Fantôme La Gourmande

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

Cloudy golden with a small white head. Extremely spicy aroma, with pepper and chili dominating, some malt and a little funk. Dry and spicy, very complex flavour

75cl bottle @ The Wolf. Tasted blind. Pours clear golden with a small egg white foamy head. Grain, yeast, fruit, medicine, herbal. Quite spicy. Medium bodied. Fresh...

750mL Bottle. Sweet white raisins aroma. Syrupy and vinous-like. A bit of cork and a touch of cinnamon. Complex, earthy and absolutely wonderful. Pours a chill-hazed orangey golden, with a swirling wisp of white up top. Tangy, lambic-like funk develops. Wow. This is unique and stunning. Tangy, citric acid-like character just glows across the palate. Then a wash of fresh apple cider, some wheat bread, and more of the golden chardonnay/white grape/pale brandy character. The touch of musty cork cellar edge adds delightful depth to this beer. Tart and impeccably dry. Three wows. Complex, unique, drinkable, and delicious. I couldn’t ask for much more in a Saison. If I could afford to cellar more beer, this would be high on the buying list.

Bottle. Fluffy white lasting head. Clear golden body. Spicy malty fruity aroma. Spicy fruity leomon pepper hoppy flavor with har carbonation and a long bitter aftertaste.

Bottle. [thank you, after4ever]
[Bottle #13 in the Kolding Blindtasting, 20th June 2009]
[vintage 2003]
Pours hazy, pale yellow with a nice, creamy, white head. Super lacings. Aroma has pepper, other spices, brett, sweet malts. Just wonderful. Low carbonation, fine mouthfeel. Flavour is dry, quite spicy, light grassy, pepper and grainy, bready malts. Very nice, just sad that the flavour doesn’t quite live up to the aroma.

Bottle, thanks Alex! Pours an awesome medium-hazy orange with a nice pillowy head. Aroma is musty, earthy, and sour with some very interesting sharp notes. Sharp and tart in the mouth. A lot of that strange elegance I find in the better Fantomes. Barnyard and mustiness. Really bright and delicious. High level of carbonation. This is reminiscent of the old Dulle Teve 750s that were so sublime at times.

750 ml capped and corked bottle. 2004 Vintage courtesy of bvc (by way of Bottleworks in Seattle). Pour is a hazy golden orange yellow with a bright white two inch head. Heads falls somewhat quickly with nice lacing. Aroma of wheat, grain, lemon citrus and bright coriander. Soft and alive, this actually smells pretty fresh. Taste is mostly about dry coriander and white pepper. The wheat and grain is present as well, though more towards the back and very dry and dusty. The citrus and coriander is also present, though tasting more of vegetables than the soft sweetness from the nose. The vegetal notes really take over in the back, along with strong white pepper. There is also the yeastiness, which is similar to most Fantomes I have tried. Palate is thin to medium, quite dry with a quick finish. Overall, this was a unique, tasty and original Saison. Thanks Brandon.

Clear light amber with a viscous white head. Subtle tart fruit aroma with some earhty barnyard. Light frothy mouthfeel. Complex and subtle flavors of dry lemon peel, sweetgrass, with sweet tart earthy apple skin sand white grapes. Nicely aged Saison here.