Fantôme Saison - Brasserie Fantôme

tectactoe

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Found this on the shelf in a store in Toledo... Hadn't seen one in Michigan anywhere so I jumped on it. Split with three others at a tasting. Pours a solid and cloudy, completely opaque and dull shade of yellow. Lots of chunky sediment particles float and swirl around the beer. The small white head, even after an aggressive pour, settles to a thin skin and ring at the edges of the beer. Pretty good looking as far as saisons go.

The aroma of Fantome Saison is simply unlike anything I've ever smelled before. So unique, different, weird, wonderful, and just an incredible combination of seemingly thousands of different things. Huge amounts of yeast; funk, cork, damp cellar, barnyard - all those weird ass things. Welcome to funk town. But strangely enough, the funk is met with a sweetness, something that I can't quite put my finger on. Some kind of nebulous fruitiness that stands out. It smells like Pez candy (seriously, tell me it doesn't). Lots of grassy, herbal, and floral notes join in, along with some light lemon zest, orange peel, and a handful of spices and herbs that I couldn't even begin to put my finger on. So many different fucking things blended in such a weird, albeit complementary way. It's different, and it works.

I take my first sip and my mouth is met with a flavor profile unlike anything else. I honestly don't even know where to begin or how to accurately describe this one. That mild, indecipherable fruity sweetness comes on right at the start. I wish I could put my finger on it, but I just can't. It follows that Pez aroma pretty closely, and tastes similarly, too. It provides a nice, light sweetness up front. Way before long, the yeast flavors start to take over - wet cork, damp celler, dare I say, "horseblanket"? I don't know what a goddamm horseblanket tastes like, but this might just be it. More and more, that initial sweetness almost starts providing a light tartness - not enough to pucker, but enough to be noted.

There's a substantial hop character; slightly herbal and grassy with lots of random floral flavors popping in and out. It might be hard to pick out at first, simply due to the enormous number of things going on here. As the sweetness and fruit flavors fade out towards the end, the funk flavors become a little more prominent and other finishing flavors come out, too: mild oak, wet hay, and some warming alcohol. Despite its decrescendo, however, there still is a little bit of sweetness that lasts until the finish. Crispy mouth feel, carbonation like a mofo, leaving a super dry finish.

Fantome Saison is a wonderful display of creativity and individuality - a seemingly "it's just crazy enough to work" type combination of flavors and aromas. Traveling from sweet and mildly tart to funky and bone dry, for a super unique and refreshing saison. Everyone teased me for getting such a hard-on over this beer, but I don't care. I fucking loved it. And I don't care if nobody else does - bigger pours for me next time!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:41:22 | More by tectactoe

ShawnMH

Indiana

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-19-2013 15:23:29 | More by ShawnMH

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-19-2013 14:55:03 | More by drgonzo2k2

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-19-2013 13:34:33 | More by Photekut

JasonSiedman

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-18-2013 23:51:35 | More by JasonSiedman

Rainier

California

1.28/5  rDev -70.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Whaaa!

Oh my gosh, I did not like the taste at all! Wow, this bottle I had must've been a really bad one... I guess I'm getting what people describe it as "band aid" smell and taste. Wow! I can't believe I spent $14 on this bottle and I have another unopened bottle waiting to be drain poured!

All in all, it looked great, but the rest was just bad. I am really disappointed. Saison Rue disappointed me and this saison disappointed me even more!

Hoping to pay this another visit later on.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 06:43:22 | More by Rainier

Foudebiere

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-18-2013 00:16:12 | More by Foudebiere

kjkinsey

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-17-2013 19:05:39 | More by kjkinsey

Texasfan549

Texas

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-15-2013 06:33:30 | More by Texasfan549

GimmeGumballHead

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-14-2013 18:24:36 | More by GimmeGumballHead

Jordy777

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-14-2013 18:14:25 | More by Jordy777

TheRuss9585

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-14-2013 00:44:46 | More by TheRuss9585

thezoobrew

New York

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-13-2013 18:31:43 | More by thezoobrew

IPAyForHops

California

2/5  rDev -54.2%

05-13-2013 00:25:13 | More by IPAyForHops

lpayette

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -19.9%

05-12-2013 20:05:03 | More by lpayette

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-12-2013 15:48:35 | More by coldmeat23

BMMillsy

Florida

1.5/5  rDev -65.7%

05-12-2013 13:34:46 | More by BMMillsy

Danny1217

Florida

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-12-2013 08:23:54 | More by Danny1217

Honus1

Ohio

1/5  rDev -77.1%

05-12-2013 03:19:49 | More by Honus1

Shankopotamus

Ohio

1/5  rDev -77.1%

05-12-2013 03:15:25 | More by Shankopotamus

rc51sport

Florida

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-11-2013 22:55:13 | More by rc51sport

pmatz2

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-11-2013 17:45:53 | More by pmatz2

wyatt13

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-11-2013 04:18:29 | More by wyatt13

cgentzkow

California

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-10-2013 17:07:28 | More by cgentzkow

ItalianHopHead203

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +14.4%

05-09-2013 14:22:16 | More by ItalianHopHead203