Del Rey
Brasserie Fantôme
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- Farmhouse Ale - Saison
Ranked #1,951 - ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #43,482 - Avg:
- 3.58 | pDev: 17.04%
- Reviews:
- 20
- Ratings:
- From:
- Brasserie Fantôme
- Belgium
- Avail:
- Rotating/Seasonal
- Wants
- 12
- Gots
- 16
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good
Notes:
Collaboration with Jester King Brewery
Reviews: 20
| Ratings: 96
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by stakem:
stakem from Pennsylvania
1.99/5 rDev -44.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
750ml corked and capped bottle poured into a matching Fantome tulip. The brew appears a muddy light brown color with ample carbonation that produces a heavy volume head when poured down the middle of the glass. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass.
The aroma is funky with an earthen note of stinky cheese, mushrooms, more dirtiness, a hint of cardboard and a little bit of diaper/dumpster. As it breaths, it picks up a pretty bad aspect like cooked cabbage. The taste is strangely sweet and earthy like soot mixed with cream corn. A bitterness of pulp and light fruity quality gets slightly rindy. The sweetness is just too much to enjoy this.
This is medium to full bodied. It has a strangely creamy texture that is smooth and warming with a tingly spice and alcohol. This beer is in a really awkward place right now. Despite being in the fridge for days undesturbed, it pours like soup and has an overall feel like it just isnt finished. It is so sweet that it seems like it is unfermented. Maybe some age will help this out but right now its pretty bad. It pains me to say it since I love Fantome but wow, why was it sold in this current state?
Jul 25, 2014
1.99/5 rDev -44.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
750ml corked and capped bottle poured into a matching Fantome tulip. The brew appears a muddy light brown color with ample carbonation that produces a heavy volume head when poured down the middle of the glass. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass.
The aroma is funky with an earthen note of stinky cheese, mushrooms, more dirtiness, a hint of cardboard and a little bit of diaper/dumpster. As it breaths, it picks up a pretty bad aspect like cooked cabbage. The taste is strangely sweet and earthy like soot mixed with cream corn. A bitterness of pulp and light fruity quality gets slightly rindy. The sweetness is just too much to enjoy this.
This is medium to full bodied. It has a strangely creamy texture that is smooth and warming with a tingly spice and alcohol. This beer is in a really awkward place right now. Despite being in the fridge for days undesturbed, it pours like soup and has an overall feel like it just isnt finished. It is so sweet that it seems like it is unfermented. Maybe some age will help this out but right now its pretty bad. It pains me to say it since I love Fantome but wow, why was it sold in this current state?
Jul 25, 2014
More User Reviews:
StonedTrippin from Colorado
3.56/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
weird beer, actually, one of the weirdest I've ever had. its bronze colored, thick and sludgy burnt orange, cloudy and full of sediment and a tall off white head. the nose is like no other, weird as anything, and not all the way appetizing. distinct white truffle mushroom oil coming from this, its like the smell outside of the burger joint by my house. unmistakable. there is also a dried either apricot or peach aroma, in among the weird fantome yeast and belgian style base beer, grainy and maybe a little stale already. a very curious beer, i could keep smelling it forever, not because its yummy, but because its so strange, doesnt even really smell all that much like beer. the taste sort of starts a little slow for how insane the nose is, its almost under flavored until about mid palate, and then it too gets real bizarre. flavors of that dried orchard fruit, more apricot this time, and a lot of sweet mid caramel malt. belgian yeast does what it can to penetrate the density, but it can't cut through, influencing this beer less than we had all probably hoped it would, given the two parties responsible for birthing this weirdo. the truffle thing is barely there in the taste, its all aromatic. finish is long and funky stale, a little sweet, and just filling to me, thank goodness we were sharing the bottle. not a beer i would ever buy again, but its certainly one interesting brew, something worth trying for the adventurous.
Jul 20, 2014
3.56/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
weird beer, actually, one of the weirdest I've ever had. its bronze colored, thick and sludgy burnt orange, cloudy and full of sediment and a tall off white head. the nose is like no other, weird as anything, and not all the way appetizing. distinct white truffle mushroom oil coming from this, its like the smell outside of the burger joint by my house. unmistakable. there is also a dried either apricot or peach aroma, in among the weird fantome yeast and belgian style base beer, grainy and maybe a little stale already. a very curious beer, i could keep smelling it forever, not because its yummy, but because its so strange, doesnt even really smell all that much like beer. the taste sort of starts a little slow for how insane the nose is, its almost under flavored until about mid palate, and then it too gets real bizarre. flavors of that dried orchard fruit, more apricot this time, and a lot of sweet mid caramel malt. belgian yeast does what it can to penetrate the density, but it can't cut through, influencing this beer less than we had all probably hoped it would, given the two parties responsible for birthing this weirdo. the truffle thing is barely there in the taste, its all aromatic. finish is long and funky stale, a little sweet, and just filling to me, thank goodness we were sharing the bottle. not a beer i would ever buy again, but its certainly one interesting brew, something worth trying for the adventurous.
Jul 20, 2014
champ103 from Texas
1.47/5 rDev -58.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5
A: Pours a hazed golden orange color. A one finger white head forms, and recedes after a minute. Light lace.
S: Moldy, earthy...yes truffles. Plastic, phenolic, even metallic. Ridiculously revolting. I just...good god, no.
T: Well, yeah. Again, good god, I just don't get why anybody would make this? Musky, earthy, moldy. There is a phenolic and plastic yeast character. This is abysmal. Please, somebody, tell both of these breweries that this is one of the worst things ever.
M/D: A moderate body and carbonation. After that, just dirty, moldy. The definition of not clean. Yep, I don't ever want to drink this again.
Shame on both Jester King and Fantome. Maybe one of the worst beers I have ever had. While I am not the biggest fan boy of Jester King, I do see that they at least care with most of their releases. This is like Tom Hanks playing in one of those god awful and brain dead Dan Brown novels turned movies. If beer is to be taken as seriously as wine, these types of releases need to never happen. Worse then that, if craft beer wants to be taken more seriously than macros, this needs to be abolished.
Jul 14, 2014
1.47/5 rDev -58.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5
A: Pours a hazed golden orange color. A one finger white head forms, and recedes after a minute. Light lace.
S: Moldy, earthy...yes truffles. Plastic, phenolic, even metallic. Ridiculously revolting. I just...good god, no.
T: Well, yeah. Again, good god, I just don't get why anybody would make this? Musky, earthy, moldy. There is a phenolic and plastic yeast character. This is abysmal. Please, somebody, tell both of these breweries that this is one of the worst things ever.
M/D: A moderate body and carbonation. After that, just dirty, moldy. The definition of not clean. Yep, I don't ever want to drink this again.
Shame on both Jester King and Fantome. Maybe one of the worst beers I have ever had. While I am not the biggest fan boy of Jester King, I do see that they at least care with most of their releases. This is like Tom Hanks playing in one of those god awful and brain dead Dan Brown novels turned movies. If beer is to be taken as seriously as wine, these types of releases need to never happen. Worse then that, if craft beer wants to be taken more seriously than macros, this needs to be abolished.
Jul 14, 2014
AndyEdgar from Illinois
2.41/5 rDev -32.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.25
I just don't like these oddball Tome's
Jun 08, 2015
2.41/5 rDev -32.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.25
I just don't like these oddball Tome's
Jun 08, 2015
PDXAmbassador from Florida
4.55/5 rDev +27.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
2014 batch tried for the second time, July 2016.
Poured crystal clear dark gold, head lingers throughout the entire process of drinking the glass.
Smells funky, very sweet -- strawberry, fruit, definitely Fantome unique yeast. Some skunking too (green bottle).
Taste is amazingly sweet -- I don't mean it has a lot of residual sugar, but that when it hits the tongue there is a burst of flavor like strawberries, pears, apricot, lots of peach juice. A bit of balancing bitterness and a bit of tartness too. I'd be happy if it continues to sour in the bottle. Absolutely deliciously fruity. A fair amount of orange peel flavor too. And under it all, a dark earthy flavor from the rumored truffle addition. Delicious.
Mouthfeel is lovely. Moderately high carb, a bit of drying mineralogy, no overdone tannins. Pretty perfect.
I love this beer. One of the sweetest, purest examples of Fantome I've had. I see this only improving over the next several years.
Jul 07, 2016
4.55/5 rDev +27.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
2014 batch tried for the second time, July 2016.
Poured crystal clear dark gold, head lingers throughout the entire process of drinking the glass.
Smells funky, very sweet -- strawberry, fruit, definitely Fantome unique yeast. Some skunking too (green bottle).
Taste is amazingly sweet -- I don't mean it has a lot of residual sugar, but that when it hits the tongue there is a burst of flavor like strawberries, pears, apricot, lots of peach juice. A bit of balancing bitterness and a bit of tartness too. I'd be happy if it continues to sour in the bottle. Absolutely deliciously fruity. A fair amount of orange peel flavor too. And under it all, a dark earthy flavor from the rumored truffle addition. Delicious.
Mouthfeel is lovely. Moderately high carb, a bit of drying mineralogy, no overdone tannins. Pretty perfect.
I love this beer. One of the sweetest, purest examples of Fantome I've had. I see this only improving over the next several years.
Jul 07, 2016
DrinkSlurm from New York
4.25/5 rDev +18.7%
Purchased at Bier Cellar in Portland, ME - around $20 - kinda steep.
Pours an orange color with a little white lacing/foam. Signature Fantome funky aroma - although mild.
Hints of rye and fruity saison-like yeast. Taste is a little sweet malty rye, slight noble hop, and that Fantome funky flavor. I really like it a lot. Not sure why its rated so poor, but perhaps I am biased as Fantome is my favorite.
Either way...its not just an "ok" beer IMO. Worth it for sure. Glad I got a second to cellar to bring out the funk a little more!
Sep 24, 2014
4.25/5 rDev +18.7%
Purchased at Bier Cellar in Portland, ME - around $20 - kinda steep.
Pours an orange color with a little white lacing/foam. Signature Fantome funky aroma - although mild.
Hints of rye and fruity saison-like yeast. Taste is a little sweet malty rye, slight noble hop, and that Fantome funky flavor. I really like it a lot. Not sure why its rated so poor, but perhaps I am biased as Fantome is my favorite.
Either way...its not just an "ok" beer IMO. Worth it for sure. Glad I got a second to cellar to bring out the funk a little more!
Sep 24, 2014
Jugs_McGhee from Louisiana
2.17/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
BOTTLE: 1 pint 9.4 fl oz green (ugh...) glass. Has Fantome's signature cap design: an unbranded silver pry-off cap over an internally housed cork.
Imported by the Shelton Bastards. Expectations are sky high; Fantome is the best saison brewer worldwide as far as I'm concerned, and Jester King is no slouch either.
Served cold into a tulip and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: 3 fingers wide. White colour. Aptly creamy, full, and thick. Retains well - for abut 7-8 minutes. No lacing sticks to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Vibrant mango-copper colour. Translucent but nontransparent. Glows.
Appears well-carbonated - perhaps overly so. It's not a unique or special looking saison, but it does look good - though I hoped for visible yeast sediment and a bit less apparent filtration. Where's the saison haziness?
AROMA: Overt, strong aromatic intensity: notes of heavy funkiness (including perhaps some off-putting gym sock notes in addition to the usual brettanomyces barnyard character), overripe fruit peel, hints of lemon zest, Belgian pale malts, and vague spices - white pepper, maybe? Its most pleasant note is sweetbread, complemented nicely by fruitcake - but then, this is meant to be a saison... It lacks the intricate spice profile I've come to expect from Fantome, and doesn't boast a Dupont-esque milkiness either. The funkiness seems out of control and based on the aroma the yeast character seems off. Off-putting notes of cheese/mold, and bitter rind don't help. I'm not too sure about this one...
TASTE: Hmm...tastes more like a Belgian pale ale or Belgian IPA than a saison. Dominant notes of fruitcake and sweetbread eclipse any intricate spicing which may otherwise have been present; the lack of white pepper is a big disappointment. The out-of-control yeasty funkiness runs rampant, throwing out notes of mold, cheese, and bitter rind, but none of the refined barnyard character you'd hope for from brettanomyces. Don't look for Dupont-esque milkiness; you won't find it. Nor will you find the peppery spiciness both Jester King and Fantome do so well in their own respective saison style beers. I wonder if this is another victim of the collaboration craze.
Belgian pale malts. Generic floral hop character. Biscuity yeast. A sour apple off note. Overripe fruit is so sweet it bothers, but the one-two punch of the off-putting sweetness and the equally off-putting rind-y bitterness is dreadful. Phenolic as all hell; the yeast weren't happy eating the malts in this one...
It's wholly imbalanced to the extent that it never quite feels like a gestalt whole - and I'd go so far to say that it misses the style entirely. Flavour duration, depth, and intensity are average. Lacks the complexity/intricacy needed to succeed as a saison.
If I consider it an infected Belgian pale, I find myself enjoying it a bit more. In any case, it's clear this needs serious work. I just don't like it.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, supple, nicely soft, near perfectly carbonated, and medium-bodied. Great overall presence on the palate. It's a shame the flavour profile provides little nuance or intricacy for this well-executed mouthfeel to accentuate.
Not gushed, oily, hot, boozy, scratchy, rough, or dragging on the palate.
OVERALL: Not the world class offering I hoped for given the breweries involved. Fantome is known to suffer from severe batch variation, but the subpar scores for this specific beer indicate the entire batch maybe should not have made it to market. To it credit, it does disguise its ABV well; I'd guess it's about 6% from taste alone. I'll finish it and forget it. Disappointing coming from the best saison producer in the world, but not undrinkable. What happened?
D
The off-notes (especially the phenols) grow more and more rampant as it warms. Drink cold if you must drink it.
Dec 21, 2014
2.17/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
BOTTLE: 1 pint 9.4 fl oz green (ugh...) glass. Has Fantome's signature cap design: an unbranded silver pry-off cap over an internally housed cork.
Imported by the Shelton Bastards. Expectations are sky high; Fantome is the best saison brewer worldwide as far as I'm concerned, and Jester King is no slouch either.
Served cold into a tulip and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: 3 fingers wide. White colour. Aptly creamy, full, and thick. Retains well - for abut 7-8 minutes. No lacing sticks to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Vibrant mango-copper colour. Translucent but nontransparent. Glows.
Appears well-carbonated - perhaps overly so. It's not a unique or special looking saison, but it does look good - though I hoped for visible yeast sediment and a bit less apparent filtration. Where's the saison haziness?
AROMA: Overt, strong aromatic intensity: notes of heavy funkiness (including perhaps some off-putting gym sock notes in addition to the usual brettanomyces barnyard character), overripe fruit peel, hints of lemon zest, Belgian pale malts, and vague spices - white pepper, maybe? Its most pleasant note is sweetbread, complemented nicely by fruitcake - but then, this is meant to be a saison... It lacks the intricate spice profile I've come to expect from Fantome, and doesn't boast a Dupont-esque milkiness either. The funkiness seems out of control and based on the aroma the yeast character seems off. Off-putting notes of cheese/mold, and bitter rind don't help. I'm not too sure about this one...
TASTE: Hmm...tastes more like a Belgian pale ale or Belgian IPA than a saison. Dominant notes of fruitcake and sweetbread eclipse any intricate spicing which may otherwise have been present; the lack of white pepper is a big disappointment. The out-of-control yeasty funkiness runs rampant, throwing out notes of mold, cheese, and bitter rind, but none of the refined barnyard character you'd hope for from brettanomyces. Don't look for Dupont-esque milkiness; you won't find it. Nor will you find the peppery spiciness both Jester King and Fantome do so well in their own respective saison style beers. I wonder if this is another victim of the collaboration craze.
Belgian pale malts. Generic floral hop character. Biscuity yeast. A sour apple off note. Overripe fruit is so sweet it bothers, but the one-two punch of the off-putting sweetness and the equally off-putting rind-y bitterness is dreadful. Phenolic as all hell; the yeast weren't happy eating the malts in this one...
It's wholly imbalanced to the extent that it never quite feels like a gestalt whole - and I'd go so far to say that it misses the style entirely. Flavour duration, depth, and intensity are average. Lacks the complexity/intricacy needed to succeed as a saison.
If I consider it an infected Belgian pale, I find myself enjoying it a bit more. In any case, it's clear this needs serious work. I just don't like it.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, supple, nicely soft, near perfectly carbonated, and medium-bodied. Great overall presence on the palate. It's a shame the flavour profile provides little nuance or intricacy for this well-executed mouthfeel to accentuate.
Not gushed, oily, hot, boozy, scratchy, rough, or dragging on the palate.
OVERALL: Not the world class offering I hoped for given the breweries involved. Fantome is known to suffer from severe batch variation, but the subpar scores for this specific beer indicate the entire batch maybe should not have made it to market. To it credit, it does disguise its ABV well; I'd guess it's about 6% from taste alone. I'll finish it and forget it. Disappointing coming from the best saison producer in the world, but not undrinkable. What happened?
D
The off-notes (especially the phenols) grow more and more rampant as it warms. Drink cold if you must drink it.
Dec 21, 2014
westcoastbeerlvr from California
3.62/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Feb 12, 2017
3.62/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Feb 12, 2017
vfgccp from New York
3.77/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dec 11, 2016
3.77/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dec 11, 2016
jrenihan from Canada (ON)
3.8/5 rDev +6.1%
It's hard for me to understand why this beer is so lowly rated. Hard because it doesn't have a particularly strong or unusual flavour: i.e., it doesn't seem like a "love it or hate it" beer (let alone a plain "hate it"). I think it is quite good. A bit funky, some spices and fruit, and a strong dose of sweet malt. The sweetness is a bit much and the aftertaste is a bit tiresome, but otherwise it is quite good. I wouldn't hunt it out nor would I buy it again, but unless there is huge variation between the bottles (which is possible), I don't understand the hatred for this beer.
Nov 02, 2014
3.8/5 rDev +6.1%
It's hard for me to understand why this beer is so lowly rated. Hard because it doesn't have a particularly strong or unusual flavour: i.e., it doesn't seem like a "love it or hate it" beer (let alone a plain "hate it"). I think it is quite good. A bit funky, some spices and fruit, and a strong dose of sweet malt. The sweetness is a bit much and the aftertaste is a bit tiresome, but otherwise it is quite good. I wouldn't hunt it out nor would I buy it again, but unless there is huge variation between the bottles (which is possible), I don't understand the hatred for this beer.
Nov 02, 2014
mklisz from New Hampshire
3.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Jun 07, 2017
3.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Jun 07, 2017
Lingenbrau from Oregon
4.05/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a slightly murky orange with a tiny white head. Smells very sour with a touch of malty, sugary goodness. Taste was deceptively sweeter than expected, with a nice light tartness. Tastes like a honey glazed melting pot of fruits. Feel is medium with decent carbonation, a touch acidic, and pretty smooth. Overall, this was a unique beer to say the least, and very good overall. Cheers!
Jan 21, 2017
4.05/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a slightly murky orange with a tiny white head. Smells very sour with a touch of malty, sugary goodness. Taste was deceptively sweeter than expected, with a nice light tartness. Tastes like a honey glazed melting pot of fruits. Feel is medium with decent carbonation, a touch acidic, and pretty smooth. Overall, this was a unique beer to say the least, and very good overall. Cheers!
Jan 21, 2017
LambicKing from Germany
3.64/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Feb 08, 2015
3.64/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Feb 08, 2015
MDDMD from Pennsylvania
3.43/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sep 21, 2015
3.43/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sep 21, 2015
Musineer from Texas
3.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
May 30, 2016
3.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
May 30, 2016
beergorrilla from Michigan
3.85/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dec 19, 2016
3.85/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dec 19, 2016
NHhomebrewguy from New Hampshire
4.34/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jan 08, 2017
4.34/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jan 08, 2017
Del Rey from Brasserie Fantôme
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
96 ratings
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