Fantôme Saison - Brasserie Fantôme

aerozeppl

New York

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

Moved from the Biere Artisanale Sur Lie label.

Westmere Beverage in May of 2008 and cellared since then.

A: The first pours yielded a nice bright golden straw color with a finger of white head. Really nice lacing especially for a Fantome beer. By the end of the bottle the sediment to beer ratio made the sour head in me swell with glee. I mean there was a ton of yeast floating around. The end of the glass probably had a tablespoon full of yeast.

S: The smell was awesome. The barnyard funk was there but not really that powerful. It was a touch on the sour side. I am having a hard time putting to words everything that is going on in this beer. Some botanicals were in there as well. The apples came through very clearly. Insanely complex. Best saison I have ever had.

M: Very crisp mouthfeel. A joy in my mouth.

D: I wish I had another bottle of this. It has been getting really hard to get a hold of Fantome beers and that really is a shame. I love everything I have ever had from them but this is a standout. World class.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2010 01:37:16 | More by aerozeppl

Foxman

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

It pours a slightly hazy and finely but densely carbonated fluorescent lemon yellow. A thin sheet of tight white head swirls down promptly. Arcs of lacing flare along the inside of the glass.

In the aroma, the grain is briefly sweet and fruity with berry and peach before esters deliver crisp green apple, clove, and coriander. A touch of licorice counters a note of acidic sourness.

Upon sipping, sweet grain is sugary with, well, sugar, and peach and white grape as well. Clove, a touch of banana, and a hit of lemon speak to a belt of yeast. A muted doughy sourness, acidic and mildly tart, works to cleanse the palate before a slight edge of alcohol serves to warm. Crisp and juicy apple dances with a soft push of residual grain sweetness. The finish is quite dry along with a healthy dose of closing pucker. It's fresh, quenching, and excellent.

Medium bodied, it flows with a smooth mellow feel that entices, but it drops away just a bit too soon.

The parts are impressive, but the sum ends up even greater. It's pert and sassy, clean and satisfying, and it gets better as the glass gets lower. The ABV is moderate, but no matter, because it drinks as smooth and easy as any of the style of tried, and that speaks volumes because it's my favorite style. It's standard, world-class, and an example of top-notch brewmanship.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2008 18:31:17 | More by Foxman

ccrida

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from draught into a LaChouffe tulilp, Fantome is hazy burnt gold/apricot color, with a 2 finger, eggshell colored head that is quick to subside to a hearty skim, leaving thick foam lace. The head is easily revived with a quick swirl, which I find myself constantly doing to savor the wonderful aroma. So tempted to give this a 5, because I really think it's the perfect beer, but objectivity reminds me I could use a rockier head with better retention - hopefully the bottled version will fulfill this for me!

This is my favorite smelling beer ever, wow! Funky and wild, sweet candi sugar, tart lemon zest, cereal grains and a little chalky.

The taste is very tart, a real mouth puckerer, which can be a turn off for some or a source of extreme desire for those like me. The Fantome is all about the yeast and bacteria, expressed at their finest. There is a soft sweetness that is like no other, minerals, lemon citrus, noble hop spice and the slightest hint of alcohol, leading to a clean dry finish. Trying to break this down too much doesn't do the final product justice. Quit analyzing and savor the experience!

The mouthfeel is creamy and on the lighter side, dancing on the tongue, which is puckered from the Brett.

Fantastic taste and complexity and eminently quaffable, as my favorite beer of all time, it doesn't get any more drinkable then this! I tried for a while to get a barrel of this for my wedding to no avail. Had I been successful, I probably would have drank it all myself, so it probably worked out for the best!

This has been my favorite beer for some time, although I've only had it on draught, and not in about 2 years. I try as many as Fantome's other offerings as I can, and while some are quite good, none of them touch the wildness of this one, which is a shame. How much of that is reflection of having only had this on draught, and the others only in bottles, I don't know...bottom line, the Fantome Saison is my vote for best beer in the world!

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2007 16:26:02 | More by ccrida

battlekow

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at Roman's Pub. This beer doesn't look like much, a cloudy golden color, not much more attractive than the Spotted Cow I'm used to drinking, which is to say, pretty mundane. The smell and the taste though--amazing! The best smelling/tasting beer I've ever had. Smells very much like tropical fruit and bubblegum, with a little bit of sourness in the mix as well. It's a very sweet smell, but somehow not cloying in any way; in fact, it's downright alluring. Tastes initially lemon peels, citrusy and sour, with a sweet bubblegum finish. Again, I can't explain it--you would naturally think that a bubblegum beer would be awful, sweet to the point of undrinkable, but this was not. It was perfectly balanced by the very pleasant sourness, and had a very nice, dry mouthfeel. Fucking amazing beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2005 20:28:31 | More by battlekow

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap at Gravity Head at Rich O's on 3-19-05 IN/KY BA Gathering. Arrives with a nice cloudy yellow color and hints of orange along with a fluffy, craggy white head that sticks in clumps to the side of the glass. Amazing tart lemon smell with hints of vinegar, clove and some earthy barnyard funkiness. I get a touch of green olives as well and a nice mellow white peppery spiciness. Damn!

First sip is a wonderfully tangy sweet/sour lemony vinegar flavor. Notes of spice throughout and plenty of earthy barnyard dirty hay flavors. So smooth and extremely enjoyable. There's a bit of granny smith apple in there as well...fruity, tart, sweet and bitter. It all works so damn well together. Great yeast flavors....just a freaking awesome saison. Lovely.

Mouthfeel is light and airy with a small bubbly carbonation. Goes down so well. Such a drinkable beer here...I could drink it all night. Highly recommended. I will be buying a bottle as soon as possible!

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2005 02:51:53 | More by orbitalr0x

clvand0

Kentucky

4.58/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Rich O's Public House. Pours a cloudy cloudy orange color with a tall white head that had great retention and left nice lacing - in a Fantome tulip glass. The aroma was big. Lots of orange, lemon, spice, pepper, with that strange funky smell that Fantome is known for. Very nice. The flavor was very complex. Lots of orange and lemon with some spices. The carbonation has a great presence in the flavor. Easy to drink and perfect on the body. Wonderful brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2004 18:56:26 | More by clvand0

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.88/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Fantome Saison off tap. How can I pass this one up. I've had it out of a bottle before, but this was a superb beer experience. The sweet nectar was poured off tap into a Fantome tulip glass. The beer was a beautiful oranged yellow color wtih a thick billowing head over top that didn't want to fall for anything. What a nose. Lemon, acid, slight pepper, grapefruity citrus. Damn. All I can say. Nirvana. The nose was great...the flavor was perfection. There is an underlying mandarin orange sweetness that is overlayed with huge lemony citrus acidity and peppery notes. There is a whole lot more going on in there, but I couldn't put pen to paper and give it justice. Suffice to say it was orgasmic. The feel was right below moderate, exactly where it should be. My only issue was that I was drinking it in the dead of winter, when I thoguht it should be a summer brew. The drinkability is second to none. I could have parked my glass under the tap all night and just drank this. If I ever find it, I will be forced to see if I can get a keg for home. I will actively seek this beer out whenever I can.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2004 03:05:21 | More by kmpitz2

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Spuyten Duyvil: Very different. Incredible opportunity. Highly fruity, barnyardy with big mango and bubblegum flavors, blue cheese notes, lychee, lime. Decadent scary cloudy appearance, yellow at the top, brownish at the bottom, dirty, shadowy. Very creamy milk-shake mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2004 02:57:59 | More by Rastacouere

sublimesipping

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer reminds me of an old world pastoral landscape. The phantoms of the past seem to spring from the glass with its earthy aroma and to the bone sourness. Color and faint aroma of cut hay helps the metaphor along, but the crisp mouthfeel and tart and dangerously refreshing sourness awake us into the present. The sourness is melded with sweetness, hints of lemon and berry, maybe rhubarb are permeated throughout the taste. Somehow complex yet accesssible. Defintiely the best of its class that I have tried thus far. Will probably be a summertime favorite as I think it would pair exceedingly well with grilled seafood. A yard worker's delight. Another plus for me is that my wife loves this beer as much as I, driving up the drinkablity to exceptional limits.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2004 15:12:37 | More by sublimesipping

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a color reminiscent of cloudy grapefruit juice, topped with a marshmallowy white head.
The aroma is outstanding, very fruity . Sweet and tart, lively and sour, a bit of a medicinal note. Perfume like.
It tastes as it smells, sweet and lively, cotton candy, grapefruit, ripe strawberries, grape, pomegranate, curaco orange peel.
Light to medium bodied, the ABV doesn't hide in this one either.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2004 16:18:37 | More by mschofield

Jarod

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in a 4-6 oz. Aperitif glass w/ stem

This beer was served to me a hazy lemon yellow color that when held to the light had a golden glimmer to it. The head was creamy and rich and the color of cloud white. It had the consistency of a sticky rich whipped cream. It lasted fairly long, ½ glass, then, eventually fell to a ring around the edges. It produced a sticky lace that clinged the sides of the glass and stretched almost the whole way to the finish. The aroma was of a giant fruit market, fresh fruits everywhere. I nosed bananas, pears, apples, sharp grapefruit, fresh melons, strawberries, sweet honey, floral hops (lite as it warmed), spices (cloves, pepper), and yeast. The aroma was alittle on the tart side but not sour, balanced nicely. Let’s just say that my friend who is a macro drinker loved the aroma. The tastes that came from the glass were just as pleasing as the nose if not more. Flavors of strawberries first hit me, then bananas, then a whole cornucopia of fresh and tart fruits, then spices (pepper, cloves), herbs, floral hops, some earthy flavors, yeast, tad wisp of alcohol, and a hint of a malt. Ends fruity with a hint of hop. Medium bodied. This is one smooth and complex beer. I would never expect so many flavors out of one little glass. This is one incredible beer, words cannot give it justice. One of the best beers that I have ever had. All I can say is that my senses thank the brewer for this beer/gift.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2003 20:46:35 | More by Jarod

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

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into teku - 2010 bottle - thanks gillian!

Pours a slightly hazed golden color with some straw yellow tones. Thicker froth of white head bubbles up, fading out fairly quickly into a layer of retained film. Spotty lacing dots the glass while sipping.

A pleasant mixture of saison-like scents with funky Belgian yeast, lemon peel, spritzy tartness and citrus. Wet hay and straw, toasted grain with citrus juice.

Yeasty and funky on the tongue up front with lemon peel and cracked pepper. Snap of tartness with bretty funk, straw and grain. Belgian yeast is prevalent throughout the profile, which remains tart (not sour). Refreshing and invigorating while drinking, topping off with some lingering spice and dryness.

Medium body, higher carbonation level, bubbly and dry on the tongue. I've always loved Fantome, and consistently recommend it to people looking for new saisons or Belgian ales to experiment with. This one was a winner, but I still wish bottle variation wasn't such an issue with them.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 18:53:33 | More by xnicknj

Ale-ienation

California

1.53/5  rDev -65%
look: 2.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.25

2012 bottle. Have had this on four occasions, and is completely different every time.

A: Poured a transparent pale red; almost pink. No head or lacing to speak of.

S: Very medicinal. Strong aromas of band-aids and plastic blend with unrefined floral scents. Hint of smoke.

T: Baby diapers, band-aids, plastic, robitussin and forest floor rot. Really intense.

M: Medium bodied with light carbonation.

O: This bottle of Fantome Saison was undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:43:12 | More by Ale-ienation

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Purchased a bottle from Local Option in Chicago. Poured into a chalice.

A - Beautiful orangish, golden color. Shines when held up to the sun. About one finger of funky off white head

S - Tart lemon, acid, yeast, barnyard funk

T - There is a sour lemon tart taste up front, but not super-sour. Other fruit flavors come to mind as well (banana, orange, grapefruit). The finish is slightly funky and almost smokey, in a good way. Very interesting and complex. Each sip reminds me of something different.

M - Fine champagne like bubbles move the flavors around nicely. Each sip makes you salivate for more.

O - I know that a lot of people have gotten bad bottles of this, but the bottle I had was near perfect. This is my favorite saison to date. I was surprised by the 8% abv as well, as this drinks like a smaller beer than it is. Delicious and refreshing - highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 13:53:30 | More by cnbrown313

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A- fizzy off-white colored head is loud and active but settles slowly to a thin disk. It's not a lace monster but some spots linger here and there. The body is a beautiful murky orange-apricot color with lemon highlights.

S- intense phenolic aroma of bubblegum, banana, band-aid, orange, grape, pear, melon, honey and some barnyard funk. It's difficult to believe how fruity this beer smells. Notes of white lilies and champagne also come to mind along with some peachy plum cherry berry tartness. Somewhere behind all that goodness is sturdy lightly toasted malt.

T- damn that's intense. Band-aid almost smoky yeast hits first, fuming up through the sinuses. Plenty of funk and barnyard flavors go right along with it. I can't even begin to discern what spices this has been brewed with. It's like nothing I've ever tasted. Extreme fruitiness makes me assume that fruit or juice has been added but I can't tell what it is. It's slightly tart like apricot or plum and almost red like bing cherries and strawberries. There's also an orange citrus quality and tropical guava character. I just can't quite put my finger on it. Whatever it is, it's insane. Malt flavors are pretty much left in the dirt until the finish where it's earthy presence is a welcome contrast to the fruit. Hop bitterness is very mild.

***edit*** just read another review that suggested levender and I'll be damned if it ain't lavender!! Now that floral sweetness is nearly unmistakable. I'd put money on it.

MF- exceptionally juicy bodied, it has the consistency of orange juice. Delicate carbonation perfectly fits this juicy feel and scrubs away the fructose but leaves the lips sticky. There's also a pleasant dryness.

D- I've been looking for this saison for quite some time. It's juicy and fruity and refreshing and quite thirst quenching despite sitting by the 8% fire. Gotta thank my boy Bret for picking this one up for me it definitely did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 04:00:54 | More by hustlesworth

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

1.5 years old-ish
the beer pours a cloudy golden yellow with no head. the nose is wheaty, honey, sweet, slight white grape, metallic, and funky. the taste is definitely a delicious saison with a touch of honey and pear, no bitterness. the mouthfeel is light, drinkable, elegant, well carbonated, and has a lingering graininess. this is damn worth trying and gives any saison a run for its money.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:33:31 | More by ThePorterSorter

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Bell's tulip. The pour is cloudy and hazy, gold in color, and sports a nice fluffy white head that leaves drifts of lacing. On the nose I get a faint lemon-like citrus note, lavender, and a definite brett-like funkiness.

The beer is light bodied and has a very soft feel in the mouth. The flavor is slightly fruity, dry but not sweet, and has lots of floral spiciness and a refreshing tartness as well. No trace of alcohol in this one. White crackers, lemons, and a stony dryness carry through the finish. At mid-palate there is a brett-induced signature band-aid flavor that I find just a bit unpleasant and there is also a slightly metallic, quinine-like, not unpleasant bitterness that lingers a bit as well. Easy to drink and very refreshing. Almost pilsner-like, but with much more complexity.

A nice beer, but that band-aid flavor kind of spoils it a bit for me. I don't have a lot of experience with this style and am currently exploring it more. I may or may not return to this one as I have already found others I like more.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:05:20 | More by deadonhisfeet

Dope

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle states best before July 2013, lot "d"

A: Pours a clear amber with a small fizzy white head. Fades away at a moderate pace, leaving decent rings of lacing.

S: Smells like overripe peaches, apples and pears. Kinda smells like burning tires too, just a little bit. Not necessarily in a bad way, I love the smell of a dragstrip. A touch grassy too.

T: Very sour, tart, funky fruits up front. Similar to the aroma, pears and apples primarily. Maybe some rotting apples and apricot? Kind of has a bile-like taste for a moment. Wet, decaying grass. Aftertaste is interesting, kind of reminds me of key lime pie. Tart citrus and graham cracker.

M: Medium bodied, smooth.

O: Whoa. Super funky saison, which is pretty much what I was expecting. Tough one to rate. I was not a fan of the tart fruits up front, but I did enjoy the finish. Overall an interesting experiment but I doubt I've ever buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:32:56 | More by Dope

clayrock81

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured a dense, cloudy orange with ever present one finger head and lcae. A musty, floral like aroma with funk and sourness and tart citric as well as some fruit like pear (tropical fruit) and grapeskin. Light to medium body, semi-smooth as the carbonation gives it a mellow constant crispness. I don't know what astounds me more: the rather large amount of sweetness that is derived from tropical fruits and some sugary goodness or the fruit notes themselves - pear, tangerine, apple, grape. Oh, and the oakiness is great too for letting it pass the tongue w/o being too sweet. And yet the balance is just right as there is an almost puckering tartness waiting to get out like cherry and citric zip (specifically orange) w/ a small hop bite. Then it finishes with this real crisp sour kick that somehow also leaves a touch of sticky sweetness on my lips. This was worth the wait (4+ years in the 757) and a great beer to relax with.
NOTE: Orginally reviewed this on 12/4/11 - had again at Monk's in Philly and don't know how new or old bottle is, but most of tasting notes I read here match this "new review" 16 months later with one difference and I hope somone might know about this special trait both my wife and I picked up. Very tart, some sweet and tart fruits, yeast and funk aplenty, but here was the one kicker that is different and it made the balance more amazing and I enjoyed the beer even slightly better than before. I bring this up as I don't know if we had a bad bottle, an aged bottle, a brand new bottle and they have tweaked the recipe since they make it "from scratch" on a yearly basis, so I've heard, but there was a musty, even smokiness to this beer. As in for a second I thought I had a German smoked beer. This taste is tucked in the background and seemed to bring out the tart and sourness, and spices, that much more. Just had to bring it up - still an incredble beer that anyone should try.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 15:59:56 | More by clayrock81

chrisgalvin

California

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

If George Clinton was the funk master, then Fantome is the funk master of the beer world. Seriously, every time I have a bottle of this it is different. Huge amounts of funk meets a sour twist with some weird mouthfeel and hints of Fantome madness. Whatever you are doing, Mr. Fantome, keep it up because this stuff is good.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:37:19 | More by chrisgalvin

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

Akiloverbatim

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A few years ago, I heard Fantôme makes the bench mark for saisons... I can now attest to that. Best by on bottle July of 2013, multiple pours into a duvel tulip.

A: Gold like the hair of a cherub, with a thin eggshell head dissipating slowly. Then the yeast pour a bit more murky and brown like the hair on that dirty Matthew Mcconaughey fellow.

S: Green apples, fresh cut grass, brett. Delicious already.

T: Those tart apples were back, unripened peaches, citrus (lemon, pamplemousse) all backed with a lightly sweet malt and a pretty dry finish. The yeast pour all the same with a bit of the barn yard mixed in, still awesome.

M: Light and crisp with a drier finish. Nice bit of carb for a three year old bottle.

O: I would do this again and again. I will have to try a fresher bottle to make sure it's definitely worth the wait.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 17:01:45 | More by Akiloverbatim

jvillefan

California

3.41/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

As a note, I lowered all categories by one point because the first bottle I opened was contaminated. It pour like chunky syrup and smelled very sulfury.

A: A hazy pale yellow with a minimal white lacy head.

S: Ester aromas are dominate here. There is not a whole lot else present.

T: A pleasant ester flavor with rich pale malts.

M: Rich mouthfeel with sharp carbonated bite to it.

O: Depite Saisons not being my favorite style of beer, this is one of the better beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 15:21:55 | More by jvillefan

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

After so long, it's hard to believe I've still never had this. 'Bout time. I've also heard this is a very smoky batch.

A - Very light yellow, makes me think of peaches for some reason, and very cloudy. It pours with a big white head which recedes to a heavy ring.

S - Very floral and fruity, a touch of funk, and mostly because I'm expecting it, I am able to detect hints of smoky wood.

T - A light sweet fruity thing on the front is followed and overtaken by a tart and earthy thing in the back. It's kinda boozy. I get a little bit of the smoke. Kind of a citrusy bitterness too

M - smooth and light, drying.

O - It seems possible that this is a weird batch, but I'm not getting very much of the smoke I've heard about. Overall, it's pretty good, seems like a good candidate for aging, though as it should probably back off the alcohol flavors a bit. This is good though, and I'll have to make an effort to try the various seasonal offerings as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 01:44:38 | More by ColdPoncho