Fantôme Strange Ghost
Brasserie Fantôme

Fantôme Strange GhostFantôme Strange Ghost
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From:
Brasserie Fantôme
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
ABV:
8%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 14.83%
Reviews:
126
Ratings:
186
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 09, 2021
Added:
Sep 11, 2002
Wants:
  48
Gots:
  18
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Dec 09, 2021
 
Rated: 3.86 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Nov 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Mattias from Sweden

Nov 14, 2021
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Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.97/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
in typical fantome fashion, we have basically no information about this beer. the last one of theirs i had with "herbs and spices" was a spinach juice and curry spice beer, so you truly never know what you are getting with these. also in typical fantome fashion, for me at least, i pop the cap forgetting i also need a corkscrew, and only by an act of extreme generosity and some lifted glassware (these folks werent going to miss them, more of a robin hood situation here) were we even able to get into this one. what a strange beer indeed, deep amber in color, frothy headed at first but settling quickly, and with a prickly almost piquant nose, classic fantome saison mustiness, autumn spices and a dried apple fruitiness, residual sugars still abound here it seems from the smell, and an absolute ton of rustic character. as with a lot of these beers, there is a lot of funk to it that doesnt seem bretty, and i like that, its a huge part of the appeal. this is less skunky and oxidized than a lot of their beers too, although i dont see a date on it. notes of white pepper, citrus peel, candy sugar, and something like lemongrass and tea, its bizarre but not too weird to be into it. i always love dipping into new fantome beers, they are sort of an automatic buy for me at this point, and this is certainly unique. the strength is well hidden, i actually passed out with some beer still in my glass... if you like fantome, you cant not like this!
Oct 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by vande from Illinois

Aug 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by brpendergast85 from District of Columbia

Jul 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.8 by AlexFields from Tennessee

Jun 23, 2017
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Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle

Pours cloudy opaque reddish brown with a dense creamy off-white foam head. Smells like ginger, allspice, cinnamon, clove spice, funky tart apples, brown pear, dried fruit, banana, toasted bready malts, caramel, chocolate, spice, brown sugar, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Tastes like ginger, allspice, cinnamon, clove spice, funky tart apples, brown pear, dried fruit, banana, brown sugar, toasted bready malts, caramel, chocolate, spice, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate carbonation. Overall a real nice and unique farmhouse ale.
May 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by Phineasco from Massachusetts

May 15, 2017
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Reviewed by zonker17 from Texas

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Cloudy light brown draft pour, small foam ring, no lacing. Clean nose with some dried fruits, leather. Super spicy flavors, clove, anise, some fruit sweetness. A bit above average body and carbonation.
Mar 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by Budlum from Maryland

Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Mar 17, 2017
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Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.89/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a rust color with a nice off white head of 2 fingers.

Aroma of slight lactic acid, faint cider vinegar, cherry, rosemary, bandaid, and barrel.

Strong hay and rosemary amid some polite cherry sour notes. Light barrel, more herb.

Creamy all the way to the finish which is then turned dry and dusty.

Not a bad saison. Its like a Saison and a sour had a baby.
Mar 05, 2017
Photo of Evahflow
Reviewed by Evahflow from Pennsylvania

4.62/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A- Small cap of head on a Murky Deep Amber/Browish body.
S- Classic Fantome funk out of the gate. Jazz Apple/Anjou Pears, Musky Melon, Some Herbal Tea like Spices, Tannic Dark fruit(Berries/Cherries)
T- Classic Fantome yeast Combo Described in the smell(Apple/Pear/Melon) Unidentified spicing really hitting all the right notes in the background. A slightly sweet Cherry Juice tartness to the finish. There is a lot going on in this one.
M- Very lightly carbonated and rather creamy. Medium-low bodied.
O- Overall this is the best fresh Fantome I've had in a while. Tons of flavors and too easy to drink. This is an unreal beer experience.
Feb 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.16 by DeutschesBier from Maryland

Feb 10, 2017
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.96/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Another Fantome...had to buy this when I saw it at a Binny's in Chicago in spite of its hefty $16.99 pricetag (I'm used to seeing Fantome at $14.99).

BOTTLE: Green Glass. Green pry-off crown cap covers an internally housed cork. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz format. Simplistic label design. Imported by the Shelton Bastards.

8% ABV. No style is indicated on the label, but the Shelton Bastards' website identifies it as a saison and "Belgian ale brewed with spices and herbs."

Served chilled into stemware.

Has a healthy carbonation pop upon removal of the cork, but there's no egregious overflow or a carbonation explosion as one would find in other Fantome beers (e.g. Artist).

HEAD: ~2cm in height. Off-white in colour. Somewhat frothy, somewhat creamy, soft looking...not a robust head, nor a distinctive one. Lasts a good 8 minutes, which is pretty impressive at 8% ABV.

BODY: Murky yet somewhat vibrant, indicating an unfiltered ale but a lively one with plenty of lingering hazy sediment and yeasty dregs/lees. Sort of an amber-brown. Nontransparent.

It's an interesting appearance for a saison...the haze is there, but its body colour isn't your usual pale copper. Enticing and lively, but not unique or special.

AROMA: Berry tea. Bursts of subtle berry. Bready amber malt. Treacle. White pepper. Delicate amber malts. Complex loose leaf tea-redolent herbs. Dried rose petals. Hibiscus. Rose hips. Possibly sage. White lotus flowers.

It's a very floral tea-evocative aroma, making for a pleasant inviting scent that promises a brew with many layers of subtle delicate flavours. Not a funky saison by any means, nor a brettanomyces yeast or wild flora-emphatic one, but seemingly unique and certainly curiosity-rousing. I can't wait to try it.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE & TEXTURE: As soft as saisons come, with some prickly spice (white pepper in particular) giving the texture some oomph, helping coax additional depth of flavour from the flavour profile without making this otherwise refreshing ale dragging, rough, scratchy, or coarse on the palate. Hits soft tea-like notes of fruit, herb, and flowers, nailing rose hips, hibiscus, white lotus, rose petals, etc. On par with a fine loose leaf tea, never betraying its high ABV. Dried orange peel, a hint of clove, orchard pear, brown sugar, apple skin, dried berries, rosemary...the intricacy of this beer seems unrivaled, yet it's anything but aggressive. Kisses of fennel and anise from the Belgian yeast.

Remarkably soft amber malts sit in the background, giving enough pungency to the malt backbone to support the delicate flavours in this subtly executed ale without eclipsing them or rendering the beer too sweet. Attenuation is near perfect, but there are no traces of brettanomyces yeasts or wild microflora; it's quite a clean saison inasmuch as saisons go. No off-notes, though there is a scintilla of green apple that less experienced drinkers might wrongly flag as such.

Balanced impressively well, going for delicate subtle flavours instead of big bold overbearing ones. Proof a saison needn't be a funk bomb, and that complexity can be present without huge flavours. Depth of flavour is nice, and flavour duration and intensity are above average.

Smooth, wet, silky, perfectly carbonated. Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or otherwise problematic.

The softness of the mouthfeel helps accentuate the loose leaf tea vibe of the taste, elevating the beer as a whole.

OVERALL: Fantome again proves itself one of the finest producers of the saison style on the planet, if not the finest (depending on your tolerance for inconsistency). I admit I've had buyer's remorse after opening a few Fantome ales; this is not amongst them. Terrifically executed, Strange Ghost lives up to its moniker and delivers a strange - if not unique - expression of the style, staying true to tradition but bringing ample intricacy of flavour to the table via unique selections of herbs and spices. A brew any discerning drinker would enjoy, and a beer I'd happily recommend to friends. Easily amongst the best saisons out there in my book, and dangerously drinkable for its high ABV. Exceptional.

High B+ (3.96) / VERY GOOD
Feb 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by Jacob17 from Maine

Jan 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by lambiclove from California

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.43 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by CellerDweller from Massachusetts

Dec 17, 2016
Fantôme Strange Ghost from Brasserie Fantôme
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 186 ratings