Fantôme Pissenlit
Brasserie Fantôme

 

 

 

 

 

Copper in color with a minimal head--few bubbles only. This saison is brewed with dandelions (Fantome's adventurous spirit) and non-disclosed spices were also added. Fantastic taste--slightly funky, floral, little sweet, little bitter--and then the spices come up underneath for a glorious finish. One of the tastiest saison's I've had--strongly recommended.

Poured from 750 mL bottle into cervoise.
A: Pours a clear amber hue with extremely active carbonation jets fueling a 1 inch bubbly off white head with decent retention.
S: Soft farmhouse funk and white pepper. Herbal mint and grass. Hint of clove.
T: Herbal mint, clove, farmhouse funk, white pepper, and subtle cracker malt.
M: Light body. Very effervescent from the extremely active carbonation. Soft spice and delicate sweetness.
D: A decent example of style. Good amount of herbal elements and a stronger malt bill thabn usual for a saison.

Lot 13, unsure of bottling date

Fantome is always a weird brewery to me. They exist in their own bubble, and it’s always an honor to try whatever the hell they have going on. Let’s see what a dandelion Saison is like

Pours a cloudy brownish orange with 3 fingers of super creamy beige head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

This is lightly funky in the nose but the floral aspect really comes through. I’m picking up on aromas of wildflower honey, bready malt, lemon juice, dry oak, light toast, and light grass

It’s not quite as funky in taste but still fully expressive. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting orange zest, wildflower honey, bready malt, lemon juice, light oak, and caramel. The swallow brings notes of wildflower honey, orange marmalade, lemon zest, brown bread, light leather, oak, and apple skin

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes dry and clean

This is a very good beer and one that’s wholly unique. I can never get enough Fantome

Actually quite dark, the brick red to acorn brown body rapidly builds an actively airy, bubbly khaki to tan foam head that slowly settles in large lumps. At least this Fantôme was not a full on gusher.

Aroma is quite enticingly floral and earthily toasty both, with accenting hints of crabapple and dusty oak.

Taste has more Belgian phenols than I'd have expected, almost like a mildly acidic dubbel with allspice and gingersnap characteristics, but lighter. As it warms, a fine black pepper accent emerges.

The medium body is softly and delicately yet fillingly frothy with a semi-dry swallow that's lightly tingly and warming. And I'm not even sure whatever mild tartness I detect is truly any level of acidity, or just the playful Belgian yeast's crisp tang. One thing's for certain, though: Pissenlit is one hell of a unique brew.

Lot 14 Ao 18. Bb 2022

Light, fruity, and spiced. Bubblegum notes, herbal flavors, earthy hops, some crushed pepper. Dandelions would be hard to guess, but I can see how they are integrated.

This is one of the most drinkable Tomes on the market. Can’t believe it took me this long to get around to it.

Shared 750 ml capped and corked green bottle at local tasting. Orange colour, large white head. Light spicy aroma with hints of dandelion "milk" and smoke. Light bodied for its strength. Fairly fresh but still unusual flavour, the dandelions probably, medium sweet with a slight acidity. Does not blow my socks off.

 

This was a 2001 bottle, and the cork came apart in it. We strained it, but that probably affected the flavor. It was still pretty good for a super old saison!

 

 

Poured from a capped and corked 1 pint 9.4 ounce bottle into a Shaker pint glass, best before date "end 2021".

APPEARANCE: pours a hazy, dark, copper color with two fingers tan head that slowly dissipated until an unbroken cap remained, highly carbonated, heavy lacing on the glass.

SMELL: bread, farmhouse funk, apple cider and cloves.

TASTE: initially sweet and citrusy with some farm house funk and a somewhat sour note on the finish, the 8% ABV is present.

PALATE: highly carbonated and medium body.

OVERALL: this is a good Saison if you enjoy the sour note, it's beautiful to look at and the 8% ABV is definitely perceptible but I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the style.

Poured from a cellared bottle into the test glass.
A - Red Cedar color, excellent clarity, steady carbonation initially yields an off white thick froth. With time this yields to a thin ring.
S - Clove, honey, hibiscus tea. Hints of rose, light toast malts, earthy hops. There is a dark fruit thread, including cherries, plum. As the offering warms, some spring tobacco is in the mix as well.
T - Dark fruit up front, dark cherrie, red grape skin, some cheese rime funk , all on the base of semi sweet malt and a bit of mature funk,
M - Medium in boby, sweet start, moves toward center with a bit of tension between bitter and funky. The linger rich toggling between clove spicy, and fruit sweet
O - A wonderful offering that likely has pivoted with age, in the best way. I will seek out more

Pours a slightly cloudy, deep amber coloration with a medium, frothy head. Smells of biscuity, slightly caramelly malt, some distinct honey sweetness and fruity esters and well as lighter herbal accents. Taste is dominated by sweet malts and honey accents, nicely balanced against some fruity and slighty spicy yeast esters of tart green apple, gooseberry and clove, as well as hints of darker fruit such as plum and raisin, with some herbal accents coming through in the aftertaste. Finishes bittersweet, with a light tartness and some malty and fruity notes lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

Quite a rich, dark and malty Saison that is sweeter than I'm used to from the style, with a certain honey note and some darker fruits rounding out the typical fruity yeast esters, as well as ligher herbal and spicy accents and a good, hoppy bitterness in the finish. While it's perhaps just a tad too sweet for my personal taste, it's still works out very nicely, with the light tartness and distinct bitterness balancing things out nicely, as well as a great general harmony of sweet, fruity, tart, bitter and herbal/spicy elements.