Fantôme Saison D'Erezée - Printemps - Brasserie Fantôme

gyllstromk

Belgium

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Fantom Printemps is a seasonal variety that varies by season. This category should be split by season. My review is for Spring 2010.

Pours a cloudy, orange that glows nicely. Citrus aromas, heavy tropical notes, with earthy character. Flavor is best described as a tropical jolly rancher, with juniper notes and a hint of sunscreen. A sour finish evoking grapefruit. Very refreshing, and tastes like Spring.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 19:06:37 | More by gyllstromk

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.4%

06-19-2013 00:31:51 | More by bradfordjohnson

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -26.8%

06-18-2013 07:15:55 | More by beernads

BeerHunter76

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.4%

06-11-2013 20:31:12 | More by BeerHunter76

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.04/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky, hazy golden orange with a thick, creamy, pillowy white head that takes quite some time to recede, leaving a thick trail of white lace down the sides of the glass. When held up to the light, little chunks of yeast are visible at the bottom of the glass and suspended in the liquid.

S: Floral, herbal aromas reminiscent of dandelions and violets are first to appear on the nose, followed by scents of biscuits, crackers, grass, straw, papaya, guanabana, unripened pineapple, orange, lemon, tangerine, spiced pears, clove, and lactic, funky yeast.

T: Notes of dandelion, heather, violets, fennel, clove, anise, crackers, biscuits, heavy cream, straw, grass, lemon, lime, tangerine peel, orange rind, green apple, unripened pineapple, guanabana, papaya, must, and lactic, vinegary funk contribute an especially turbulent feel to the mouth. The finish is herbal and floral with dandelion, heather, violets, cream, and baking spices giving way to delicate notes of spiced pears, oak, and cider apples.

M: Light-to-medium in body, smooth, and creamy. Alcohol presence is very restrained and the beer goes down very easily. The only problem here is that it is slightly undercarbonated. Still, it is easy to drink for such a complex, idiosyncratic ale.

O: It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Brasserie Fantome and saisons in general. This year's Saison d'Erezee-Printemps is an excellent take on the style. If you are into Belgian ales at all, then you will probably enjoy this, or at the very least, find it intriguing.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 14:15:54 | More by mrfrancis

MinorThreat

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

06-07-2013 00:04:28 | More by MinorThreat

alaimoa

Connecticut

3.16/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer was one of the more interesting I've tried with so much going on - extreme complexity in flavors.
Initial presentation is unique with a cap that requires a bottle opener and then a corn that requires a corkscrew.
Taste hits of initial bitter, dry, crisp, pungent, sour fruit like citrus lemon, grass. Body is less than medium with lots of carbonation.
Overall I probably wouldn't buy again - a bit too much going on here

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 02:16:26 | More by alaimoa

MagicJeff

Georgia

4.24/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into my snifter. I'm not sure when this one was bottled, but it was gathering dust at my local bottle shop, so it may have a year or two.

Appearance: Crisp dark straw color, relieved that it isn't the dreaded "Fantome Shampoo." Nice head recedes after a little. Looks fine.

Smell: Citrusy lemon rind and orange yields to a musty barn full of wet old hay. Literally, it smells like a musty old barn.

Taste: This is the funkiest beer I've ever tasted. Sour almost tart initial taste yields to funky wet hay and then back to a tart finish. Lemon on the back end. Really don't taste the alcohol anywhere, especially for 8%.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied and drinkable. Leaves a weirdly pleasant funky after taste. The citrus and funk totally play off each other.

Overall: I recommend this beer if you are into saisons; might not be everyone's cup of tea. Really rustic, reminds me of my family farm up in the mountains. Has some vinous qualities due to some dry citrus but the funk really balances it out. Due to the amount of funk, I dare say this baby must have had some years on it. Very drinkable and refreshing, love the lemony citrus.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 01:00:32 | More by MagicJeff

MarioM

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

06-02-2013 00:28:43 | More by MarioM

ajzy

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

06-01-2013 12:26:53 | More by ajzy

nzerbe

New York

2.5/5  rDev -39%

05-31-2013 10:23:22 | More by nzerbe

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"Lemonade and gin,
life is wearing thin by general consensus."
-The Minus 5

Poured into a Bell's tulip on 5/30/13

Not sure how old the bottle is; I bought in last year.

Clear, golden yellow; surprisingly clear. Many rising bubbles. The two finger head is short lived though and isn't much for lacing.

The aroma is a heavy blend of gin-like botanical/herbal notes, raw lemon zest and rind, cracked pepper and lemongrass. A few minutes find the aroma tilting toward a spices and a stronger pepper presence. A warm glass smells like gin and tonic.

The flavor is similar, though with a pronounced lemon tartness. The gin notes are lessened whereas damp grass and slight funkiness are more prominent. Vinous, white wine overtones. Lightly toasted grains emerge with warmth. It becomes less tart over time.

The body is light, the feel snappy and carbonation tapering from high to subdued. Very slightly musty finish.

This is has really terrific semblances of liquor and wine in a beer. Fantastic for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 03:10:38 | More by Ryan011235

ScaryEd

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

05-25-2013 16:47:09 | More by ScaryEd

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: A: Pours a nice cloudy straw yellow with a decent amount of pure white head that takes awhile to settle. A thin ring of foam lines the glass, and there is only a touch of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is lightly sweet, with grain, lemon, grass, and maybe a bit of apple. There is also yeast and spice in the back end.

T: This beer starts out sweet with mild malt and good grass character. The lemon and spice cone on in the middle, but the spice never dominates. Mild bitters, green apple, and yeast in the finish.

M: Light bodied beer. It’s mild and refreshing from start to finish. This beer envelops the palate and is extremely well balanced. Spice and yeast linger, but nothing too over the top.

O: Another really drinkable saison from Fantome. I am not sure what year this beer is, but I would imagine that it has been in a cellar for over a year. I would love to try a fresh bottle of this in the future for comparison.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 16:48:59 | More by trxxpaxxs

sliverX

S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-20-2013 23:35:55 | More by sliverX

strongaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-20-2013 05:48:44 | More by strongaf

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Hazy golden color. The foamy white head retains wonderfully and leaves a thick blanket of lacing coating the glass.

S: Lemon rind tartness. Freshly cut grass. Pepper, spices, and garden herbs. Slightly musty like an old book. Bread and biscuit malt base. Lightly estery with a sense of banana, pineapple, and tangerine.

T: Much more funky than the nose suggested. Rustic, horse blanket. Sharply phenolic with a strong hit of clove. Pepper and spice. Light lemony tartness. Herbal mid palate with tastes of thyme, oregano, or other such garden herbs. Playful tropical esters of pineapple and tangerine. Grass and hay. Grainy. Phenols come back toward the end with brute force, stopping just short of being a total turn-off. Medicinal, band-aid. Finishes with strong phenols, hay, and must.

M: Medium bodied. Feels slightly weighted due to a restrained carbonation. Very creamy and even a little slick.

O: Very raw and rustic. A bit much, actually. It would be world-class if the phenols were reigned in a bit more. They get a little rubbery and plastic-y. It isn't enough to derail the beer though. In fact, the strong phenols seem to fit in an odd sort of way.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 22:14:26 | More by ryan1788a5

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-17-2013 14:01:59 | More by drgonzo2k2

BAsbill

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-17-2013 05:53:34 | More by BAsbill

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.96/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Clear golden yellow. Nice white head. Retains well.

Smell - Lots of pale malt. Fruity and yeasty. Some lemon and grassiness.

Taste - Bright lemon tart flavor. Sugary and very malty. Grainy malt, but a lot of sugars. Similar grassiness. Lemongrass?

Mouthfeel - Pretty heavy. Too much sugar. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Hefty saison with some very interesting adjuncts. Just too much sugar to be really great.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 03:00:27 | More by Alieniloquium

paulromeroii

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-10-2013 06:31:20 | More by paulromeroii

magictacosinus

California

3.2/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25

When I heard they were offering flights including this at Trappist Provisions, I knew I had to pass by and try some Fantôme kookiness for the first time. This was very strange! Poured into a 6oz wine glass out of a 750ml bottle.

Pours a golden straw, classic saison color with a frothy, white head. Bubbles seem to come in dregs, but dissipate rather quickly. The head seems to eventually go away as the carbonation disappears, but some decent lacing remains on the glass. Not bad, but NOTHING that indicated me what I was about to get myself into.

Right, so right at the front, I'm immediately getting all kinds of off aromas and phenols that Fantôme is known for, and yet to be credited or disregarded for: grassiness, barnyard haystacks, funky earthiness, manure (not joking), sweat, dandelions, basil, rosemary, lightly tinged lemongrass. What the hell is this? Completely bizarre - cannot make out any notes resembling malts or grains for that matter, although if anything validates as "rustic" or "earthy" in the realm of beers, this takes it to the most literal form possible.

The flavor is ever MORE bizarre! There's immediately touch of the grassy haystack flavors (luckily no cow dung here) that immediately changes into a peat smoked malty haze. Charred bark melds with gritty grains and malts and immediately a charcoal-like aftertaste follows. There's a tinge of pepper, maybe some strange off saltiness, but the smoky flavor goes on for a while, and leaves bright dandelion and cilantro herbal flavors at the back of the tongue. A touch of bitterness, and maybe some grainy earthiness, but otherwise totally out of whack in a way that is fascinating yet not very pleasant. Alcohol is marvelously hidden. I shouldn't have let this sit around and get warmer though - by the end, the smokiness turns to a near pork rind astringency, and the grassiness gets so funky and herbal that I was on the verge of gagging without even aiming to.

This was utterly strange, and I admit full responsibility knowing what I was I was getting into here. It seems every review of this beer is different too, and while I don't think I got a bad bottle (indeed, the earthiness here is astonishing), the malts may be too over dried or smoked. This was an eye-opening beer indeed, but I do hope I have more uplifting rather than physically demanding beers from Fantôme in the future. As of this review, I have a saison in my cellar that I'd like to open soon. Here's hoping it turns out okay!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 07:39:53 | More by magictacosinus

chippo33

Vermont

1/5  rDev -75.6%

05-08-2013 04:54:52 | More by chippo33

CTJman

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-29-2013 23:58:02 | More by CTJman

drummermattie02

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.8%

04-29-2013 13:57:20 | More by drummermattie02