Fantôme La Gourmande

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

Bottled. Poured medium golden with a short cap of white head. Aroma found crazy funky barnyard and vinegar throughout.. mild spicage.. bit too much funk that was hard to go beyond. In the flavor the funk was more restrained than in the aroma.. lemon and vinegar sourness at the core with dusty, wheaty yeast above.. nice one. Sour on the palate with dry dusty notes going outward.. felt decent at best.

Saison #4 consumed ’blind’ at the Pewaukee tasting. Very mild yeast aroma, a little citrus edge, some barnyard funk. cloudy blonde color. Sour bretty flavor, mild, refreshing. Sour funky finish. A hint of astringency in the finish.

Bottle via CaptainCougar and stored in my wine fridge until now. The beer pours to a hazy orange body with a thin white head. The aroma is real-lemon concentrate that has been in the fridge for 3-4 years. The flavor has a chalky hoppyness to it. Chalky palate. I don’t really get this one. In fact, I quite disliked it.

Bottle: Courtesy of Styles. The aroma has lots of dusty yeast, lemon, and a hint of bubblegum. It pours a hazy dull orange with a moderate white head with good retention. The flavor has a nice lemon and apple tartness right from the start with light yeastiness in the background. The finish has light dusty notes and spice as well as an increase in tartness. Very nice.

Raring #600. Dark gold in colour with low carbonation. A huge and complex nose of citrus fruit, green apple, cherry pits, petrol, and rose petals. A good dose of sourness works well with flavors of driftwood, earth, blood oranges, and spice. The low carbonation is disappointing, but the beer is still fairly drinkable nonethelss. Not quite as insane as some of the other Fantome products I’ve had, but still very nice.

Pours a very clear golden amber color, with very effervescent carbonation. Briefly a tall head of foam (even with a gentle pour), then just a ring. Tart and fruity aroma with a trace of some peppery spice. The beer starts out mildly fruity, almost like an apple, and then *wham* it turns mouth puckering tart in an instant. Now it is sour and tangy like a dry apple cider, and I swear I taste a little rhubarb in there too. It is also citrus in a way, though not from the hops, just a bit like bitter acidic orange. There is a definite acidic funk in the finish and aftertaste. Further into the bottle, I taste a bit of coriander. This becomes more prominent when I stir up the yeast and dump that in the glass. The inside of my mouth, including my teeth, are coated in a tart acidity. Light body, very fizzy and sparkly carbonation.

Thanks to Indra for this one! Sampled at the 4th Richmond Gathering. As is usual with Fantome beers, wildly complex. Pale gold, hazy, with a nice head. Aroma of Christmas potpourri, with cinammon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. Almost perfumed it was so spiced up. Taste is similar, with a balancing note of honey that made up the backbone of the beer. Not bad, but ultimately a bit too much spice for me.

Hazy golden body, very thick white head. Citrusy banana aroma, refreshing tart flavour. Very delicious. Excellent mouthfeel.