Fantôme Strange Ghost

Brewed by Brasserie Fantôme
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Soy-Erezée, Belgium

(Bottle 75 cl) Beautiful orangey red with an almost warm glow. Slightly sourish with a decent hopping. But first and foremost this is spicy, spicy, spicy - and I’m talking spices you usually find in cooking: basil, thyme and sage. Weird - as expected. And a strange ghost indeed... 090601

This bottle poured amber with small off white head. Nose agressive spices, all kinds. Taste was flowery as well. Not sure if I liked this.

[bottle at RBSG] Almost clear, light brownish-orange with a white ring. Spicy orange aroma with mustard, a little hops, and ver faint pine-sol (solventy). Dry, woody and bitter, with some solventy pine. Light body and moderate carbonation. I usually love Fantome beers, but I think this is the worst one I have had yet. This was one of the last beers that I had at RBSG 2005, Montréal and perhaps my palate was becoming fatigued...

Orangish amber in color, off white head, slight haze to the beer. Very spicy aroma, earthy, along with a touch of Fantome funk. Flavor was lightly skuned, however and it definitely made things not go so well together with the spice and funk. Medium bodied. I would like to try again because this may be really nice if it werent for the catty flavor.

Only wish I hadn’t been so anxious to try this as I strongly believe that it would greatly improve with age. Perhaps I should raise my ratings as underneath was what appeared to be an excellent beer, but being crammed in my nostrils and rubbed across my tongue was an amazingly potent herbal (my "crew" said sage, and I had to agree - with another stating perhaps fenugreek). The potency level was like having plucked some fresh from the garden and rolling it between fingers under a nostril. Amazing that it came through so strongly. Regret I bought only one bottle.

Sadly it was mildy skunked. I have found this to be not abnormal in most of the Fantome product line. Pours with a light haze in the orange amber spectrum. Toasted grain with a little peach for an aroma. More of the same with some bolstering of pear syrup and apricot. Yeast. And wheat. And a weak ending. Some barnyard and cheese in the finish. I’m shrugging.

Bottle sampled @ RBSG 05’ (Montréal) Grand Tasting
Nose of thyme, rosehips, light hops and chocolate. Lightly skunky and full bodied. Very rich and creamy flavor with that trademark Fantôme yeast funk in the tail. Another tasty treat from Dany.

07.10.05, 07.19.05 750ml bottles, 1st at RBSG. Copper pour, light haze, lasting khaki head. Crazed mess of spices is intoxicating. Nutmeg, rosemary, spruce, forest, dust, mint. Flavor follows suit with additions of juniper, lots of pepper. Some banana comes through. Awesome.