Fantôme Printemps

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

750ml Bottle: Beautiful marigold/straw yellow body, mostly hazy and definitely not clear, with a mountainous white head. The aroma is somewhat mild overall, with notes of apple, grass, wood, pepper, licorice, garden hose, faint lemon, and a gueuze-like sour yeast. Wow, the flavor came out of nowhere. Unlike the aroma, it’s not reserved. Initially there’s quite a bit of spice, pepper, light sweet apple, and a huge dose of sourness. Once the tongue recovers from the initial onslaught, there’s some more delicate notes of flowers, grass, honey, grapefruit, herbs, wood, and yeast. Finishes very dry and tart, with lingering flavors of wood, rose petals, and a bit of honey towards the very end. Interesting beer that really shows its true characteristics if you’re patient enough to let it breathe.

Tosa Tasting ala Silphium. 2001 bottle. Hazy amber color with a moderate off white head. Pale malt, licorice, rose and goldenrod aromas. Caramel and mild citrus flavors. Mild spice comes later. LIght and full all in one. Perhaps this one is getting dated, I’ll be looking for a fresh bottle to compare.

2001 bottle. Cloudy amber color, nice creamy thick white head. Apple, spice, sweet herbal woody yeast aroma. Soft buttery cinnamon apple taste. I liked this one.... not too much of anything, and nicely delicate.

2001 Vintage. Appearance: Looks like liquid caramel. Very cloudy. Aroma: Green Raisin, Pastures, Sweet weeds. Palate: Very hard to describe. Medium Full body. Flavor: Grass, dough, pastures. Not bad. Kinda weird. 8, 1, 7, 3, 14 = 3.3

Newer bottle. Pours to an orange body with a tall but mostly dissipating white head. The aroma is floral, apples, rose petals, and mineral water. The flavor is kind of musty but heavily mineral water and some apples and subtle paper. The palate is slightly tart and drying.

2001 vintage. Secret Santa beer #11, kindly sent by Jason (Dorwart) and brought to MrFacto’s ’Tosa tasting. Hazy orange body with a big off-white head. Classic Fantome aroma of flower petals, slightly earthy sourness, leaves and pollen. Biscuity, toasty body with flower petals and earthy hops, peppery with some yarrow-like perfumey flavors. A bit toasty. This was a 3+ year old sample, but I suspect a fresh sample would be very similar; this is nothing like the difference between fresh Fantome Saison and the 1998 vintage I tried in November. Pretty standard for Fantome overall; I prefer their (well...his) edgier offerings.

Pours a dark golden orange, small white head towards the edge. Aroma of apricto, lemons and spices. Flavor is similar with a very spice/herb body to it. Palate is smooth, spicy and a VERY interesting brew! Thanks to Silphium for this one!

This saison pours with a cloudy yellow body topped by a thick head with some lacing. The aroma is sour, skunky and slightly grassy. The flavor is slightly sweet yet slightly sour and grassy wtih a touch of skunk. Light bodied, smooth and slightly dry.

Pours an amber orange, transparent, with plentiful co2 and an off-white rocky head. Nice layer and retention and a sticky lace. Aroma is of fruity esters, spices, malt, earthy and a little horsy. Flavor is yeasty, and sweet at the start with a sharp biting finish. Palate is medium bodied and lightly creamy with a tart bite. Obviously a well crafted beer, yet not my favorite style. Changes character – sweetens, but does not balance out the sharpness of the finish.