Fantôme Chocolat
Brasserie Fantôme

Fantôme ChocolatFantôme Chocolat
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From:
Brasserie Fantôme
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
Ranked #635
ABV:
8%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,089
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 14.97%
Reviews:
242
Ratings:
373
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 08, 2024
Added:
Jan 16, 2005
Wants:
  37
Gots:
  31
A Belgian ’saison-style’ ale brewed with cocoa powder and chili pepper? Ay, Caramba! Score another first for the unpredictable brewery that was the first -- and so far the only - brewery to make ales out of dandelions and mushrooms, among other things.
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Ratings by augustgarage:
Photo of augustgarage
Reviewed by augustgarage from California

3.83/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a capped-and-corked 750mL green-glass bottle into my Troubadour tulip. Unknown vintage.

Cloudy goldenrod liquid is suffused with golden-yellow highlights. A tall rocky head recedes to a thin soapy layer leaving behind large merengue-like strands of lacing. Shimmering tears slowly drag down the sides.

Sourdough starter, unripe orange, clay, and maybe a hint of red pepper is delivered by the nose.

Surprisingly tart on the palate (well, this being Fantôme, I shouldn't be surprised I suppose), with significant sourness from the yeast. Buttermilk, orange zest, unripe strawberries, and faint green apple skins are present in the profile. Light herbaceous/weedy flavors suggest hops as well. The featured additives of cocoa and chili only come out in the finish - with a mild heat offset by the nutty/earthy flavors of cocoa bean. Neither hot or bitter, the flavors add just a bit of complexity rather than steal the show from the base saison.

Medium-light bodied, with active carbonation but not much effervesence. The chilli contributes heat in the place of the alcohol - making this slightly more warming than you might expect.

More subtle than I was expecting, the flavors fail to confound but also fail to impress compared to some of the other offerings from this eccentric brewery. Then again, perhaps because of this restraint, it isn't difficult to drain a full bottle in a sitting.
Jul 03, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.31 by _Adam_ from Maryland

Feb 08, 2024
 
Rated: 3.56 by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

Dec 31, 2023
 
Rated: 3.74 by smithj4 from New York

Nov 04, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.06/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a lightly hazy, light to medium golden amber with a quarter finger white head that dissipates to a thick film with solid lacing. Aroma of lightly grainy bready malt, light bread crust, saison yeast, lightly tart funk and a hint of cocoa. Flavor is grainy biscuit malt, lemon, hints of stone fruit, green apple, saison yeast funk, mild cocoa and some green pepper. The chili pepper doesn’t show up until the finish, which gets tarter and more bitter, seeming a little herbal until the light chili kicks in. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Hoping for a little more chocolate character, but appreciated that the chili was used with a light hand. Starts quite promising with a solid saison malt base and suggestions of the mystery herbs Fantome uses, but everything is somewhat subdued. Unfortunately for my taste, the chili seemed to exacerbate the light tartness which was little too acidic for me. I lean to the grainy style of saison and this one approached the sour boundary without crossing it, but leaving this one of my less favorite Fantomes. The cocoa is a really nice and welcome flavor note though and redeemed this somewhat for me.
Sep 12, 2023
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.06/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured at just warmer than fridge temp. Pours a yellow/orange with a solid 1-2 inches of white fluffy head. The nose definitely contains a bit of cocoa and chili pepper, mixed with some skunk, lime, and sour patch kids.

The taste is sourdough bread, slight chili pepper, lemon, apple, funk, mild sourness, and some oak. Lovely!
Aug 12, 2023
Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Amber/copper gold color with a soapy white head, and modest lacing. Definite cocoa and spicy chili notes, with a nice Belgian biscuit background. Definately unique and not for everyone, but so good and so Fantome!
Sep 12, 2022
Photo of zac16125
Reviewed by zac16125 from South Carolina

3.86/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours crystal clear, dark golden with a white tan head. Aroma is much maltier than expected and sweeter too. Caramel is the most prominent character early, chocolat is there too but not particularly strong. Some floral notes on the back end, a bit of hay although I wouldn’t call the aroma funky. Ok maybe a bit funky, with the earthy saison yeast notes. Taste is, unique. Not a lot of flavor up front, mainly just light, almost lager like malt notes. Most of the flavors come out on the back end. It’s quite earthy, floral, and has some moderate pungent funk on the finish. I wouldn’t have known their was cocoa in it had the bottle not told me, but I guess I catch the subtlest of cocoa notes (perhaps placebo). The chili’s flavors are very subtle but actually give a pretty nice, non-descript heat to add a nice balancing component. ABV is pretty high for the style, but is not noticeable. Carbonation is on the lower end. Overall, this was interesting. I’m not a huge fan of the style, but Fantome tends to make my favorite ones (especially regular Fantome Saison and Printemps), this is far from those but I did all in all enjoy it and appreciate the uniqueness. I will say it’s the least chocolatey of any chocolate adjunct beer I’ve ever had, but I guess subtlety should be the name of the game in an adjunct laden saison.

Happy Halloween!

4.5/4/3.75/3.75/3.75
Nov 01, 2020
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Clear, amber gold body; lively carbonation; relatively thin yet lasting head. Citrus emanates from the nose with a bit of white wine. A mild presence of cocoa noted in the taste; pear; earthy; a bit phenolic. Medium body; semi-sweet; a twinge of alcohol dryness.

Well, this beer didn't come across with any noticeable chili pepper heat or flavor. There is no bottling date information, so there is that, too. I don't know. The beer sounds like an interesting idea but some of the key parts are missing. I was expecting more, was delivered less.
Sep 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by Handz from Rhode Island

Apr 26, 2020
Photo of Snowcrash000
Reviewed by Snowcrash000 from Germany

4.35/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an almost clear, deep, dark amber coloration with a large, quite fluffy head and visible carbonation. Smells of doughy, biscuity malt, estery fruit and spice notes of green apple and clove, as well as just a hint of chocolate. Taste is an excellent balance of light, doughy, biscuity malt, fruity and slightly spicy estery yeast notes of tart green apple, pear and clove, some quite light, earthy funk and just a hint of chocolate and chili, with the chili being especially subtle. Finishes with a light tartness and bitterness, as well as some estery fruit, spice and chocolate lingering in the aftertaste. Fluffy, effervescent moiuthfeel with a medium body and strong carbonation.

The chocolate and chili are quite subtle here, but they are supposed to be, this is a Saison after all, not an Imperial Stout, although the chocolate is quite a bit more distinct than the chili, which is only faintly noticeable in the aftertaste, sort of combining with the estery clove to lend a very mildly hot kick to this. The main body of this is made up from the typical flavor profile that you would expect from a Saison: doughy malt, estery fruit/spice and some light tartness and funk, with a very nice overall balance, the subtle chocolate and chili lending an interesting, exotic side to this without overlaying or taking away from the main Saison character. I actually feel like the chocolate and chili are both coming out a bit more this warms and a little chili heat starts to build up on the tongue.
Dec 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Matuhg from Michigan

May 17, 2019
Photo of janubio
Reviewed by janubio from Spain

3.74/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Served at home in a Fantome tulip glass. Pours a hazy golden colour, big head with medium retention, good lacing.
Aroma of citrics. Then some notes of spices, bretts and a very faint hint of chocolate.
Medium body, oily texture, good carbonation. Citric finish.
Taste of citrics, spices, and again faint notes of chocolate. I can't feel the chili anywhere.
Very good, but not really much chocolate.
Feb 21, 2019
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: Poured into a Duvel tulip to a dark golden orange which is topped by a dense two finger white head which retains well but fades slowly while leaving decent lacing
S: Smells of light chocolate and orchard fruits slight grassy/hay note with a little citrus in there as well.
T: Taste is lightly tart before some chili heat comes in along with a slight cocoa powder note. Nice orchard fruits come in as well along with a slight lemon zest note. On the finish this beer is more orchard fruits with a little more chili heat, light chocolate, and lingering lemon zest.
M: This beer is on the lighter side of medium in body with a somewhat slick feel on the palate. Carbonation is effervescent and slightly prickly while the beer has a drying finish which is expected for the style.
O: Overall this is a really interesting beer. It isn't as chocolate forward as the name would suggest. What it is though is a nice twist on a Saison that still has plenty of those standard saison notes plus a little extra. It's worth a try if you don't mind things that color outside of the lines a little.
Nov 04, 2018
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A-Pours a hazy amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has cocoa and chili pepper hints
T-The taste is snivel balanced but somewhat subdued cocoa and chili pepper flavor
M-A light bodied moderately carbonated beer
O-A decent cocoa and chili pepper beer
Oct 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by mcrawford from Michigan

Aug 19, 2018
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I have a 7 year old bottle from my cellar
L: It pours bright copper amber blanketed by a 1" ecru foam cap with fair to good retention

S: big funky smell emerges as soon as you pop the cork and a little concentration picks out wet horse blanket, cocoa, fruit, a hint of pepper and some vegetable

T: Fruit dominates the flavors lightly seasoned with cocoa, a hint of butter, mild pepper heat, pepper flavor, and mild funk

F: High levels of carbonation give the beer a very creamy feel packed into a medium light body

O: Very elegant, well made and a delight to drink.
Mar 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by samEBC from Belgium

Feb 12, 2017
Photo of FLima
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil

3.79/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Slightly hazy nice amber orange color with a thick beige head with great retention. I guess I did it right not to disturb the sediments.
Aroma with predominant notes of pine, pepper, wet tobacco and tangerine. Hints of lemongrass, spices, leather and aromatic herbs. I didn’t notice the cocoa.
Flavor with notes of pepper, cocoa powder, lots of white wine, wood, tangerine drops and Cointreau citrusy, a bit of leather and horse blanket, green apples, lemon, yellow fruits, caramel and a handful of condiments. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness and mild sourness that lingers.
Medium body with appropriate carbonation. Alcohol of 8% is felt only with a flavoring feature.
Unusual and interesting combination that worked well in my opinion. Funky notes were barking but under the leash, giving space to other nuances creating a Saison with excellent complexity.
Jan 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.68 by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

Jan 14, 2017
Fantôme Chocolat from Brasserie Fantôme
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 373 ratings