Fantôme De Noel
Brasserie Fantôme

Fantôme De NoelFantôme De Noel
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From:
Brasserie Fantôme
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
Ranked #507
ABV:
10%
Score:
88
Ranked #14,473
Avg:
3.92 | pDev: 13.52%
Reviews:
364
Ratings:
649
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 08, 2023
Added:
Dec 03, 2001
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  85
This ever-evolving offering is said to be spiced with honey, caramel, black pepper, coriander and (per usual with Fantôme) a number of other special secret ingredients. A rich, dark-flavored beer with lots of deep-roasted chocolate malt, but still fairly dry, with a hint of sourness at the core. It is very spicy, with some winter spruce flavor in the bargain. The wild yeast sourness also adds to its welcoming character.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by angrybabboon:
Photo of angrybabboon
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Consumed 12/9/12

Appearance: Cloudy, light brown - frothy, off-white head - nice head retention, leaves some nice streaks of lacing

Smell: Classic Fantôme yeast and funk - Belgian yeasty funk with some general weirdness - clove, pepper, and some other spices - some grainy sweetness, some honey, and some light fruits - nice level of sweetness overall - lightly grassy

Taste: And, surprisingly, it tastes like a Fantôme beer - vaguely musty, yeasty - Belgian yeast flavors including bananas, cloves, and pepper - lightly spicy - some light fruits, such as apples and pears - spicy, yet clean for the style - lightly sweet, very mildly bitter, no alcohol flavor - lightly grassy and earthy, with some damp basement - perhaps a bit watery overall, which is odd

Mouthfeel: Medium body, nicely dry, nicely carbonated, smooth

Overall: Yeah it's Fantôme, but what makes it "Noel"?

This is a solid beer. But I don't know what makes it particularly ... seasonal. Perhaps it's a little sweeter and spicier than the "average" Fantôme, but I realize that statement isn't particularly meaningful. Ultimately, it's good, but not the best that the brewery has to offer.
Dec 10, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of MikeWard
Rated by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Chocolate first, some dark fruit in the middle, and a lightly sour finish. Actually, quite tasty.
Feb 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Dec 11, 2022
Photo of kevanb
Reviewed by kevanb from Illinois

3.81/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
750ml bottle, marked as reserva vintage, best before 2028, poured into a Fantome chope.

The beer pours a burgundy brown color, a little cloudy with a khaki head that has good retention and spotted lacing. The aroma is pleasant, lots of figs, raisin, peppercorn, caramel, hearty grain with some brown sugar and floral yeast. The flavors are good, rich and wintery, fig and raisin, caramel, toffee and brown sugar with a nice snap of peppercorn, grain, coriander, herbal Belgian yeast, light alcohol and a bit of toasted character. The mouthfeel is good, coating, lively, crisp, softly tart with a dry finish.

Verdict: A nice hearty winter saison from Fantome. Offering lots of rich flavors counterbalanced with a nice spiciness and plenty of signature yeast character.
Jan 06, 2021
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.74/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Capped and corked 750, (of indeterminate vintage, but I've had it several years at a minimum) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a nice ruby-ish brown color with a half-inch of tan head that low-moderate retention and no lacing.

Nice, rich malt aromas, with a hint of chocolate in the background, and some nice Belgian yeast spice notes.

Pretty similar on the tongue, with a light touch of alcohol heat at the finish.

The body was a touch thinner than I would have liked , but was smooth and even, with a medium-sweet finish that dried out after a moment.

Drinkability was excellent, no issues knocking off the bottle.

Overall, a very nice brew. A must try.
Mar 09, 2020
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

3.89/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Rating from notes. Purchased at Beer:30 - San Marco in Jacksonville, FL. Consumed April 2014. "Enticing flavours and aromas, but a little more restrained than I expected. Still fun to try, though."
Jan 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.84 by Mikexw from New York

Jul 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.31 by Cuervo_PCB from Florida

May 19, 2018
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

4.48/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Season’s Greetings from those lovely chaps at Fantôme! Well, yes you’re right - it’s not Christmas, but for the first time in what feels like ages it’s starting to cool down in Queensland, perfect time to crack open a De Noel and feast on the (no doubt) delicious goo inside. I’ve only tried one Fantôme thus far, Pissenlit, which was rather excellent and enough to convince me that Dany Prignon and team have a special energy happening in Belgium, which for a country that brews the best beer in the world they still like to do things by the book (only difference being their book is massive and unique to the rest of the world). Another thing - this beer contains honey, and I do love the rare beers out there that utilise this valuable ingredient.

Poured from a 750ml corked and crown capped bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Aye she looks great: deep red/brown burnt umber body, possibly cloudy but hard to tell, with a nice bold Ecru head that thins out to a lace ring. Loving this colour - it’s like a murky forest waiting to be explored. 9/10.

S: Getting hints of dark fruits (plum, fig and sweet cherry) mixing with a woody and tart black cherry note, there’s a real forest floor vibe as well. Hints of honey and clove in the background... bit of cardamom pods too. This definitely strikes me, from the aroma at least, of a Saison that will peak when it’s warmer and more flavours/aromas come out to play. 8/10.

T: Nice! Flavour is somewhere between a Saison and a spiced Mead, with notes of: Dark fruits, woody (one might even say spruce - at least the label says it) tones, honey, clove, cardamom, pepper, and a touch of tart black cherry. Thankfully the tart cherry is more of a background attraction than the main star - as you well know my enjoyment of Rodenbach Caractère Rouge was soured [pun intended] by the amount of sourness in that brew. Finish adds a light herbal bitterness. As a winter warmer it fails in that the 10% ABV is very well hidden... or it succeeds depending on your views, me I like a winter warmer to give me a slight kick at the end if only to slow me down - Fantôme De Noel has little of that “kick”. 9/10.

M: Pretty luscious with a mid to heavy bodied and a creamy Weizen-esque carbonation, great stuff. 9/10.

D: All round another winner for Fantôme, who are quick becoming a favourite of mine. Their beers are deceptively simple and complex at the same time, Dany Prignon is a master of brewing. Gobias some more! 10/10.

Food match: If it ain’t turkey it ain’t worth eating with cranberry sauce.
May 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Apr 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by stephenlee from England

Apr 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kurmaraja from California

Mar 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by cjohns73 from Delaware

Dec 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.01 by coz from Illinois

Dec 25, 2017
Photo of lloydboss
Rated by lloydboss from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 bottle enjoyed December 2017. opened on Christmas eve & thiscaged well
Dec 25, 2017
Photo of NolaHopHead
Rated by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

3.99/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Candy caramel malt, banana and berries, slightly sour, crisp n dry. Solid brew.
Dec 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.4 by guild337 from Virginia

Jul 21, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle from 2014. This has aged well. Pours a lightly hazed dark brownish color with tan colored head. Christmas spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, with some dark fruits, fig, plum, and a light earthiness on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with a nice dark fruit and spice finish, the aclohol is now very well hidden, does not drink like a 10% beer.
May 21, 2017
Photo of JayQue
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia

3.99/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Interesting beer. A lot of Saison qualities but a bunch of other sensations as well. Poured from a 750 ml corked and capped bottle into a Timmerman stemmed half-pint glass. Pours a light amber/dark orange color with a bubbly light tan head. Head retention is average, leaving a filmy cover on the top of the glass. Little to no lacing. Aroma and taste include wild yeast funk, some candi sugar and spices and some sweet malt. A Saison with extras, a Christmas spiced beer with yeasty funk. There is a bit of everything here and it works pretty well. Mouthfeel is tart and both dry and sweet, with minimal alcohol presence. The spicing is interesting. A different and good holiday beer!!!!
Mar 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.6 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Feb 20, 2017
Fantôme De Noel from Brasserie Fantôme
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 649 ratings