Fantôme Blanchot
Brasserie Fantôme

Pale semi-clear yellow with a foamy sticky white head and blotchy lacing. Fruity, citrus, lemon, spice, yeast, clean. Moderate to full body and carbonation.

(1 pint corked bottle into tulip glass)
L: tall pure white head. Very carbonated head with large bubbles. Head doesn’t last long and leaves little to no lacing. Opaque light orange, similar to a watered down orange juice. Large bubbles reaching the surface.

S: very fruity, grape, lemon and orange rinds. Belgian yeast. Herbal notes. More on the floral and zesty fruit side.

T: Orange and lemon zest again. More of the grassy notes and hops comes out here in the taste. No lingering taste in my opinion.

F: very carbonated. Light-medium bodied for a saison, missing a lot of that earthy/yeasty background that many saisons have. Zesty.

O: If you like a more fruity/zesty and hoppy saison then this should suit your palette. Lighter bodied. Decent but not my favorite.

 

750ml bottle

Pours two massive fingers of fluffy, soapy white head (odd to have both). Retention is actually quite good, and half the head remains after close to 5 minutes. Initial lacing looks poor, but there may be soap residue on this glass. Body is slightly cloudy, pale yellow, noticeably light color, with a huge amount of bubbles coming up. Looks pretty good so far.

Initially very skunky, but I guess that “aired out”, now significant notes of coriander, also very clear notes of lemon. Floral aromas come out with time. Smells a hair on the dry side for my taste, but that’s appropriate I suppose. Floral aroma really does some work here, comes across almost perfumey, blends well with the spicey nature of the beer and really combos well. Pretty damn nice once you get into the core of this beer.

Huge flavor right off the bat. Coriander, flowers, not really any lemon. Just barely skunky, while not a huge issue, still begs the question, why the green bottle? Very unique flavor, everything blends in a really delightful way. Overall really wonderful, however the skunk does get abrasive at times.

Mouthfeel is overwhelmed by the ridiculously high carbonation, not inappropriate though. On the drier side, but not bone dry by any means. A little bitter, noticeable for the style, but not entirely sure it’s a hoppy bitter. Body is quite light. Mouthfeel is fine, a little harsh here and there, but mostly accurate for the style.

Drinkability is pretty good, at times it gets a little rough around the edges.

Lacing was non existent even after I rinsed the glass between pours. Head was actually pretty decent, so the overall appearance isn’t horrible.

Overall a really nice beer at its core. However, the flavor significantly deteriorates after the first half of the bottle, with the skunk coming out more, and changing the overall narrative. Still good, but that brings it down a bit.

Lot 2feb18.

Clear golden straw yellow. White head.

Bubblegum and zest. Floral, grassy, bitter. Herbal notes. Some apples and fruit flavors. Belgian yeast and spice.

Clean and refreshing saison. Very traditional.

An interesting collaboration with The Referend (who I'd like to get know better, but am too value-conscious.)
As part of my OA rating, thanks to Shelton Bros for importing these masters of my favorite style.

My key test of a saison is: does it make average food taste better ?
Blanchot passes with high marks. I was having a below average leftover concoction to try to clean out the refrigerator (remember I'm cheap, so don't ask about my leftovers) and Blanchot made me think I was a master chef... or at least that should be my next calling in my dreams.

Blanchot offers up a wondrous head. Of course, it doesn't last; but it says "drink me." Smells are saison yeast, then some fruited malt, a tad of barnyard and a bit of a medley of other spices. Tastes give me some more of the promised fruit in the attack, but then the spices and hops take over for a splendidly balanced, dry finish. Satisfying. And complete. I was going to save some of this bomber for lunch tomorrow, but decided that tonight was the time for Blanchot.

Mostly clear golden body with a big white head and lacing. Smell features earth, rustic belgian yeast, grass, a hint of grape must, fruit esters and pith. Taste is much the same, add more orchard fruit and black pepper to the mix. Very crisp, rustic, and authentic to style. Takes me back to my wonderful adventures in belgium

Bright gold, ample carb and a billowing head, drippy lacing.
Aroma is lightly grassy and earthy, pleasant noble hops and saison yeast.
Taste is lightly tart and moderately bitter, with a lingering dry hoppy finish.
Grassy and lemony, pepper and mild phenolic spice. Ample carb.
Overall it’s very classic and quenching, tasty stuff.

 

Bottle. Cork doesn’t fly off and no overflow. The head is so incredibly volition, though. Very fun. The aroma erupts with what I am learning to be the textbook stinginess of Fantome. So earthy, so rich, so rustic. The flavor, like the few I have had before is much more approachable. I love the dichotomy. Stinky, rich barnyard nose followed by a really tasty flavor. I could fall in love with this brewery.

another cool new one from these guys, this one done with the referend, who has really impressed me in limited exposure. this is like a strong wit meets a belgian saison or pale, herbal and hoppy, with the usual fantome yeast leading the charge. amazingly pale from the bottle, white washed wheaty wimpy yellow color, almost starchy looking, minimalism in a glass, and very very lively as well, great head and awesome effervescence on each sip. in the nose there is a little sort of lambic funk, not sure what element, aside from what obviously seems like raw wheat in the mash, lightly medicinal and mature, but i dont think this is wood aged or anything, and its certainly not sour. a citrus freshness is neat against the green bottle oxidation that is always in these fantome bottles, and its weird but appealing to me in aroma. the taste is similar, lightly herbal up front, some cool bitterness in the back, a wonderfully vibrant yeast with some pear and apple and white wine esters, pepper and earthy clove spice underneath, a subtle but complex palate. very light bodied and i find myself surprised that its as strong as it is, drinks easy, and even with the musty oxidation, its delicious until the end, even when its up to room temperature. another fun and distinctive beer from these guys, i really cant get enough, and jump on it every time i see a new one, which frankly has not been often enough at all!

 

 

Bottle into a tome tulip appears light golden yellow with big white froth that nearly fills the glass with suds slowly receding leaving full wall of lacing effect.

Nose is all yeasty. Straw, pepper, herbs and grassy hops.

Taste is bitter hops conflicting with yeasty belgian phenolics. Straw, mild fruit akin to bitter lemon pith/rind.

Light in body and excessivy effervescent in its level of carbonation. Not my favorite tome as its bitter and young/yeasty tasting. On par with the last batch of blanche that I also was not a fan of as it drastically derails from what im use to Blanche being. Maybe time will settle this out and make it more enjoyable but as-is its just ok.