Fantôme Strange Ghost

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

From a 750mL Bottle. Pours a hazy, coppery amber color with a healthy head of well sustaining, fizzy off-white. Spicy and herbal aromas of mint, anise, and orange peel jump out right away, satisfying, but a little bit naked, as there’s only a faint whiff of biscuity malt to back it up. Earthy yeast aromas with a touch of peppery spice. It’s hard to pick out the malt and hop characters, but the mint spice and earthy, peppery yeast phenols are especially prominent. Light bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel with a thin, almost papery texture. This doesn’t taste oxidized to me, but the body is just really thin. Spicy lemongrass and grains of paradise add some bright zest to the flavors up front on the palate. As it lingers, some of the earthy, dusty yeast characters start to come through atop a graham cracker. I love the spice and yeast characters, but the body needs a bit more depth to make this one shine.

Bottle Thanks to someone in the New York crew... Not sure who. Pours a muddy brown color with an off white head. The nose is extremely complex with mint, sassafras, sage and violet mints. Velvety texture and extremely unique flavor. Full of complex spices such as spearmint, sage and violet mints. The finish has a cleansing minty character. Extremely individualistic, and complex.

Bottle shared by I think Notalush. I don’t know. I had probably a bigger sample of this than any other beer that night, and for good reason. It was my last missing Fantome with >100 ratings, and because I knew it would be damn good. It was. Pillowy, flowery violet aroma, vinegar. Fresh harvest corn rolls across the tongue, with pungent dry sage like at a native american festival. Clean tobacco and menthol. Super dry flavor, hay, and the best farmhouse bits. More menthol and mint in the finish, very herbal. To me this beer, though certainly Belgian in style, tastes of so many rich, traditional American flavors. Seems like it’d be a perfect Thanksgiving beer, much like Jolly Pumpkin’s Fuego del Otono with its chestnut notes. Thanks, whoever brought this!

slightly hazed warm brown with dense thin light tan head. Big strong ginger. Herbal. Thyme? Raisins! Remnds me of OSA, though no roast. Very light body with lots of small bubbles. Big sweet spices with a good dose of acidity! Again, like OSA, but drier. Really lingers on the tongue. Pleasant, but not insanely great.

Bottle, thanks to someone, maybe dickinsonbeer. Light brown/ orange pour. Aroma is mint leaves, maybe some chocolate. The flavor is the same with a little sweet malt and yeastiness.

Man, this is well-named. Very strange and completely intoxicating aroma. Loads of sweet violet floral notes, menthol and spearmint. Roses and other flowers as well. Some earthy dustiness. Chewy and slightly leathery with a very tannic astringent finish. I like it, but it seems a little bit faded.

A big thanks to Dr. Bill for sharing this beer. This was a very tasty beer with some fruitiness that I just couldn’t quite place. It was complex and very enjoyable.

750 ml green corked and capped bottle poured a clear reddish copper with a lasting amber head. Aromas of cola, fruitiness, carmel and light spice. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of carmel, cola, allspice and rosemary with a crisp lingering spiced finish.
One of the best Fantomes I’ve had!