Fantôme Printemps

Bottle. Poured a deep amber with thin head. Aroma is a nice blend of spices, grass and herbs. Flavor is the same with a some noticable spices of thyme and yeast.

Bottle from South Bay Drugs. Poured with a glowing yellow with a glass full of yeast while a fat topping of foam sat above. Aroma was somewhat skunky with a slight reminder of Heineken or some other German beers in green bottles, but a noticeable amount of spiced yeast greets the nose. Flavor is big on Belgian spiced yeast and will also display a grand affection of alcohol content.

This is my least favorite Fantome. This was not as good as the others I’ve had from them. Aroma was dirt, earth and funk. Pour was a hazy orange with nice sediment. Taste was nice but not great. Some pear, peach and fruit cocktail with a hint of funk and no carbonation. I love a good yeasty heavily carbonated saison, this was far from that.

Bottle. Light fruits and what I’m coming to learn as typical fantome earthy/gritty sour character. Pretty good, nothing more to say.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber with no real head. Aroma is fairly weak, nothing of note (maybe I had it too cold??). Flavor strongly of pear, some raspberry, sour fruits. Mouthfeel is syrupy and thick. Just ok, nothing great.

Bottle, year unknown. Golden with a slight haze, topped with a nice white head. On the nose: funk, straw, spiciness. The first impressions on my tongue were musty strawberries. Hay, tartness, apricots, slight oxidized sherry notes, nutmeg, followed with a hop bitter dry finish. Drying and slight puckering effect. Well carbonated, slightly spritzy, besides a slight feeling of alcohol in the throat it never felt as big as it was for a saison. They musty fruits and strange tartness were very enjoyable. Great brew!

From a 750mL Bottle. Courtesy of SecretSanta. Pours a hazy, pale banana gold color with a tremendous head of rocky white. Tons going on in the nose - pears, bright tangerine zest, herbal hops, yeast peppers. Amazing how the different aromatics come out as the beer changes temperature. Lots of spice and hops up front, but as it warms, the citrus really starts to come out. Lemons and ginger. Just a smidgen of rubbery yeast, but otherwise super fresh and inviting. Very light bodied, briskly carbonated mouthfeel with a dry, carbonic bite. A pleasing maltiness coats the palate briefly before being scrubbed away by the carbonation, bringing forth some doughy flavors. Nutmeg husks and lemons. Mid-palate, some gardeny Styrian Goldings herbal hops come forward with a cleansing bitterness. Hints of dusty funk in the finish, blending in with the other flavor complexities remarkably transparent. Light, citrusy, and floral. Tastes like spring. Thanks, Santa!

750mL Bottle. (Approximately a 2006). Brett dry pear nose. Dusty hay and barn. Plums right on the tree. Some indication of wildness. Subdued. Breezy. Pours a crystal clear gold, with a soapy white rim. Nice look. Good carbonation at this age. Crazy flavor! This is so complex and light. There’s vibrant, forward Tellicherry black peppercorns, Myrrh and ginger. Spicing is right up there, but melds beautifully with the yeast and the malt. There’s light Fantome funk, a signature. Spice shapeshifts into some more complex, perfume-like incense notes. So well integrated with the beers. There’s no way this is 8%! It’s so light, airy, refreshing and crisp. The nip of funk and yeast add a rounded edge of character to the beer. A long, dry lemony hop presence rounds out the long smack on this beer. This is fucking amazing stuff. Thanks Sean for the hookup!