Fantôme Black Ghost

pour is a cloudy dark brown with a small beige head, good lacing.
smell is faint, musty, some dark fruits, almost a red wine smell.
taste is sour, dark fruits (prune, raisin, red grapes), malt in the back, some spice, dry ending, thick mouth-feel, some bitterness, sour lingering aftertaste.

Murky appearance. Funky, fun aromas. Lots of sour fruit and soap. Big bursting high carbonation. Sour, some oxidation, Strange, interesting, and engaging flavors.

Much thanks to SoLan for bringing this beer for us to try. Pours a thick, dark head. I love the color of this brew as it looks like I am drinking a delicious glass of mud or dirty, street gutter water. Mild aroma of yeast and sour apples. The flavors are quite intriguing with notes of soy sauce, apples, cola, melon, and apple cider. Low/medium carbonation and medium body. Very interesting in complexity, as is the norm for Fantome beers.

After Fantome’s Saison, the Black Ghost is a whole different creature. Nevermind the awkwardness when you mention this beer in front of a politically correct group - the Black Ghost is eminent for its flavorful qualities as much as its intriguing name and characteristic grade school drawing label. The head is a mottled and honeycombed creamy white layer. It quickly retreats into the beer, fizzling like a sputtering firework into a more morose blanket of thick head. Despite its claim to chromatic fame, the Black Ghost is not a deep black beer - just a very deep brown. I do like the effect of tiny bubbles glued to the side of the glass, like little bats perched in a cave. But otherwise the color is more of a wet tree bark brown when cast against the light. The aroma is punctuated with jerk spices, hoisin sauce, but glides on a viscous, winey texture and scent. Its very dark and sleek, with sweet meat flavors gnashing against the dark wine touches. The aromatic intensity is staggering, forcing its way like smoke, clearing the way with a coarse brush of licorice. Conversely, the flavor feels attenuated, against my fears that the taste would make me cross-eyed. The Black Ghost starts smooth and slightly sweet with mild notes of plum and fig, and then it transforms into a dry but mostly smoky and meaty aftertaste. All through the sip it is a light beer, not a crude oil type of texture. I also find the beginning to be very peppery, again with jerked spices. It’s the kind of spiciness that leaves a tingle on your lips, not an immolated tongue. This is a very nice beer with a wide spectrum of flavors including spicy and dark fruits, with a palate that accomodates the Spring evening in which it was drunk.

Bottle courtesy of darkguardian. Pours hazy dark caramel with off white head. Aroma is what you expect from a Fantome; sour funkiness. Tart and sour flavors stand out with some peppery taste coming through. Medium body with lively carbonation. Another quality brew from Fantome.