2004 bottle: When first reading about this offering from Fantome, I was definitely taken aback when finding out they were making a beer from dandelions. These guys have brewed some daring beers before, but I thought maybe they were going too far. Once again these guys have proven that they can brew an amazing beer using some of the most unorthodox ingredients out there.

Pours plum red with a thin but stubborm pinkish head. The first aromas of New England in the spring are what initially struck me when I caught the first scents radiating from this beauty. Smells strongly of morning dew, wet grass, barnyard and mustard seed. Tastes of salad, vegetal, with some nice sweet cherry-like undertones. Peppery on the tongue with a nice bitter finish. Great lasting lacing throughout the entire drinking experience. This is definitely one of the most unique saisons I’ve ever had.

750 ml bottle. A cloudy light amber beer with a medium sized, enough persistent white head. The aroma is great, intense with notes of barnyard, earth, citric fruits, hay, herbs, flowers. Light sourness in the nose that is balanced and inviting. The flavour begins quite sweet and malty before you’ve been hit by a balanced acidity and hop bitterness. Again many herbal/flowery notes with some spiciness and hints of citric fruits. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, lively carbonation, long dry finish with medium bitterness. The nth masterpiece from this wonderful brewery.

Gloomy sunset. Spongy, gleaming white foam. Boisterous aroma of flower garden, chalky, peppery belgian yeast, leather, soil, pumpkin stem, mango, wood, and metallic aspects atop a layer of buttery malts, phenol, nutty yeast, and leather. Classic Fantôme prickly, fluffy mouthfeel. First sip yields full flavors right off the bat with a star anise-passion fruit blend and juicy hop onslaught. Trace of acidity emerges at middle stage to cushion the cottony malts. Lingering doughy traits alongside notes of white grape and cantaloupe. Finishes dry and herbal, grassy, cleanly yeasty with a touch of bready, caramel richness, gentle brushing bitterness, and earthy hop. Just an unbelievable combination. The herbal flavors, fluffy feel, complex yeastiness, and understated malt profile unite to unmask an impeccably crafted euphoric libation. To call this captivating would be an understatement.

This beer is incredible! I was a bit wary at first due to the inclusion of dandelions in the mix, but the result is stunning. Smooth, golden, with sweet essence and a slightly dry finish.

2004 bottle. Head is large, frothy, off-white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy medium amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain, cookie), moderately hoppy (flowers, grass, lemon), moderately yeasty (cobwebs, barnyard), with notes of clove, wood, hay, sand. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation. The latest release of other Fantomes, such as Black Ghost, have not quite measured up to older versions (perhaps a less than stellar batch of grains), but this one is wonderful...one of the first Fantomes I've noticed with a genuinely creamy mouthfeel. Over the last year I've become fiendishly addicted to saisons...Fantome, Blaugies, Dupont, I can't get enough. And this is a great example of why...farmhouse character all the way, amazing balance, impeccably clean tasting, and Dany's expert hand at the controls. Saison most completely captures what I feel is the purest form of beer...so genuine, so visceral, so freaking *real*. To get poetic for a moment, it is to drink life itself...it is the smell of the barley and wheat in the fields, it is the smell of the earth in which the plants grow, it is the smell of country air, the hay in the barn and the flowers by the brook. Saison is life.