Fantôme La Dalmatienne (Dark) - Brasserie Fantôme

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.5%

04-12-2012 14:48:57 | More by XicanoBeerRun

CelticAleMan

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-20-2013 00:08:12 | More by CelticAleMan

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

05-15-2013 00:21:52 | More by JAHMUR

drummermattie02

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -36.5%

04-30-2013 14:03:03 | More by drummermattie02

cfh64

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

04-29-2013 23:48:52 | More by cfh64

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ive been holding on to this bottle for awhile waiting to get the light version to drink side by side with it. I gave into curiosity and opened it this past weekend with friends. Poured into some matching Fantome tulips the brew pours a deep ruby to mahogany color with a yellowish tan finger of head. Some patchy lace sticks to the glass and rising bubbles maintain a half finger throughout the duration.

The aroma is very fruity like currents initially that fades to more of a tart smelling essence of cranberry. A hint of maltiness like toffee provides a base of sweetness for the fruit to play off. As it warms up, there is a bit of lemony lacto-like tartnesss to the nose.

The flavor is slightly boozy with a fruited aspect like the previously mentioned currents and cranberries. Some toasty malt sits underneath with a toffee sweetness and bready malt contrasted by hebal bitterness. The brew is somewhat medicinal as meaty with a mineral feel into the aftertaste.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest to fizzy amount of carbonation. One of the more boozy feeling, tart and fruity Fantome offeringd I have had. A crazy unique combination of character. Cranberry seemed to have an unshakeable impact in this brew that was pleasant. I wouldnt mind having more of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 19:38:35 | More by stakem

weonfire

Kentucky

4.26/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Burgandy/copper, finger of light pinkish head, dissipates quickly

S - Sour grape, lemon, cranberry, raspberry

T - Initial: Sweet raspberry, grape, lemon. finish is a sour grape, spices, bitter hop level (1/10)

M - real light, light body

O - Very good. Great sweet and sour notes. Dark sour grape is wonderful. do wish it was thicker.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:31:26 | More by weonfire

ADTaber

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.5%

03-15-2013 13:49:54 | More by ADTaber

GeoffreyM

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%

02-25-2013 20:26:29 | More by GeoffreyM

kojevergas

California

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before July 2014. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz green glass bottle with pressure cap sealed over an internally housed acquired at a nearby bottle shop for $22.00 (about $7.00 more than I usually pay for Fantome in SoCal) and served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Expectations are through the roof as I usually love Fantome.

Imported by the Shelton Bastards. No wonder it's so pricey. 8% ABV confirmed.

Served following a warming period following its removal from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a three finger light khaki colour head of great cream, brilliant froth, fantastic thickness, and incredible retention for the 8% ABV (~8+ minutes). Quite impressive. The body colour is a vibrant if understated caramel amber-brown. (Mahogany for the pretentious). Nontransparent and opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Very appealing for a saison. I'm getting excited.

Sm: Holy shit that's fantastic. Bright evocative fruits and fermented sugars. Cream, brown sugar, ripe cherries and berries, spicy biscuity yeast, raisin, light vine, caramel, candi sugar, and more of that luxurious fermented fruit. I can't pin down exactly which fruits, but it's not the dark fruit of a quad or dubbel. Definitely rich raspberry. Heavy biscuit malt, with some other perfectly selected grains there as well. It's exquisite. Perfect. I can't imagine it being any better. I cannot wait to try this. The best aroma I've experienced in probably the last six months. Strong, rich, and luxurious. Possess incredible elegance, subtlety, and complexity.

No alcohol is detectable.

T: Raisin, bright evocative rich berries, biscuity spicy perfect yeasty notes, vinous character, brown sugar, a biscuit malt foundation, perfect caramelization, and grainy depth. Evokes dried fruit. Dessert wine character is subtle on the fringe. Lactose. Light fruit tartness. White pepper - a requisite note in any great saison. I don't know what gives it its tart complexity and spiciness; it could be seeds, earthy specialty grains, or obscure spices. All I know is the result is incredible. Light earthiness buried beneath the spiced malts. Light floral hops. Strawberry, maybe? Fig and dates. Currants. Oaky tones. Pear. Spicy green apple. The complexity and depth of flavour is staggering. Brilliant subtlety too. I love the fruit and yeasty notes. Nectary. Balance is near perfect.

Mf: Creamy, coarse, tingly, and wet. Smooth up front to welcome you in. Feels custom-tailored to the flavour profile. Very well executed. Perfect carbonation. Ideal palate presence, allowing all the subtlety to come through.

Dr: Extremely drinkable for the high ABV - which never comes through in the flavours. A home run from Fantome. Perhaps the best saison I've ever had. I'll have no trouble finishing this bottle by myself. Worth the $22 I paid for it. The best beer I've had from Fantome to date. Pick up a few bottles for the cellar; this one comes highly recommended.

Lowish A-

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 21:21:01 | More by kojevergas

chippo33

Vermont

4/5  rDev +1.5%

12-21-2012 03:50:05 | More by chippo33

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +1.5%

10-04-2012 03:07:32 | More by auroracrisis

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

09-01-2012 22:13:43 | More by t0rin0

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour from Wowcoolman’s tasting.

Pours a murky dark orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, spices, yeast, and some floral aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:12:24 | More by UCLABrewN84

drewone

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%

08-26-2012 23:17:19 | More by drewone

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle batch b, 3, / 14
A: Pours a massively powerful light brown head overflowing the bottle still after a pour and the pressure was released. This has been in my kegerator for over a month, so glad it had time to settle in there. Pours a murky rust colored brown with sediment at the top of the bottle peeking out after the overflow.

S: Aroma of fruity strawberries, lacto, a refreshing lot of mixed spices and berries.

T: Wow this was much sweeter than I envisioned, tasting primarily of fresh berry fruit, with lacto and some tart oriented spices. There is plenty of tartness in the flavor here, but hard to pick up exactly what has caused it. Wild flowers? Dandelions? Raspberry seeds? Hard to guess, but it does taste as good as it is different.

M: Dry and overcarbonated. Just on the overflow, I have to say too much carbonation, but once it settled for about ten minutes it did taste quite pleasing.

O: This is another satisfyingly different Saison from Fantome. Glad to have tried it and would drink again, but I think I would prefer some of their other offerings over this. The color of course is a nice treat for a Saison, and primarily the main addition I got from the color was the chocolate malt flavors that came out of the malt.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 23:01:38 | More by alpinebryant

claaark13

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle marked b/J(#3)(hahaha!)/14. I'm betting that this is fairly fresh. Poured at cellar temp into a Founders snifter.

A - Pours a ruby brown with a thick off-white head. Looks good. Thick lacing remains.

S - !!!! Strawberries, raspberries, light background malts. Really just a burst of fruity aromas. Slight hay and Saison spices. I had the aroma higher, but after a few minutes the smell took on a dirty, musty, sandy water aroma.

T - Tart, unnamed fruity malts upfront, then the raspberry comes through. Some of the traditional Saison spices as well as hay appear in the back 1/2. Mild fruity tartness is from start to finish; nothing abrasive, but like a near-ripe strawberry and raspberry coming together. Nearly perfect.

M - Medium, thicker for the style.

O - I was thoroughly impressed. I didn't expect so much fruit, or any fruit, at all. Strawberries take off and then raspberries take over. This reminds me in some ways of their classic Saison. I'd have to do some digging to find who sent this to me, but I'm beyond thankful. Simply amazing, now I need to pour the rest and take the dogs outside on this hot day.

EDIT - Fantome has been known for batch/bottle variation. After reading some reviews below, I'm certain that this is a great example of the variation.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:39:15 | More by claaark13

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky, ruddy amber with a thick off-white head.

S: Huge fruity aromas are present on the nose. There's definitely plenty of cider apple and spiced pear here. As the beer settles down a bit, I get scents of caramel, raisin, dates, figs, currants, blueberry, and elderberry. There's also a slight musty earthiness on the nose that keeps the fruit from being overpowering.

T: Surprisingly soft on the palate with blueberry, elderberry, currant, fig, date, raisin, caramel, oak, spiced pear, and cider apple flavors. Around mid-palate, must, lactic yeast, papaya, passion fruit, and pineapple flavors kick in and deliver, as an earlier reviewer so astutely put it, a tropical punch-like flavor. The finish is sweet and mildly yeasty with notes of blueberry, currant, date, and fig blending with oak, lactic yeast, and pineapple notes.

M: Medium-bodied, very dry, and acidic. Carbonation is gentler than one would expect. Alcohol is pretty pronounced.

O: This is an excellent saison. Like all of Brasserie Fantome's beers, it is unique, a beer that is hard to compare to any others of its style. Definitely worth seeking out and savoring.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 15:31:31 | More by mrfrancis

Twal

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

07-03-2012 01:53:15 | More by Twal

csano

Washington

3/5  rDev -23.9%

06-18-2012 02:11:30 | More by csano

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +1.5%

06-02-2012 01:08:12 | More by ElGallo

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-12-2012 01:06:40 | More by DaveHack

ElkSherpa

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

04-12-2012 21:45:26 | More by ElkSherpa

elNopalero

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a ruddy ruby amber with a thick layer of cotton topping it. The lacing lingers in the glass. Looks amazing.
First impressions are of sweet berries (described as “Hawaiian punch” by one taster), spring berries, with fruity notes evolving as the beer opens up. It’s very fruity on the palate as well, with these sharp cherry and berry notes, finishing dry and tart with a touch of sour.

This is an intriguing, interesting, involving, evolving beer. I enjoyed sharing this with some beer enthusiasts after a day of hard work. Wish I knew who to properly thank for bringing it!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 20:18:00 | More by elNopalero

pirmannt1

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%

03-04-2012 06:26:42 | More by pirmannt1