Fantôme Blondinette de Printemps
Brasserie Fantôme

Bottle. Golden blond with lasting dense head and lace. Amazing floral aroma with hints of lemon and fresh grass. Medium-light sweetness grass and hay cereal spicy very crisp finish. Medium-light body with fine carbo. TOTALLY FUCKING EXCELLENT. One of the best beers I've ever had (I also have 3500 ratings on ratebeer, which I quit when they sold to Bud).

another wicked fantome bottle, cool that we know whats in this one, thats kind of rare for them in my experience. i do wish i caught this a little fresher, and now feel compelled to drink the other bottle i have, the green glass skunk to this is higher than normal, even for these guys, which is saying something if you are a regular with their bottles, but it still cant make this feel tired or spent, and i was impressed with this, some of that skunk dissipates out after it sits a few minutes. real high headed beer with a wispy couple inches of white head on top of hazy light rusty colored beer with a lot of carbonation. past the green glass character i smell the lemon, orange, and anise this is made with, less of the cinnamon and nutmeg, some fading new school hops which is odd for fantome, and some older world bitter hops as well. i also get the trademark saison yeast that put them on the map, some real funk to this one without it being objectively bretty, white pepper and coriander notes, a whisper of alcohol at temperature. i would not have known there is cinnamon in this without seeing the description, maybe a warm back end wintery spice thing, but its the citrus and the hops and the fermentation profile that define it, not the spices added, they are so subtle, accents at best, but play real well with the yeast anyway, which carries spice notes of its own, hits of hay, cardamom, and even green olive for a second. lots of wheat at the core of this, some slightly richer malt and some body with it, but this stays dry. faintly toasted, some floral character, and then also some bitterness from hops and citrus peel. it warms up really well, takes on a subtle tartness as it does, and ends up being intriguing, rustic, and delicious. shared this with my wife after a real long day, and it was a treat to unwind with. i will not hang onto the bottle i have too long though, another year this might be well past its prime. fun stuff, it always is with fantome!

Served in a wine stem. Pours a lovely honey-colored hue with a dense, half-inch, bright white head embedded with pinpricks and ringlets. Clarity is hazy. Nose reveals herbal notes, hints of citrus rind and perhaps a trace of coriander. Taste is herbal/herbaceous/medicinal. Medicinal quality lingers between quaggas. Mouthfeel is light in body with an assertive carbonation with a mild astringency at the back. Overall, not my favorite from Dany, but not the worst either. Would pair well with cheese.

 

Saturated egg yolk orange, foggy clarity, a dollop of meringue whip on top. Lasting lace all around the glass, like the interior crater after a bubble pops in a car wash. Boom, suds everywhere.

Aroma is floral with a little phenolic pepper, yeast driven and a load of fresh cut botanicals on the back end.

Dried nectarine, hints of creamy banana-like pawpaw fruit, resiny green hops that linger into the bitter aftertaste. Floral and phenolic yeast, peppery.

Medium bodied with a smooth texture, effervescent carb. So easy drinking. Glad I picked this one up, and will continue seeking out new Fantôme til the end of my days. #DANYP4LIFE

Appearance: Pours a somewhat cloudy golden color with a one finger head; decent retentiona with squiggles of lace

Smell: Tart wheat, herbaceous and grassy tones with hints of bitter orange

Taste: Herbaceous and bitter, at the outset, with toasted wheat bread and citrus peel emerging; the finish is herbal, though it is hard to place the star anise and cinnamon as the source of those flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: A lot going on here (and that is no surprise coming from Fantome); the herbaceousness is not something I am digging

Very glad to find Blondinette at The Beer Temple... where I also bought a stange-like cylinder that Fantome approved with their ghost logo for a promotion at TBT two years ago.

In that stange, Blondinette Looks right at home and the foam clings beautifully. Smells are earthy, herbal, grassy with a balanced bit of farmhouse funk. Tastes are balanced, sort of; because the prominent hops will not pair with the wide range of foods that I like to test saisons with. While the hops almost steal the show, they contribute to some very good palate-cleansing for sautéed foods, I'll bet. Tonight's meal was pedestrian leftovers. Blondinette made the meal.

Todd just sent out his newsletter indicating that Fantome is For Sale. I'd almost like to get in on that, but why have the headaches of worrying about a brewery when drinking the fruits of their labor is more fun. While Fantome may be one-of-its-kind and a dying-breed, others are taking its place in North America. A more likely resolution of the owner of 35 years wanting to retire is a brand manager buys Fantome and builds its fan-base beyond us. All good, but probably less quirk.

Bottle. Typical Fantome big head. Earthy, herbal, maybe mint, touch of medicinal/Brett, saison funk/spice, very floral. Grassy.

Dry feel, but smooth. Nice offering from Fantome. Love the hops.