Fantôme Del Rey
Jester King Brewery

Fantôme Del ReyFantôme Del Rey
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From:
Jester King Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Saison
Ranked #266
ABV:
8.8%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,978
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 7.8%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
84
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 25, 2023
Added:
May 06, 2016
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  13
Collaboration with Brasserie Fantôme

The Texas version of Fantôme Del Rey is a bière de coupage where old, barrel-aged beer is blended with young beer. The older component of the blend was brewed at Jester King in August of 2014 with malted barley, dark candi syrup, ground coriander, and black peppercorns. It was initially fermented in stainless steel with truffle honey, and then racked to oak for extended maturation. We brewed the younger version in November of 2015, and blended the old with the young.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cherche:
Photo of cherche
Rated by cherche from Washington

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jan 21, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Oct 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Oct 25, 2023
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A - Lighgt medium gold pour with soapy white lacing with light carbonation.

S - Fruit and honey.

T - Honey, white grape, light colored fruit, coriander, and light sweet malt base is buried deep below and residual coriander.

M - Big medium body with tons of soft carbonation.

O - This is really enjoyable.
Oct 25, 2023
Photo of eric5bellies
Reviewed by eric5bellies from Australia

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours a hazy copper colour with a tight White head that dies quickly.

S - Powerful aromas of funk, floral and a little soaked barrel

T - Earthy, Funky, tastes like white wine barrel ageing even though there is not. A little coriander that leads to a nice balanced tart finish

M- Medium to full body with fullish carbonation

O - If you can find this, buy it
Aug 26, 2023
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into a tulip glass. Batch 2, released 2/2022. Had 5/24/23.

Pours a brownish yellow, a little cloudy, with a two inch plus head of creamy foam with good retention and a good amount of foamy lacing. Active carbonation. Aromas of yeast, malt, peppercorn, coriander, honey, some lemon and wheat, some funk. Smells somewhat herbal, a little earthy, a little tart. Flavors of yeast, malt, wheat, coriander, lemon, funk, some honey, light Candi sugar, peppercorn in the aftertaste. Tastes somewhat earthy and herbal, a little tart. Has a light sweetness. Smooth, fairly dry, a solid lighter medium body, well carbonated.

Delicious and complex. So many inviting aromas and flavors- for me, the peppercorn really grabbed my attention. The earthiness- maybe from the truffle honey, sets this apart from others. Might have to find another bottle.
Jul 20, 2023
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a frothy foamy 1+ finger head with good retention, soapy lacing, mostly clear light pale golden color

Nose big earthy barnyard funk, floral flowery dandelion like, mild coriander spice, actual truffle aroma surprisingly, and a bit of sweet floral honey, grassy, lemongrass, general citrus lemon zest and general fruity esters

Taste brings more barnyard funk and farmhouse saison earthy characters, straw and doughy malt, into citrus, lemon zest, general lemony tart fruit, some honey in the background, light earthy floral honey with more flowery characters, very light earthy truffle, some coriander spice, candied lemon jelly like, light tart acidity, hint of apple pear pome fruit and some candi syrup, semi dry finish, more truffle lingering as well as lemon and coriander, and finally a hint of peppercorns

Mouth is med bod, high effervescent carb

Overall interesting, a fun beer, thankfully truffle isn't too strong
Jul 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by gooddaydiablo from Texas

Jun 06, 2023
Photo of bobv
Reviewed by bobv from Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Batch #2
February 2022.
750 ml. bottle.

Gentle to moderate pour yields a nearly two inch white head over a golden amber body with lacing.

Nose of honey at the outset; then citrus, spice (coriander, black pepper), and slight funk.

Taste follows nose very closely with honey sweetness giving way to a bit of black pepper and coriander. Very complex as each sip brings a slight lessening of sweetness and a slight increase in spice. Tasty!

Mouthfeel is very Jester King-ish and spot-on.

Overall, I'm glad we could get this in Vermont and would recommend this to all the JK fans everywhere!!

Cheers!!!
May 01, 2023
Photo of TheBigBoy
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
not a farmhouse fan and this definitely represents. The corriander seems to bring a subtle spiciness and to me this brings alot of sourness. Only good for one for me. Surprisingly my wife, who is more of a lite beer fan enjoyed this.
Apr 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.55 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Apr 09, 2023
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Batch 2 - Feb 2022 bottling.

White head. Yellow gold color. Clear before the sediment pour.

Spices, earthy hops, floral, herbal, medicinal notes. Funky, lightly tart. Surprised by how much this tastes like Fantome for it being brewed at JK. Pretty solid.
Apr 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by RBorsato from Virginia

Apr 06, 2023
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Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A Rare Beer Club offering. Pours a gold color with a foamy white head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is sour fruit and spices. Taste is spicy with a sour kick. Crisp and dry.
Mar 19, 2023
Photo of mikeg67
Reviewed by mikeg67 from New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle from Rare Beer club. Pours deep golden with tall, long lasting, fluffy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of funky yeast, bready malt, wheat, spices and some ripe fruit. Body is full and slightly crisp. Taste is pleasantly sour with earthy hops, funky barn yard yeast, pale malt, lemon and ripe fruit. Finish is long and tart. Tasty brew.
Mar 11, 2023
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

4.17/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip. 2022 vintage (brewed once before in 2016).
A: Pours a lovely hazy yellow hue with very active carbonation jets fueling a 2-3 inch rocky frothy/bubbly white head with excellent retention. Leaves a nice amount of lacing behind.
S: Honey, coriander, and earthy yeast hit first. Herbal notes, stone fruit, black pepper, and a hint of lemon are present too.
T: Whoa…strong notes of honey, tart Meyer lemon, coriander and barnyard funk. More subtle notes of apricot, black pepper, candi sugar, and herbal notes.
M: Medium body. Very effervescent, but also a soft feel. Bright and sweet with some tart, astringent, and mildly bitter elements. Quite a complex mouthfeel. Lingers nicely on the palate.
D: An interesting brew to be sure. The mouthfeel is a bit overly complex for my taste. I can say that each of the ingredients added (candi sugar, coriander, truffle honey, and black peppercorns) are very clearly presented in the aroma and taste, which usually doesn’t happen in such a complex beer. You definitely need to take your time with this one to fully enjoy it!
Feb 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by Ben1313 from New Hampshire

Nov 23, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by rare_bird from Michigan

Oct 28, 2022
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Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
its a little peculiar to me how much i didnt love the one made at fantome when it first came out, or closer to it, like it just hit me as not super refined and more than a little strange, but how much i truly adored this one made at jester king, all of us did on our once in a lifetime jester king tasting day, a crowd favorite from a heavy lineup, perhaps a product of its age, an undated bottle but been in the cellar forever, when did this come out again? i think the recipe is pretty similar, this one a little stronger, maybe its the way the jester king yeasts worked with these ingredients compared to fantome yeasts, but this is absolute money, even in its old age now. a blend of older barrel aged saison with dark candy syrup, ground coriander, and black peppercorns, then fermented in stainless steel with truffle honey, then racked to oak and blended with young saison. an insane process and list of ingredients, and its all here. a murky amber pour here with some sediment and some body, but its also got a ton of life to it still, effervescent and holding a tall white belgian head. the nose and flavor here are almost identical, a little more boldness in the taste, struck with the green glass funkiness and oxidation, brett popping, old saison yeast to me too, light oak but very wet, decaying almost english malt, and obvious richness from the candy syrup, almost molasses to me, raisin, but its light, and it sort of serves to bring up the honey, which to me is kind of separate from the truffle mushroom component, which also pops in here, way more than it did in the one made at fantome. the honey is crazy forward for how old this is, all waxy and raw, like the sugar is fermented out but so much of its essence remains, its the most dominant flavor here, along with the yeast, and the two are magically compatible. i also love the earthy truffle aspect, which again seems separate from the honey, but its unmistakable here, especially as this warms. black pepper and coriander are all on the finish, spicy but not overdosed, and nice with the oxidized malt believe it or now. impressive complexity overall, funky as they come but not even really tart at all, although some light citrus can be appreciated late as well. golden raisin, clove, tanned leather, white chocolate, and even capers or something are all present here, and this just rules. nothing quite like it, super rustic overall and a really different side of jester king on the ferment, more fantome there, super musty and tied in with the wood, but im not sure how exactly this was done. wildly interesting and its done so well over time, still so lively on the carbonation too. radically different, and to me better, than the fantome one was, at least when it came out. id love to try that one aged this long too! not sure it can be appreciated as a blend at this point, but it doesnt really matter. one of my favorite beers ive had in a long, long time. this is exactly what i love in saison, and with two of my favorites getting together to make it, its awesome its so good. without question a highlight from jester king day! who knows what it tasted like fresh, but if you like weird old green glass saison, it doesnt get any better than this!

edit: based on how epic the first one was, i was over the moon to receive a fresh batch two (which i didnt know they made) in the rare beer club recently. i have to say, i wish i waited to open it a little longer, if the magic of the original was a product of it being ancient when i finally busted into it this summer. this had some uniqueness from the freshness, herbal and grassy and floral and even bitter through the second half, it also had quite a bit more bready fresh malt character in tact, richer than the older one at this point for sure, but it also lacked some of the epically weird nuance that will make the original unforgettable for me, a true beer of lore. maybe too new for the green glass to have had much impact, and while i do get a lot of the black peppercorn, i get less of the truffle honey, the general yeast weirdness, and even with some newish woodiness in here, it seems less complex. still super wild and good, i mean incredible really, but it blows my mind how well the first one aged. hope to score another bottle to try to recreate that, but this was cool to try fresh as i missed it from these guys the first time around and it was a blast to share with a new friend. what a cool project this is between two of the all time greats!

edit: batch two is already maturing nicely, even just a few months later i found this way drier and stranger, with more funk and layered uniqueness. i have high hopes that it will evolve exceptionally well, as did the first one, if given enough time...
Aug 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 16, 2020
Fantôme Del Rey from Jester King Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 84 ratings