mead. The yeast lends spicy notes that stick to the background, but manage to add a layer of complexity. There is also a significant level of sourness from the bugs that seem to make their way into every Fantome beer and it helps immensely with balance and drinkability. Highly recommended, this is exceptional even for Fantome.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 08:49:54 | More by nickfl

Mora2000

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle provided by blutt59 and tasted at thirdeye11's birthday tasting.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a minimal white head. Strong saison smell with some light funkiness and some citrus. The taste has a little funk and quite a bit of citrus, mainly lemon. Great drinkability and very refreshing. Very dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 22:33:50 | More by Mora2000

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pissenlit 2003, 750ml bottle, capped and corked. This brew pours a light yellow colour with a small, whispy head. The aromas are floral, slightly hoppy, and lambic funky. The taste is a wonderful combination of lambic-like sourness, floral hoppiness, and background maltiness. The mouthfeel is light and fluffy and the drinkability is excellent, especially as this beer warms up. The dandelion taste really shines through in the finish of this beer. Don't drink this stuff too cold!!!

F

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2003 14:07:09 | More by francisweizen

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep scarlet red/mahogany tone. Fairly clear. Thick crop of eggshell white foam on top. Retention is excellent. Lacing is quite full and comes in sheets.The aroma is quite lemony. Lemongrass comes to mind. Leather as well. Tart fruits, yeast and dough. It runs the gamout. Very nice. The taste follows through. Although not as tart as the nose lead me to believe. Lemon Pepper. Spiced up dough. A little tart cherry. Some acidity. Yeasty, stale mustiness. Nice farmhouse character. Body is somewhat light and the mouthfeel is fluffy. Quite drinkable and quite enjoyable. Another winner from Fantome.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2004 04:53:35 | More by Bighuge

twelvsies

Maine

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Excited to try this one... appears a tawny brown color with some glints of red in there, and a huge thick and rocky head on top, and I can tell it's not going anywhere. Smells at first like sweet apples, but is then followed by a barrage of zesty spices; corriander, a hint of black pepper, and some nice floral hops, maybe Hallertau? I'm not a hop expert but I think I'm starting to recognize this one. Taste is excellent!! Yes!! I love this style... nice and zippy. The sweet apple taste is there but more subdued. The zesty tartness takes over. Lemon rind, dust, fresh cut grass (probably due to the dandelions) and a sourness take over. Really really complex, yet subtle, allowing all the flavors to come across one by one. Super dry finish caps of an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. Rather airy, but with some slick substance to it, not too light. You gotta try this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2005 01:46:24 | More by twelvsies

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This brew is beter than I remember it. It pours a very dark straw color with a huge pillowy head that falls to a very healthy coating over the top and leaving a ton of lace as it falls. The nose is nice. Lots os citrusty lemon, some vegetable aromas, and some slight earthyness. The flavor is very nice, with a big lemoney burst to start, moving to a tart spike, falling to a vegetable and earthy finish. The feel is moderate, with a moderate carbonation. It works very well with the flavor. A very good beer for this warm day. Drinkability is excellent. Its very smooth and easy to drink. No hinot of 8% alcohol at all. Good show. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2005 19:33:51 | More by kmpitz2

JoeQuinn1

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours with no head. A copper orange color.

Smell: Definite brettanomyces smell. straw, orange creamsicle, grassy herbal.

Taste: Sour at first with a dandelion backbone. Very crisp and refreshing.

Mouthfeel: This is my favorite part about this beer. Supersour at first, then diminishing tartness. High "Snappy across the palate" as Ryan from Cavalier Dist. says.

Drinkability: Awesome. Not just awesome. Fucking awesome. Perfect for sitting out on the porch on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 15:59:52 | More by JoeQuinn1

russellcricket

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bought at Healthy Spirits in San Fransisco. Poured from 750 into saison dupount mini tumbler.

Cloudy straw appearance with one inch white head that disipated rather quickly.

Smells of sourdough bread, lemon, Brett funk. One of the most enticing saison sniffs I've had.

Ripened meyer lemon and subtle earth initiate the palate and a sweeping light tingle of carbonation sweeps though twoard a dry sour geuze-like finish.

This is an exceptionally unique saison I am looking forward to having this beer again as soon as I see it around.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 19:16:02 | More by russellcricket

DovaliHops

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden-orange color with a medium-large, frothy, white head that sticks around for a bit. Scent is INSANELY funky. Tons of funk from when the cork was popped. A lot of lemon zest and grassy notes. Also has a bit of floral hop scents. Taste is not what I was expecting. This is quite tart for a saison. Not sour, but pleasantly tart. I love it! It's a nice, complex blend of barnyard funk, lemon, sour apple, spices, Belgian yeast, and grass. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and finishes nice and dry. Alcohol is NOWHERE to be found. Drinkability is scary high. Overall, this is one of the best saisons I've ever had. Another amazing offering from Fantome! Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 05:09:43 | More by DovaliHops

rallison

California

4.47/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from Keg N Bottle in Isla Vista for $12.99.

Very curious to try this beer. An 8% saison brewed with dandelions? Interesting, to say the least. Pours a nice ruby amber color with a 1 finger off-white head that lingers around and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

First smell is surprising - this beer is over 3 years old now? A touch of slightly funky (in the good way) Belgian yeast with pretty fresh floral and earthy smells. Well, this thing smells delicious, lets see how it tastes..

First taste I am immediately impressed with the smoothness and the dandelion flavor. I don't think I've ever tasted dandelion (although tis possible..), but the flavor here is just like dandelion smells. It's an enjoyable sweetness. A touch of sweet toffee here too. Finishes with just the smallest touch of tartness that is quickly replaced by the dandelion on the finish. All these flavors are pretty delicate, so make sure you don't serve this one too cold - I could really see it all come apart at a colder temperature.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Rich and smooth, with a slightly lingering aftertaste of sweetness.

Drinkability is quite exceptional on this. Quite easy to drink.

Highly recommended. A pleasant surprise after reading some of the reviews.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2007 05:34:03 | More by rallison

timtim

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

it seems to me that this is a love it or just don't get it brewery. to the brewer (danny?): I feel like I "get it". your efforts are not in vain. your beers are pure art. pretty much no head on this one. very old school casky style. hazy burnt yellow-orange. nose is predominately dandilion. mostly flower, but some root. runners up are the usual suspects for fantome beers... slightly sour honey sweetened lemon ginger tea served in a barn on a fall morning with the scent of wet leaves drifting in the background. just fantastic. silky, soft, elegant body with a smooth, mellow, mineraly finish. i could punish quite a few of these. i'm off to hunt down a case.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 15:03:03 | More by timtim

womencantsail

California

4.47/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from 2003 shared by Craig/Ted. Thanks!

A: The pour is a bright orange color with a big white head that eventually settles down to a thin layer.

S: A great funk and must to the aroma with fruity citrus notes of both lemon and oranges, along with lots of floral character (as I would expect). The typical spice esters of Fantome are present as well.

T: Nice and lemony (mildly tart) up front with an intense floral quality following. Some musty and earthy funk gives this a nice "wild" character. Subtle spices fill in where they can.

M: The body is medium with a full, rolling carbonation.

D: Man, this was great. Aging Fantome beers tends to be a big toss up, but this really paid off.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 19:45:01 | More by womencantsail