Fantôme Printemps

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

Abso-fucking-lutely, beautiful beer. Tons of lemon, funk, fusty brett. That’s about it. Taste is slightly sweet, tart lemon, brett, spices, and barnyard and a touch of piny-bitter hops. Finish is slightly sweet, a bit of a hop bite on the finish that melds with the sweetness of the malt and the crisp lemon of the beer. Tastes a bit like a ginger-lemon beer without the ginger and a bit of hops and larger, more complex malt backbone. In other words, a completely different beer than the one I mentioned. Palate is a bit cloying, but at 8 percent what can you expect? Also very well carbonated, fizzy and slightly dry. Yum

Cloudy amber color with a nice-size white head. Aroma is peppery, earthy, and well hopped with some citrus sweetness poking through. Sweet earthy, fresh-fieldish flavors meld very well with a nice earthy-floral hop flavor. Light citrus and grass in there as well - very good with the butterfish I had at a local BYOB - one of the best Fantomes (and saisons) I’ve had to date.

A Fantome that I haven’t had? Sweet. You truly never know what you are going to get. Cloudy darker golden color with a minimal head. Huge earthy spiciness in the nose. This immediately reminds me of the nose of Pissenlit (the dandelion beer), despite it being years since I’ve had that beer. Grassy, earthy, flowery, wow. I swear, this smells exactly like dandelions. Loving it. Touches of sweetness in the nose as well. The taste itself is a very mellow, balanced, smooth beer. Low carbonation - tastes like a fair bit of wheat was used to soften the body. Slightly watery mid-palate. Could probably use a touch more carbonation. Still, nice. This beer is great, if only for the nose. The taste and body are good, but it is the nose that keeps drawing me back. Recommended. Oh, Fantome, how unique you are.

750 ml bottle - purchased at Bottleworks; bottle has the pink lettering; no marking on side to determine the age; poured into a very nice Boulevard saison glass courtesy of the generous Theisti; slight pop and probably would have gushed over if I hadn’t started to pour; dark orange w/ 1/2" sustaining eggy white head; incredibly amount of floaties cycling to the surface via the carbonation; first aroma to hit is one of food - almost garlic chicken if you can believe it; I get a pleasant mix of ginger, rosemary, oregano, musky sourness and dried flowers;celery and some pepper with a little thanksgiving stuffing; never smelled anything quite like it; wow, silky smooth texture; super creamy and full bodied; floral, grassy, spelty wheat some lemony or grapefruit tartness; cheese and some mint too; get the ginger and just a touch of rosemary again; fruity, but in the grapefruit and grape sphere; some sort of spice, seems like ginger, pops out the most to me; earthy overtones and perfectly dry finish; strange, intoxicating and delicious all at the same time; I didn’t read any ratings before opening, so this was very different than expected; earthy notes trump the fruity ones; one of a kind across the board

Bottle pours cloudy amber color with white head. Aroma is yeast spice, wood, and peppery notes. Voluptuous mouthfeel with a lot of tiny bubbles for carbonation. Flavor is bready, yeasty, floral hop notes, some light fruit, and finishes dry. I don’t really like saison style beers. This is one of those rare exceptions. Its fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered on a hot summer day. Very light and refreshing.

bottle, golden orange color with strong foam that finishes as a soapy film, sweet citrus, funky aroma, barnyard, flavor is a mix of lemon, honey, pencil lead, white pepper and spice, lasting earthy finish

(75 cl bottle) Pours a nice hazy gold with creamy head that laces nicely. Aroma is fantastic - citrus and bread, with hints of honey and grass. Complex flavor has lots of citrus (lemon and grapefruit) and herbal spiciness. FInish is dry with a nice bitter bite. I really enjoyed this one, but have a weakness for saison style beers.

Interesting and complex aroma, with notes of various leafy herbs and spices, tangerine, orange, cellar must, leather, dark, honeyish sweetness, bready yeast and light fumes of peppery alcohol. Medium orange-amber color, with a lasting creamy, rocky head. Flavor is a blend of malt sweetness, citric tartness and spice, gaining more acidity, bitterness and hop flavors towards the finish. Some vague woody hints. Very nice. Thanks to mabdoney for this one.