Citrus Ghost
Brasserie Fantôme

An exquisite beer.

Typical Fantome cap and cork combo. Green bottle, but the glass is very dark. They want a bit of light to hit it. Just a bit.

Pour is as pretty as it gets. Like Duvel, back in the day, but perhaps a bit darker. Champagne effervescence, fluffy white head that never quits, a shade of gold that makes it look thicker than it actually is.

Aroma is light must, lighter musk, light citrus, and slightly aggressive yeast pepperiness.

The flavor is captial-D Dry in the best possible way. Light citrus up front, almost as if they're mocking the pallets of contemporary pretentious Americans, and then it's the most old school Belgian saison you've ever tasted after that. It goes from citrusy hops to rye to sourdough to lemongrass to black pepper to white pepper to clove all in the course of like two seconds, and it finishes so bone dry you rush to take another sip, you don't even think about how much alcohol it contains.

I've been posting this crap for over 20 years and this is seriously one of the 10 or so best beers I've ever had.

Bringing a strong sense of relevancy from the rural barnyards of Belgium to the current climate of craft beer, Fantome hits the moment head on with Citrus Ghost, a collaborative effort with Malacuria.

Rusty gold upon it's pour, a swirl of yeast clouds the glass as its robust bubbles fuel an arid white cap like foamy champagne. As it's fruity and spicy scent tingles the nose, notions of herbal perfumes wrap around fresh citrus peels, orchard fruit, vinous fruit and floral honeysuckle. As it's scant sweetness bounces from the tongue an arid malt character of wafer, sourdough and dry biscuit scurries off quickly. Left behind is a dry fruitiness of lemon, grapefruit and orange all wrapped in pear and honeydew nuances while a balance comes from white pepper, coriander, clove and tea leaf- part yeast spices, part spice additions. Finishing with a firm hop bite, the late taste is a musty wine note with grassy bitterness and green bottle dankness.

Light, arid and refreshing, the ale is effortless on the palate and shows a near perfect blend of rustic farmhouse perfection and creative genius.

Very nice saison. Pours slightly cloudy yellow in color. Head was three to four fingers high but very bubbly, not thick. Nose was floral and earthy. The citrus flavor was mild but there.

 

few breweries elicit the kind of excitement for me that fantome does, when i am about to crack into a bottle of one of theirs ive never had before, you just never know what you are in for, with such wide quality and freshness variances, and without ever really getting details other than their classic "with spices" language, they all sort of represent a web of mysteries, and i just love playing detective with them all. this one is bright and delicious, a collaboration with a french brewery that i dont think i am familiar with. bergamot and spices in this one apparently, and its floral and interesting on the nose, rusty orange tinted, lightly hazy towards to bottom but not really sedimented or anything, and with the usual airy wispy yet also kind of dense high rising hard to control and long lasting three or four inches of white head depending on how much room you allow for that, beer mustache stuff for sure. bitter orange rather than sweet, meyer lemon, and white wine in both aroma and flavor, tea-like, with chamomile or something to it, white pepper, light funk, light fruity acidity, mouthwatering without being sour. quite a bit of grain to this, toasty and enriched to me, earthy and agricultural and old worldy, subtle green glass oxidation but its minor by their standards, lemongrass and coriander and dandelion bitterness, subtle lime and white wine grape as it warms, clementine, black peppercorn, anise without being wintery, and some dried grass clipping character, very dynamic, and the ferment is wonderful with the citrus and the spices, whatever they are. medium to even fuller body as these go, but also sort of creamy through this head, effervescent and well conditioned, off dry and awesome in the aftertaste with intense citrus and increasing herbal bitterness, brisk and bold. overall an exceptional saison that i think speaks to what is so exciting about fantome, quintessentially them despite the collaboration. maybe one of their more approachable beers for the uninitiated, really pleasant drinker.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Nice pop from the cork, but no gushing (which I'm always prepared for from Fantome…) Pours a medium to dark orange-gold with a fine, big 4 finger white head with great retention and thick, solid lacing; looks like a latte. Aroma of grainy saison yeast, a touch of brett, light orange citrus and vague spicing. Flavor follows, with grainy saison yeast, bergamot orange citrus, mild brett, honey flavor without sweetness and light unidentifiable spicing. Medium bodied with light to medium creaminess. A somewhat laid back Fantôme, without the classic strong spiciness. There is some spice, but light and in the background; nothing identifiable. The first sip was underwhelming, probably due to expectations, but as I drank it, I became more and more pleased with the interaction of the bergamot orange with the farmhouse malt; nice aftertaste. Dramatic and impressive creamy head. While my favorite saisons from this brewery are more intense and somewhat challenging, this calmer, simpler one delivers what it promises and is quite enjoyable. One of the more enjoyable of the last year. The rare visits by Fantôme bottles to our market are always welcome.