Aging Fantome Hiver?

Well, it's probably already nearly a year old, since that's the winter seasonal.

 

Actually cracked one the other night at a tasting. i think it was a '10, but could have been older. From the lack of notching, it's hard to tell. Overall, I was a bit disappointed. No real funk or sour that you typically get from a Fantome; just a lot of maltiness and mild spice. Was pretty meh to be honest...

 

I had one about a month ago and it was very good. Sadly i couldn't figure out when it was bottled but I only purchased it in October so I would think it was from last winter and no more than a year old. I have a second bottle which is probably from the same time that I'm going to hold on to for a few more until next summer or so. From my past Fantome experiences, it may not be as good as it was fresh but it's still probably pretty damn tasty.

 

A lot of breweries do this unfortunately.

 

Fantome is so inconsistent already (both in labeling and bottled product) that it's going to be almost impossible to tell what you're starting with, let alone where you'll end up. I've had amazing cellared bottles from Fantome from two to ten years, and some very, very weird ones. The arrived-in-the-USA-in-2006 bottles of Hiver that I've tried taste like oregano and pencil erasers.

 

Or flat and slimy.

 

That Pissenlit going around a little while back was horrifying. Shampoo texture.

 

I had some hiver and regular saison last year with similar problems. People say it's good to sit on bottles for a year so they clean up.