Fantôme Hiver (Winter)

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

[Bottle @ Odense Tasting, 14th February 2009, remembered for Carsten BeerMouths fantastic 3 meals highend gastronomy.] Although it’s long time I’ve tasted these brewdrops I remember a great breew with very much pebber notes, horseblanket, dried grape, sourness. Fantastic!

750ml. 2002 or prior? Red and blue label reading "Winter". Pour is hazy orange/amber with a foamy white head. Funky aromas of spice, tart fruit, citrus, and yeast. Flavor is outstanding with sour apples, spice, and slighy yeast. Very suprised here. An interesting brew and very enjoyable.

This beer was a winter ’08-’09 brew. It was dark, almost viscous for a saison. There was no spice and very little sweetness as well. It was almost familiar to a pilsener, but much smoother. I was a bit disappointed because I had such high expectations, but it was still a quality beer.

Bottled (from Cracked Kettle). Amber colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is barnyard, lots of spices and herbs. Flavour is spices, yeast, herbs and some hints of caramel. Quite brutal, but balanced. Semidry palate. With yeast in it gets a bit more bready and solid from the spicyness.

Bottled 0,75 l (CK). Chestnut brown color, steady beige head. Strong spicey aroma - very difficult to describe what spices - black pepper and muscot etc. Medium to full-bodied. Sticky malty with red currant juice, black pepper and yeast - some sweetish notes. As always ... interesting Fantome ... not necessary the best beer in the world.

from crackedkettle.com - cloudy and dark reddish-amber colour, firm and beige creamy head; yeasty and dusty in the finish with notes of apples and undefined spices; the palate is sweet/acidic, medium to full malt backbone; quite dry with a long aftertaste of apples and candi sugar

Bottle. Pour is a medium clear amber orange with a nice creamy head. Love the look on this one, an easy 5. Kind of weak aroma, but pleasant. Fermented apples, spices, and a sweet, melony touch. This is impressive. Really delicate flavors of sour citrus fruits, pine needle, and a really cool barnyard funk. The only detracting note is a slight metallic one, which I’m really sensitive to after drinking a Saison du Pipaix. Very soft and creamy in the mouth. Love it. This was my first Fantome beer and it’s a great one.

750, corked and capped. Thanks, Kosko! Pours a murky medium amber. Loose sudsy off-white film and foam. Anise and other lightly tangy notes show up rather unexpectedly in nose, along with some bright grassy notes. Fizzy medium body. Lemon, vinegary tang, a little bit of grass there as well.