Fantôme Hiver (Winter)

Brewed by Brasserie Fantôme
Style: Saison
Soy-Erezée, Belgium

Opaque, dark amber-red, like a bing cherry. Small head. Aroma is sweet and funky, with floral notes along with hints of cherry, raspberry, and cider and lots of spices. Taste is very full, a little woody and earthy with all-spice, cherries, malt, and a nice amount of funk. The flavors change with the temperature and the acidic dryness takes you through the entire bottle. I simply loved this beer.

Bottle. Pours a light cinnamon cloudy brown with big lasting off-white head. Aroma is both spicy and sweet with apple. Taste is earthy and yeasty with the lingering taste of sour apples. NICE. Fantome knows how to make a beer. (Is this really a saison? It’s very different than something like Dupont, which I also love.)

Bottle at the Montreal tasting, 4/17/05. Lovely, light chestnut brown color with some deep tinges of amber and honey. Large off-white head, lasting, lacing and plenty of clumping. Fantastic appearance as always from Fantome. Aroma of cinnamon, rye, allspice, ginger, cardamon, some light sugar, enjoyable Belgian yeast and some light apples/pears dipped in caramel sauce. Flavor begins moderately malty, with notes of earth, dry wood, tree root, cinnamon sticks, fluffy yeast and lightly bitter, almost nutty hops. Gets more tart the more you drink, drying out the palate nicely with its divine Fantome yeastiness. Controlled acidity, though, with earl gray tea, vanilla cream and spices to linger on forever. No alcohol, soft, but tingly carbonation and a medium-full body.

Cloudy brown wih a nice rocky off-white head. Sweet woody nose with yeast and vinous notes, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. Thinnish flavor, quite spicey, with a watery mouthfeel--like clove tea. Has a tangy, lemony bite, some brett. Odd, but nice.

Personal Milestone: Belgian beer rating #100 (out of 1140) - It’s a golden brown body with a thick, light tan head. The initial whiff, oddly, is of fresh pears, but when you get closer, it gets more interesting. The aroma is sweet and spicy, yet "dirty" and tart. The flavor is nutty and somewhat bitter, almost vinegary. A lemon and light malt taste shows up before delivering a tart citrus rind finish. Interesting, fun drink.

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Dark amber sour and earthy spice nose. Heabal peppery and woody qualities. Nutmeg and allspice fit in with a honeyed biscuit and sour apple quality. Soft and round on the palate with a nice sour fruit and lemon finish.

Original Rating (8-4-8-3-15=3.8): Apricot, pear, brown sugar, brettanomyces all share equal billing in the aroma. Opaque tan brown with a decent tan head that recedes to ring with some nice lacing. Perfumey flavour includes notes of oak, sandalwood, leather, with plenty of brett character that evokes the barn. Some ashy notes in the finish. Complex, fruity and herbaceous. Medium body with fair carbonation that is gently effervescent on the tongue. Bottle enjoyed with beerbuzzmontreal, ClarkVV, MartinT, muzzlehatch, Olivier_MTL, Rastacouere and SimonB.
Rerarte (7-4-8-4-15=3.8): Chocolate, leafy, wood and gooseberries in the aroma. Opaque brownish-red body with a decent and lasting, off white head that recedes to partial cover with some lacing. Woody, earthy, sharp yet sweet flavour with plenty of fruity esters and some chalkiness in the finish. Medium body with lively carbonation and a soft texture. Mild alcohol warming. Bottle sampled with MartinT, Olivier_MTL and Rastacouere.

Excellent aroma of lavender, spices and yeast. Great flavor of lavender and spices with earthy tones. Light body, creamy texture, soft carbonation.