Fantôme Saison D'Erezée - Hiver - Brasserie Fantôme

smakawhat

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

We have been through a lot you and me Mr. Hiver. I am just realizing that this is a bitter irony that this is the 2 year anniversary of you and me dancing again. We're throwing you into a tulip glass. I hope you are on your A game just like Extra Special Sour and Dalmatiene.

A real looker as I remember, and finally a head that stays. Clumpy and rock hard, bright white with swiss cheese like character. Body is a classic peach orange amber with a slow rising column of fire going up the middle. Yup this looks great, nearly perfect.

Nose though is much different. Huge phenolic band aid and medicinal smelling. Hints of novocaine. Ok this is nothing like how I remember this, but this smells like a trip to the dentists office. Some powdery ash, and malt sweetness just hides behind.

Taste though is at least tolerable. A very big juicy palate, Rauchbier like smoke wood which really appeals to me. Juicy palate really hits on the finish hard and lingers. Hop blast somewhat and hits of smoke keep coming. This is like a smoky saison or something, it's kind of fascinating. Mouthwatering mild fruit in the middle, and a very sharp pith like bitterness in the finish.

Overall this is a real different experience than I remember, and quite a fascinating beer. It has that rauchbier sense but it's too medicinal. If it was somehow under control then I would absolutely devour this with pleasure since Rauchbier is one of my all time fav styles. I have to be in the right mood for this. It's very jarring, but has elements that I absolutely love, I just wish all the pieces were in the right place.

--- Previous review 11-24-2010 ---

Purchased and poured into a chalice type glass.

(4) The appearance of this beer is probably the best thing, in fact I would give it 5 stars if the head on this thing didn't die and dissolve in 3 seconds flat. Leaves a minimal lace but is pock marked quickly. The color on this is absolutely gorgeous, at first looking more peach and apricot on the pour and then turning into the perfect example of opaque cloudy grapefruit juice. The head though dies instantly and this to me always means trouble and usually disappointment. It is too bad, if the head had some staying power this would have been the best looking beer I have ever seen.

(2) Smell. Now this is where things start going downhill. Fermented orange juice with a faint wood component almost of tree bark. Skunk. Carbon dioxized air and "some" yeast.

(2) Taste is where it gets into a dead beer composing and masquerading as fermented bad orange or grapefruit juice. It's almost tasting a bad mimosa made with cheap stale champagne.

(2) Mouthfeel is nonexistent and watery, nearly NO finish of any texture but more of the citrus watery taste leaving in your mouth of weak orange juice. Watered down citrus fruit juice.

(2) I Don't get it. Sure Saisons are different and the Urthel was at least enjoyable and drinkable, heck even so was Saison Du Pont as much as I didn't care for that but this is just a giant question mark. Drinkability is highly influenced on all these factors but also on price. This beer is NOT cheap and I would try it again ironically just to see if I had a bad bottle, but somehow I doubt it. Problem is I will never try this again with my own money it's just not worth it. So unless you are a big Saison fan steer clear of this thing by a country mile.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 19:24:45 | More by smakawhat

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.41/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 vintage... seriously...

A: Pours an almost completely transparent lemon gold with one full finger of pure white head. The foam sticks around for a bit, but fades wonderfully over time. Nice bit of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is wonderful on this beer. I get lemon/lime citrus (almost like Gatorade), a bit of malt, and a touch of apple juice. I’m looking forward to this one.

T: The taste follows the nose almost exactly. I get a nice light malt sweetness right away followed instantaneously by that yummy lemon/lime flavor. A touch of spice enters in next with apple cider like qualities. The finish is dry, a bit yeasty, but really nice.

M: Medium bodied beer. It takes control of the palate straight away, the flavors dance, and the finish is just slightly drying.

O: Really enjoyed this brew. I know there are a lot of terrible bottles of this out there. But the bottle we opened is drinking wonderfully. I’d drink a lot more of this if I knew the bottle integrity wasn’t going to be an issue.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 16:57:30 | More by trxxpaxxs

jtladner

District of Columbia

1.54/5  rDev -61.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 1.5

I was really excited to try this beer, it was my first (and currently only) Fantome. The beer looked great, but unfortunately I seem to have gotten one of the skunked bottles that I have seen many people post about. Both the aroma and the taste were completely dominated by something that I can best describe as burning tires.

At first I though that maybe it was meant to be a kind of smokey saison, but after reading other reviews it is clear that this is not the case. Even if the taste had been intentional (which I am pretty sure it wasn't), it was not pleasant at all and most of it ended up going down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:01:00 | More by jtladner

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a murky amber hue. Huge, gigantic, billowing head. Head refuses to die quickly and leaves curtains of lace.

S-Crazy aroma. Almost a bit leathery or peaty. Supremely earthy. Incredibly musty. Stewed spinach. Very unique.

T-The oddest tasting beer I have had in quite a while. Sweetness is more noticeable here than in the nose. Also a bunch of bitterness by a crazily earthy hoppiness. The rest of the beer is just a plethora of wacky flavors. Wet wood, peaty moss, leather, decomposing vegetation, soil and peppery spice. A trip for sure.

M-Tingly bubbles. Medium to full in body. A weird, lasting bitterness.

O/D-My first Fantome. I have stayed away from the brewer due to inconsistency of product, high price and relative shelf rarity. Judging by how unique and odd this one is, I need to pay up and try their other offerings when available.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 21:58:25 | More by VelvetExtract

mscudder

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%

05-12-2013 03:02:56 | More by mscudder

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

05-11-2013 15:23:40 | More by drgonzo2k2

millelacsmark

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

05-09-2013 21:47:56 | More by millelacsmark

Jordantb313

Colorado

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-09-2013 17:20:32 | More by Jordantb313

NateMac13

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

05-04-2013 15:53:03 | More by NateMac13

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%

04-29-2013 19:20:40 | More by imperialking

drummermattie02

Texas

3/5  rDev -25.6%

04-29-2013 13:56:18 | More by drummermattie02

MoistPope

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

04-28-2013 05:13:20 | More by MoistPope

Immortale25

Florida

3.99/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a Tapered Guinness pint glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a murky dark amber color with a full three fingers worth of off-white head that retains good and long before becoming a .

S- Initially skunky aroma that's common with these green glass imports but then the saison funk shines through and is driven by a lemony citrus from the spices and wheat.

T- Strange medicinal flavor that's puzzling as to where it's coming from. Is it the yeast? Is it the alcohol? Is it the spice? Like nothing I've ever tasted. A bit of a peaty smokiness is definitely there too. Not sweet, but also not necessarily bitter. Leaves me scratching my head.

M- A bit tart and dry with medium-high carbonation and a medium body.

O- A mystery of a beer but it's certainly unique, complex and quite drinkable. Not sure I would buy again at the $13 price tag (and it was on sale) but I'm glad I finally got to try one of Fantome's beers. Not your typical saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 02:35:27 | More by Immortale25

mahak213

New York

3.79/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Not sure of the vintage, but I'm going to assume it's not the most recent since it doesn't taste like a smokey tire...

Appearance- Beautiful hazy golden orange with a huge, soapy white head. Tons of lacing, it really looks nice!

Smell- Herbal and fruity up front with a strange sweetness I can't really pin point

Taste- Sweet fruitiness up front, with big orange and grapefruit notes. Finishes herbal and slightly bitter. It's actually reminiscent of an very malty and earthy IPA

Mouthfeel- Medium body and light carbonation, finishes slightly sticky. Would have liked it to be a bit cleaner and crisper, but it's still nice.

Overall- A very unique saison, I don't get any of the typical funk or breadiness, but it's pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:33:39 | More by mahak213

MinorThreat

Colorado

1.54/5  rDev -61.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 1.5

Served from a cork and cap bottle. This is the second bottle I have had from this batch; I wanted to give it a second chance after being very disappointed with the first bottle.

A-Hazy light rusty gold color with an impressive froathy head and great retention/lacing. This was the best part of this beer by a long shot.

S-Odd notes of rubber, grass, burnt hair and herbal hop notes. Very odd and off putting.

T- Atrocious. Burning rubber and solvent nail polish remover/alcohol. Chemical, harsh, and just dreadful. I have really enjoyed this one in the past but this batch is a disaster.

M-It honestly is so hard to get past the taste that the mouthfeel is hard to say. Oily yet effervescent and light.

O-Sadly I dropped 17.99ea on two of the worst bottles in recent memory. Will I give Fantome another chance? Of course. They have made so many great beers that it should be chalked up as an aberration. With that said, I will not be purchasing and Hiver till I am certain that the current batch is long gone.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 20:00:00 | More by MinorThreat

SupremePie

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

04-18-2013 20:21:37 | More by SupremePie

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a lightly hazy, rich yellow-gold with two fingers of thick white head.

Smell. Light grainy malts and lactic sourness, some earthy funk and lemon, and a good amount of medicinal herby hops, aged I would guess ...being the experienced expert in brewing ingredients that I am. *rolls eyes* Hey, I know what tastes good to me and how to describe what I taste in relative terms. I think that's all that's asked for in these reviews, right? Anyways, back to it...

Taste. Whoa! Not what I was expecting. Big medicinal herbs, very earthy and fairly bitter with just a touch of lemon. There's a very slight tang, but not sour like I was getting from the smell. Woody and savoury herbs linger, but I can't quite say what they are. Possibly lemongrass, maybe even thyme. I dunno, but it's very interesting and gets better the more I drink (after the initial shock).

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body, lowish and fine carbonation.

Overall. One of the most interesting beers I've tried in recent memory. Lots of earthy, herby big flavour, but nothing offensive. So glad I took a chance on this grab from Belmont Station on a fairly recent trip to Portland.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:50:07 | More by Rutager

concealed

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

04-12-2013 01:50:34 | More by concealed

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -0.7%

04-11-2013 02:09:37 | More by Atomicskis5

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%

04-04-2013 05:37:03 | More by YobroitsJoe

RochefortChris

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

03-31-2013 02:38:10 | More by RochefortChris

kmoen

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

03-28-2013 05:06:31 | More by kmoen

bigd84

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

03-24-2013 17:48:29 | More by bigd84

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -50.4%

03-23-2013 18:52:51 | More by BGsWo22

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

750ml bottle into a tall tulip

A: Pours a hazy golden color with two fingers of dense white head.

S: Lemon peel, musty barnyard funk, clove, and a touch of wheat. This is a quintessential Farmhouse Ale. Lemon acidity builds as the beer warms.

T: Hmm, like tasting a completely different beer. Still musty with lemon and orange peel, but the acidity I got in the aroma is completely gone. I also get some plums and prunes, this almost seems like a lighter Quad. It's still pretty decent, but odd for the style.

M: On the thick side with low carbonation for a Saison.

O: The aroma on this is great, but the flavor is odd for the style and the mouthfeel is too thick.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 22:44:29 | More by coreyfmcdonald