Fantôme Saison - Brasserie Fantôme

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appearance: Color is a hazed golden orange with a nice sized white head after somewhat of a vigorous pour, as far as lacing it forms in even bands very nicely Belgian style lacing at that. Aroma: First thing is the pineapple juice aromatics that come out here awesome, a bit tart with mild alcohol notes in the background. Taste: Very clean and estery fruits light and fluffy tones the perfect summer ale, I definitely am amazed by the fruit tones this beer produces exotic tropical juice with some peppery notes with the yeast dregs added it takes on herbal tone with spices arising and grassy semi-musty tones it's very nice I'm a fan. Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body smooth effervescent carbonation has a creamy mouthfeel, I'm pleased with this offering definitely will track some down this summer. Drinkability: Incredible offering complexity light and refreshing along with some alcohol kick in there as well, very balanced an awesome Saison makes me want to track more brews down in this category.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2003 10:24:43 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden brown with a sizeable head. Nose is light with an almost soap sud essence to it, but in an organic way. Somewhat of a bitter edge to it. But overall it is pretty smooth and light. You get a long term feel of yeast in your mouth and a touch of citrus for a whole, though not as long as the yeast. Feel is as it should be expected: frothy and smooth. Pretty drinkable, though it might not be a session brew of course.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 05:47:30 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Large, slowly declining near-white head. Leaves some chunky clumps of lace on the glass. The liquid is very cloudy. Straw-yellow color.

More sour than earthy to the nose. Holds most of the traditional Saison aromas except there's a touch of sweetness that I wasn't expecting. Intriguing, even though it is in the background.

Strong flavors of apricot, orange rind. Mildly sour. Complex swallow of the above, a touch of sugar and light bitterness. Oddly, the aftertaste is very brief, as if this were a dry beer. The body is thin compared to the style. But it is also a very smooth beer because of a lower level of carbonation. I'm noting a warming sensation in my torso from the alcohol even though I didn't detect any in the tasting.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 22:43:20 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip a nice slightly cloudy pale golden yellow color, awesome carbonation, huge 3 finger plus creamy white head, tons of sticky lacing to follow. The nose is malty, yeasty, green apples, and spicy. The taste is malty/yeasty, nice tangy/soury, good dose of spices. The finish is slightly dry. Medium body, highly carbonated. Drinkable, one of the better Saison I've had to date, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2007 23:31:58 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a one-finger head that fades to a ring leaving a good lace. Cloudy amber color, a lot of yeast left in the bottle. Good carbonation. Nose is floral and spice. Starts as sour orange with yeasty overtones. Finishes crisp and tart. $8.55 for a 750ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2004 22:45:48 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer has a hazy golden yellow-copper body with a thin pure white head that fades to a few rocky bubbles. The body is fill with lots of microscopic bubbles.

S- A nice tart citrus note with some hints of cider vinegar finish with a nice earthiness. As it warms there is a faint barnyard smell but it is very gentle.

T- The sourness is balance with some nice fruit apple and notes of lemon flavor. The finish has a nice clean tangy flavor that blends with a bitterness that could be hops but is not distinctly hops. As it warms the notes of ruby red grapefruit start to appear with a slight sweetness.

M- This beer has a light mouthfeel but no alcohol heat or tart astringency.

D- I found a wonderful fizzy yellow beer. This as very subtle complexity and it is hard to pull out specific flavors. Even though it is 8% ABV it is very smooth and light. The sourness is not overpowering but compliments the fruity hints and the bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2005 00:36:19 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

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

Presentation: Large bottle, capped and corked, pours apricot, orangy amber, cloudy.,Head is reserved, light, airy, tiny bubble, white.Leaves classic lacing, fine, well developed and stringy

Nose: Funky,musty, earthy,horse blanket, barn yard, flowery, peppery..

taste: A rainbow of flavors and assualts on the senses. Spice, fruit,anise, citrus, fresh hops, sour, tart, intrigue in every sip...COMPLEX

Mouthfeel: smooth and lucious, drying late.

Drinkability; exceptional creation, wish I bought two bottles. Worldclass, gonna buy more and enjoy it with my next BBQ

(how can anybody drink Middle of the road brew after sampling this nectar of the gods??)

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2005 12:51:35 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

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

Poured from a capped and corked 750 into a pint glass.

a - Pours a pale golden color with about a finger of white foam that disappeared quickly. Moderate carbonation evident.

s - First smells were sour and citrus, which was followed by smoe sweet fruits for a nice sweet and sour mix. Also a little bit of funk to the smell as well. Very nice.

t - Again,a nice mix of sweet and sour. Some fruit taste to it, but very sour apple like as some people have noted. Lots of tart and sour citrus like lemon as well.

m - Light to medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

d - Admittedly not my favorite style of beer, but I thought this beer was great. The sweet and sour mix in both taste and smell made this very enjoyable, and it was still very easy to drink. I would definitely like to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 23:58:57 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

can't believe it took me this long to review this one.

Pours a nice fizzy 1 finger head that fades fairly quickly, over hazy golden yellow color.

Nose has nice farmhouse aromas, light funk and Belgian funky yeast, some golden Belgian malt aromas, light spices, hints of bright fruit and citrus, and the faintest hint of booze and Belgian yeast esters as it warms.

Taste comes on with funk, light Brett like funk, then Belgian saison like funky farmhouse yeast, a very light barnyard funk gets stronger as it warms and sits on my tongue. The light Belgian golden malts keep a base going with the nice fruit, hints of bright fruit, citrus, maybe even a touch of banana, as well as some interesting but light spices. Some warming booze licks the tongue and warms me, bringing light esters as well. Fairly dry throughout and especially on the finish, which brings a bit of a bitterness like lemon peel bitterness, hint of citrus, fruit and spices.

Mouth is med bodied, warming and slightly tingly booze, good carb.

Overall awesome saison. Great malts, nice fruits and citrus, hint of funk and just enough booze, esters, and Belgian malts to give it a nice kick.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 23:58:59 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a semi-transparent, light gold with a 3 finger, white head of fluff that slowly fades out into a mild cap of marshmallowy fluff. Lots of sticky lacing is left around the glass like little islands in the sea. Hearty streams of CO2 quickly rise to the top from the natural bottle conditioning.
Smell is of oaky, vanilla, apple, mild cinnamon, light funk, white grapes, chardonnay, earthy, along with a touch of dried orange peel.
Taste replicates the aromas with light citrus, along with some fresh honeydew coming through.
Mouthfeel is light bodied, sweet pear up front, grazing along the tongue and palate with beautiful carbonation and mild tartness that kisses you goodbye on the dry finish. Lovely beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 18:47:31 | More by weeare138

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Corked and capped 750 ml. Looks nice. Pours a hazy gold, huge white head forms, tons of lace, and great retention. Smell is like what the fuck! All over the place and funkier than 70's porn music. Some hay, citrus, almost skunk, vanilla sweetness, and orange, some yeast too. Taste is sweet, hay, spices, sugar through the middle, funky tang finish, lots of spicy bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium to high carbonation, very dry finish. This stuff is amazing. I wish I had a life supply.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2006 04:41:38 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours like champagne. Big fizzy white head. Reduces to a thin film in a minute. Murky golden orange in color. On the nose I get some bready tones, a blend of herbs and spices and yeast. Pretty nicely carbonated mouthfeel. Body is light. Taste is unlike other Saisons I've had. Very spicy and tart in the mouth, but not bad. It kind of grows on you. A little bit of an acidic tinge. I get a sour apple like taste. One that makes you pucker rather than wince. (And unlike the sour apple associated with a "green" beer.) I'm not sure what kind of spicing they use (if any), but maybe something like cinamon or bitter orange peel (curacao). Interesting beer, but not something I'm going to shell out out $6 a bottle for.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2002 20:02:36 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a thick frothy, pillowy white head that leaves sporadic chunks of soapy lacing on it's way down.

Slight funky earthy aroma with hints of light crisp fruits like apple, pear and banana. There is also a nice spicy peppery presence that goes well with the earthy notes.

Soft carbonation and very crisp up front with some nice light fruit notes such as apple, pear and banana that blend really well with the slightly tart funky earthy notes. Subtle clove spice with some citrus peel, grass and straw. Slightly sour/funky with a dry finish. Very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 04:26:24 | More by corby112

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yellow appearance, great virgin white head, good retention. Aroma was mild dry tart notes to it, citrus.

Great tart/sour notes in the taste, comes off like a bretted imperial berlinerweisse, like a steroid hottfordavidleeroth. Dry, hides alcohol like a champ. Citrus undertones. Lemongrass and morning dew. Probably the best fruit/citrus taste aspect I've ever come across in a saison. Green and sour apple too. Most seem to just be dry, refreshing, this bad boy had some depth to it.

Pricey though at $15 a pop, it'll prolly be one of those 'once a summer' type of beers, but at least I won't be let down.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 22:14:53 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed in February 2009 under the artisinal sur lie label. Have been advised that in fact this is the same beer as the regular saison, and that my review needs to be moved in anticipation of BA dropping the artisinal sur lie listing as a seperate beer. So....

Saw this for the first time at Max's during 72 hours of Belgium. They were out of the Saison, but the bartender indicated this should be similar. Good recommendation.

The beer pours a hazy yellow gold color with noticeable sediment. The beer has very good head retention and lacing. On the nose, I get some nice honey and spice, but with some lemon and almost a fresh mown grass aroma (that's Fantome for you). The combination is intriguing, but also pretty attractive. On the palate, there is a complex flavor array of honey and lemon, with some wheat grass and straw flavor as well. The sweetess is pretty moderate and is not the least bit overwhelming. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and drinkability is pretty good.

As is often the case with Fantome beers, I enjoyed this beer more and more as I went along. Another interesting beer from Fantome. Would definitely order this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 18:18:51 | More by johnmichaelsen

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review merged from Artisanale Sur Lie.

Green cap and corked 0.75 litre bottle bought at the brewery in the summer of 2008, drank during a Belgian big bottle evening with friends.

Poured in one go, into four tulip glasses. The body was a orange/low amber/light terracotta colour. A soft white head arrived and left before I had a chance to take a sip or even smell the glass.

Sweet and sour in both smell and taste, cooking apples to toffee apples with the sourness more pronounced in the last glass which had some sediment within it.

Drinkable and pleasant, I know how much sugar Dany puts into his brews, so I always clean my teeth after one of his beers, I suggest you do the same if you want to keep them!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2010 10:13:33 | More by BlackHaddock

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to the BAer who brought this to the Nov. '12 Philly 'burbs bottle share.
I also have a bottle in the fridge with an alternate label. (Actually, I think the one we tasted had the alternate label compared to the one pictured here.)

To sum this beer up with one phrase: Oh, you Belgians and your green bottles. This probably is a good beer, I don't know, thanks to Mr. GreenGlass. Hazy golden-yellow pour with a decent foamy white head that receded leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. Aroma of grass and hay, a good hit of smoke, stale funk, and fruit skins. Tobacco was the dominant flavor in this beer, from the bottle we had anyway, grassy funk, old perfume and light spice, wheaty malts, bland aftertaste. Light-medium body, fairly dry. I sensed a good beer in there somewhere, but I couldn't tell for sure from the condition that it was in. Hopefully my bottle will yield something more palatable.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 08:38:26 | More by Rifugium

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.78/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a very pleasant cloudy gold colour, with hints of orange at the deepest parts of the glass. An initially frothy head of white foam dissipates to a film, but leaves some remarkably good lacing. Very fine looking Saison.

Deliciously funky nose, lots of citric acidity, and an undeniable cheese note reminding us of the rustic nature of this beer. Quite sour and funky, but with quite a weight behind it. Deliciously unrefined.

Oh wow, what an incredible palate. A delicate line is drawn between acidity, funk and bitterness. Lightly sour entry, with a lingering melon character, that is nicely paired with a light raw bitterness, finessed with a conclusion of light fruits and dry copper. Finish is dry and crisp, but with a final reminder of those wonderful fruity characters, and a tingling hint of sea salt. So much that is unique and wonderful is going on in this brew. To get it all so perfectly balanced is an astounding miracle.

Hell yes! This is an absolutely stunning saison - the best I've yet had. You can see the raw, funky and dirty genesis of the style, but this one weaves all those characters into something greater. I need not mention that the perfect clarity on the palate makes this amazingly refreshing and drinkable. Ambrosia!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 01:21:18 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a bright golden color with a two-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of herbal hops, light spices, Belgian candi sugar, and hints of fruits. Everything plays off of each other very well.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet Belgian candi sugar and earthy hop flavors kick things off and are followed shortly by a good bit of spices. All of these flavors are joined by solid amounts of light fruit flavors before disappearing into a clean and crisp finish.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a very nice thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished the bottle very quickly and could drink a whole lot of these.

Overall this is a very, very good saison but I have to say that I like the Printemps just a bit more. I've yet to be disappointed by Fantome and look forward to trying more of their beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 01:41:12 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A caliginous golden orange color on the pour, the beer is loaded with dross, some on the bottom; some suspended throughout the beer. Head is immature in size, the color bright white, the consistency creamy and the left over lace a thick and sticky sheet to coat the glass. I would say one of the sweetest bouquets of any beer I’ve sampled in years. Over ripe cantaloupe or cotton candy come to mind, malt underlies it all, a real treat for the olfactory senses, the front ambrosial, the top thick and sweet. Finish is sparsely carbonated, the hops apropos to the style, dry alcohol bitter lingering aftertaste and a satisfactory representative to the style. It is truly a shame that more “Saison’s” are not available here in the states, as I find them intriguing and quite tasty to boot.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2002 14:34:16 | More by Gusler

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

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

750ml bottle, double-sealed with a bottle cap and a cork. Served lightly chilled in a large Burgundy bulb wine glass.

A: dark yellowish, hazy, coming with a foamy white beer head with good retention; moderately fizzy body.
S: from the moment when the bottle is popped open, a flow of sharp and aromatic fruity note shoots out in the air--ripe strawberries, mango+pineapple juice, ripe perfumy apricots, more astringently tart aroma of perry and sour edge of wood barrels, with a faint hint of vanilla. The whole fruity layer rests on top of more settled, cake-ish sweet maltiness, while lively, musty, sour yeastiness so typical of Saisons/Bier-de-Garde and accompanies other aromas at every sniff. Sheer brilliance~~
T: hmm... stark contrast to the aroma for sure: sourly-bitter and sharp fruity palate, almost like a milder version of farm-house cider; the tannic fruitiness, remotely reminiscent of sour-bitter lemon juice, is underlined by a dryish and musty sour hint of yeasts (like the bi-product of barrel-ageing) and white-peppery spices. A subtle bitterness (from hops?) lingers well in the aftertaste, where the residual fruitiness is transformed from 2D appearance into a more crisp, 3D mouthfeel. A cider-like, utterly dry and tannic finish.
M&D: an evolving mouthfeel from astringent to smooth, with the help of constantly fine and creamy fizz against a dryish-sour palate... this medium-bodied heavy-weight treads lightly, almost ideal as a thirst-quencher, like some semi-dry sparkling wines. It's hardly my choice for a "session" Saison, for which I prefer a rounder and slightly sweeter version, but this one really is hellu'va distinct beer to savour. To me it's a must-try, and something I'd love to go back to whenever given a chance~~

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2006 21:34:30 | More by wl0307

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a murky, golden-orange with only a slight sudsy white bubbly head that quickly faded. Visible carbonation was very light.

S: Upon first opening there was a huge muskiness of sour oranges filling the nose before yielding to soft sweet tangerines and lemons.

T: The initial flavor was yeasty, and very acidic starting out with some lemon juice, tart oranges and a smooth musky sourness. There was a sharp pronounced acidic citrusy nature that soon faded to a light, dry herbal (basil) hopping and light peppery notes. There was some tart apples, herbal grassy hopping that was followed by a nice carbonation bite on the swallow.

M: The mouthful was very light and slick on the tongue warming up to a slighty creamy orange caramel malting.

D: gets better with every sip. A good solid saison.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2008 00:00:46 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pale gold and quite clear topped by a big, fluffy, bright white head supported by ample carbonation. Good retention and a thick collar of bubbles that hug the glass for about a half inch above the top of the beer. Fruity nose with lemon zest, peaches, grapefruit pith, almost a sweet tart combination. There's also coriander and clove spiciness, plus a hint of funk in the yeast aroma. Big fruitiness in the flavour too, and the acidity really brings this out. There's plenty of citrus, but more like the peel and pulp rather than juice, as well as a pleasant pear flavour that's more apparent as it warmed. Sweetness is tamed by the tartness, leaving a dry finish. Spices add some depth around the middle and linger along with the citrus character. Yeast is masked, as is most of the funkiness, but a little bit of bread, grass, and earthiness peek through. Lively carbonation with a creamy texture. This is really tasty stuff. I enjoy the style overall and this is a great example of a saison. The only thing that impacts the drinkability for me is the dryness - it's fairly aggressive after a while, but still very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2006 01:39:30 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the many highlights of the first annual Summer Saison Tasting, a big thanks to Grub for bringing this one!
Pours with a peachy white head, a marmalade orange colour. Bits of sediment. Tremendous spice in the aroma - chamomile, ginger, nutmeg, everything you could find in a Christmas pudding but better...summery! Aggressive carbonation. The yeast carries a wicked spiciness to it. Earthy malty flavours. A beautiful thing of a saison!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2007 16:01:25 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

8.00% ABV confirmed. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz green glass bottle with a pressure cap sealed over an internally-housed cork served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Acquired at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California for right around $15. Expectations are extremely high given this brewery's reputation as one of the master brewers of saisons.

Imported by the Shelton Bastards.

I pulled it from the fridge but it seemed far too cold to serve. I'm letting it warm up to an appropriate temperature for the style before serving. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

First, a note on presentation. Green bottles, really? This is a disappointment and the brewer should know better.

Yielded a satisfying pop when I removed the cork. No issues with liquid surging out or anything.

A: Pours a two finger white colour head - disappointingly thin - with no real cream. Retention is average (~2 minutes), which is forgivable given the ABV. Body colour is a dull orange muted orange. No yeast particles are visible - at least not this high up in the bottle. No bubble show. Nontransparent but non-opaque. It's not much to look at, to be honest, but it's appropriate for the style.

Sm: The aroma is more the quality I was expecting from such a highly regarded saison. Pale malts, rich evocative spices, muted floral hopping, bubblegum, indistinct bright fruit, apple, pear, grass, heavy fruit esters, some lemon citrus injection, berries, cilantro, orange, pepper, pineapple, hints of subtle barnyard funk, and lemongrass. There's more there, but admittedly my broken nose can't detect them - or maybe I'm just not refined enough. I do know that there's serious complexity and subtlety to this aroma, and it's rare for the style. I can't wait to give this a taste. I suppose if I had to pick one note, I'd say pear is dominant. A moderate strength aroma. Near perfect. The one flaw is that the berry does ring artificial; it could just be me but it doesn't feel as natural as I'd like. Also, the crystal malt is a bit overdone.

T: Fruit esters are the first thing I get. Lots of pear, some crisp apple, hints of berries. The spicing manifests more as it warms, with hints of pepper coming through, though nowhere near as much as I'd like. I like my saisons very peppery, and it's limited here. I get some lychee-like fruit but it doesn't destroy the balance - that's hard to accomplish. Hints of cilantro, maybe. Some orange and orange rind. Not as grassy as anticipated, but it certainly comprises a part of the body - which is itself built primarily with pale malts. Maybe some biscuit malt as well. Certainly crystal malt, though not as much as suggested by the aroma. Redolent even of watermelon on the climax. Heavy fruit skin throughout. I don't get any earthiness, which I consider a good thing. Maybe some herbal notes, but more in a cilantro or spice sense. Boy, do I wish it had more pepper. Is that...strawberry? Yes. In any case, it's certainly a refreshing flavour and has layers of complexity and subtlety that emerge more and more as it warms. I certainly like it. No alcohol comes through. Fleeting hints of a yeasty character are present, but I don't get any earthy or biscuity yeasty notes; I'm a bit let down in that regard. Residual sugar lingers on the finish; I feel I should brush my teeth after finishing with this one - but it's not too sweet. Maybe some buried candied fig; there's certainly a candied something but I don't know that I'd go so far as to call it candi sugar. Hopping is floral but seemingly minimal, with hops mainly chosen for their ability to accentuate fruity esters. An apt choice here.

Constructively: Not enough black pepper. Not enough spicing. A bit too much white lychee sweetness. I criticize, but I nitpick. This is, in large part, a masterfully brewed beer.

Mf: Smooth, wet. Just coarse enough to bring out the flavour more. A bit of tingly character from the crystal malt. Thickness is ideal. Carbonation is near perfect - maybe a bit overdone in anticipation of aging. Complements the flavour nicely. Crisp and yet soft - like biting into a good pear.

Dr: All around a very drinkable saison, and one I expect that would improve with age. I do want more pepper and spicing in my saisons, but this beer delivers on every other point. Certainly one of the most complex saisons I've ever had the delight to drink. This is a requisite drink for anyone seriously delving into the world of saisons. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the ABV - it's so well hidden that it's an afterthought. This could easily be 5% and I doubt I'd know the difference.

High B+

I'd love to try this aged, and could easily see it reaching an A- rating in my book after a year or two in a cellar.

Would pair well with fresh pear or a good green apple. Perhaps a salad would suit it well as well, but watch it with the acidic dressing.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:01:28 | More by kojevergas