Fantôme Saison
This is a tremendously delicious, textural, and fizzy county ale, bright gold colour, citric and sour, reminiscent of a good champagne or lambic but in a class all its own.
Fantôme – Golden ale, 8% alc. by volume, with a wonderfully musty and characterful aroma. There are many drinkers out there who believe this is the “Nectar of the Gods.” Certainly no other brewer makes beer like this, in Belgium or anywhere. How many beers of 8% plus offer such fresh fruitiness? A solid Belgian saison beer at its base, with an unusual overlay of fruitiness.
Fantôme – Golden ale, 8% alc. by volume, with a wonderfully musty and characterful aroma. There are many drinkers out there who believe this is the “Nectar of the Gods.” Certainly no other brewer makes beer like this, in Belgium or anywhere. How many beers of 8% plus offer such fresh fruitiness? A solid Belgian saison beer at its base, with an unusual overlay of fruitiness.
3.9
1271 reviews
Soy-Erezée, Belgium
Community reviews
Orange-gold pour, fluffy white head. Character of apricot, yeast, black pepper, and barnyard. Very nice!
Cloudy orange color with small white head. Aroma has yeast, malt, lots of fruity notes and some funky stuff. Taste is malty sweet with long aftertaste. Flavors of yeast, apricot, barnyard, malt and spices. Nice mouth feeling.
Øverst i flasken, klar gylden lidt tynd, nederst mere hazy med en smule bundfald, kraftig hvid skum og høj kulsyre ved ophældning, begge fader hurtigt. Aroma er frisk frugtig, hyldeblomst, æble, smagen er det samme plus citrus og et hint af vildtgær. Lækker frisk og let drikkelig.
[Tasting - Aarhus]
Aroma: Refreshing scent of elderflower, floral notes and apple
Appearance: Light yellow with a huge slowly disappearing white head
Taste: Mildly sweet and bitter, citrus, floral, elderflower and apple
Mouthfeel: Texture is watery with moderate carbonation
Overall: It's refreshing and easy to drink :)
Beste saison die ik tot nu toe dronk.
Super kruidige toetsen van appelsien en peer die iedereen moet geproefd hebben
lot of foam that i had to wait some minutes before drinking
fruity aroma with apricot apple and pear
the taste is fruity as nose when the beer get warmer citrus and woody note come up
good mouthfeel just a bit of bitterness
high carbonation, light body
elegant
Shared bottle, many thanks. Orange color with small white head. Aroma of oranges, bayrnard. Taste, oranges, apricots, spices, bayrnard. Tasty.
Shared bottle.
C: peach
N: barnyard funk, hay, pit fruit
P: funky, peaches, peach skin, lightly fizzy, tangy.
Patchy off white head on a hazy orange coloured body.
Orange, chalk & yeast aroma.
Medium bodied, aerious, light & clean on the palate.
Belgian yeast, Brett, orange, tangy & lemon tastes.
Hazy golden appearance. Aroma is citrus, grassy and hops. Flavour is bitter, dry, citrus, grassy, sweet and hops.
750ml bottle at home from DeBierkonig, Amsterdam, 22nd December 19. Pours a nice straw colour, big white head. Aroma is yeasty and citrus. Taste is fruity, yeasty, citrus, pretty bitter, floral. It’s got a great mouth feel, slick. Overall a great and complex saison, reminds me of De Ranke, XXX Bitter.
75cl bottle (BBF: end of 2020) from Rob the Gourmets’ Market in Brussels.
F: huge, white, long lasting.
C: shiny gold, hazy.
A: malty, floral, light spicy hoppy, peach, orange, hay, yeasty, vinous touch.
T: medium to full malty base, light orange, spicy, peach, bit herbal, dry on the palate, bit funky, higher yet not disturbing carbonation, aroma is bit better than taste but very good beer for the style, good balanced, fully enjoyed.
Piwo zlote zmetnione, piana szybko redukuje się do obraczki. w aromacie fenolowo. W smaku slodkawo z lekką goryczkową kontrą. Pelnia srednia, niskie wysycenie.
05Oct2019 Sweet grain and cereal malts, Very subtle barnyard, caramel, sweet stone fruits, apricot. Hazy gold, hardly head. Light sweet. More sweet grain and cereal malts, caramel, molasses, sweet stone fruits, apricot, soft carbonation, medium bodied. Very nice. Draft at Independent Manchester Beer Convention 2019, Manchester.
Pours a clear, deep golden coloration with an amber hue, large, fluffy, stable head and visible carbonation. Smells of doughy, slightly grainy malt and strong fruity and slightly spicy yeast esters, with notes of green apple, pear, apricot, gooseberry, lime peel, clove and black pepper. Taste follows the nose, with some sweet'ish doughy, slightly grainy malt upfront, but being absolutely dominated by the quite complex and fruity yeast esters, with lighter spicy notes also coming through, as well as a very mellow tartness and just the merest hint of musty funk and a surprising bitterness in the finish, with notes of tart green apples, sweet pears, juicy apricots, tangy gooseberries, zesty lime peel, clove, black pepper and just a hint of star anise. Finishes with a light/medium bitterness and some fruity/spicy yeast esters lingering in the aftertaste. Sparkling, effervescent mouthfeel with a medium body and strong carbonation. While this is not quite what I imagined, it's still an excellent Saison that is a lot more tradtional and less funky than I expected though. However, there really is a marvellous depth and balance to the estery flavor profile here that is rather impressive, with quite vibrant fruity and spicy notes as well as a mild malt sweetness.
Bevuta alla spina al villaggio della birra.
Aroma di campagna. Un po' amara.
Fgp
Bottle shared at Hopa. I only took numerical notes while having this one. -
Draught at The Brewdog Bar, Birmingham. Gold with white head. There was some confusion in the bar as to exactly which Fantome Saison this was, but here goes. There is a fresh, tarty, yeasty character to this, sharp lemon notes with a white green grape flavour. Not sure that kegging this is the best option, makes it one dimensional, but it's drinkable.
For full disclosure a friend of mine bought this bottle and for one reason or another he left half of it at my house. I didn't want it to be wasted, but at the time of drinking it was of course refrigerated, but not fresh. That being said, onto the review...
I have little experience with saisons, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. Ugly peach pour with lots of visible sediments swirling around. Agitated it before pouring to alleviate some of this. Aroma is of sweet and sour berries. Tart raspberry, cherries and marmalade. Thin mouth was a bit funky due to not being fresh at the time of drinking. More malt than I was expecting, which allows this one to be balanced and prevents it from being overly tart. Not bad but unfortunately this was hindered by the lack of freshness I alluded to.
Splendido color oro con riflessi arancioni, opaca, schiuma bianca a grana grossa e dalla buona resistenza. Profumo agrumato, pesca, acidula, spezie e un po’ di dolcezza malata e di pasticceria. In bocca si ripresenta il bouquet aromatico, ingresso fruttato e con una punta di miele, ed una nota leggermente salata e pepata sulla punta della lingua. Finale secco con una bassa acidità ma ben percettibile. Birra che scaldandosi evolve notevolmente in complessità. Corpo leggero ma elegante. Abv nascosto, frizzantezza giusta. Ottima!
Jak na Saison to słodki i ciężki, brak zwieności, mocno owocowe, estrowe ale bez fenoli. Ogólnie słabo.
Аромат по большей части фруктовый и хмелевой, есть нотки абрикосов, немного персика и сухофруктов от хураги. Очень на тоненького но все же есть стандартные от стиля омбре сена и колхоза. Выглядит оно красиво, цвет темно желтый, весьма мутный, стойкая и пышная пенка. Во вкусе сразу есть хмель, ощущаются яркие цитрусовые нотки, а также именно цедра от апельсина, немного персиков и абрикосов. При глотке сразу ощутимая хмелевая горчинка. Чувствуются травянистые нотки, легкая сухость и снова цедра от цитрусовых. В целом фруктовый и хмелевой сизон, очень даже неплохо.
Small pour at Alefort. Cloudy, milky yellow, with a small bubbly head. Grassy aroma, lemons, floral. Taste reflects this with the addition of sourdough, yeast. Pretty full , complex.
Obtained at La Bodega for $14.99, Fantome Saison is a Belgian ale brewed with spices crafted by Brasserie Fantome.
The air reveals saison, peaches, lemon, and funk while you drink. The appearance is an orange amber that pours a two finger white head. The alcohol content is 8%.
Peaches affronts the Belgian yeast and spice complexion. Saison offers a wholesome tone to the mouthfeel. Lemon gives off sour and tart notes. Coriander accents the peach and saison body. Clove blends with the saison and grows as the light funky finish prolongs. Green apples are recognized as you interpret the finish. Apricot is noticed with the coriander and saison.
Fantome Saison is an exemplary Belgian ale. The peaches, saison, apricot, and coriander combine into a heavenly and delicious beer. The funky finish is exceptionally light to experience. I found this incredibly delectable to drink. I highly recommend buying a bottle when you find this beer.
Cheers. Prost. Drink for the love of beer.
For more beer reviews, visit and like my blog “Drink For the Love of Beer.”
Biere blonde foncée opaque. Col de mousse blanche assez important, assez compact et stable au second versement (l'inverse à l'ouverture avec une grande instabilité, un aspect rocailleux, une texture légère). Tenue moyenne. Nez très ouvert et complexe. Épicé, floral, doux et fruité. Ça sent l'été, les fleurs, le bonbon malabar, le miel. Très gourmand. Bouche à l'attaque amère, épicée et florale. L'amertume est fine et piquante, très franche, accompagnée par des épices, des herbes, des fleurs. La base maltée est douce, miellée, biscuitée, fruitée, d'un fruit sucré, tirant vers le bonbon. La finale est pleine d'arômes et bien amère, très longue. Carbonatation assez vive, corpulence moyenne. Bière totalement atypique, extrêmement complexe où l'on devine l'utilisation d'une palanquée d'ingrédients. Puissamment amère et aromatique, de plein d'arômes, elle atteint pourtant un bel équilibre. Très impressionnant.
750ml Bottle - Golden with a foamy white head. Hay, spice, strawberries, basil and pepper in the aroma. Spicy, fruity and moderately bitter taste with herbs, tea, orange, strawberries and black pepper. Much inferior to when I last had it in 2006.
750 ml crown-capped bottle with hidden cork, opened with a loud 'pop' bought at CitySuper in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Looks: Cloudy hazy golden orange colour with a thick ring of dirt like yeast sediments; Three finger head with crumpety white foam which lasts for 3 minutes; Very good sticky lacing with fizzy carbonation.
Aroma: Very fragrant malt, with strong pineapples, peaches, bread crust, strong lacto tartness, strong bubblegum, floral, sugar, funk, strong spices, bread, Bel yeast, lemon and fair grass. Lively and exciting!
Taste: Close to medium sweet Pils malt, with light lacto tartness, light yellow fruits, alcohol, floral, sugar, strong spices, fair Brett-like funk, strong herbs, biscuits, lemon, mid to strong bitter hops and strong grass.
Body: Medium body. Thin but quite slick palate.
Mouth Feel: Good Pils-like maltyness in slightly thinned background. Fruity ester is somewhat muted unlike the vibrant aroma, whereas the Brett-like funkiness is also pretty subtle, a bit like Orval, manifested in light funk and moderate lacto tartness. Pretty alcoholic a la Tripel, flowery with moderate sweetness well balanced by lacto. Very spicy and herbal with lemon to round. Fantastic!
Hoppiness: Floral, strong spices, lemon and grass in nose, same in taste but with strong herbs; Bitterness is strong for a lasting, mid to high astringent bitter-sweet Pils malty finish.
After Taste: Dry. Boozy lacto Brett spicy and herbal bitter to mouth.
Comments: I like to think this is the brooding and gloomy version of Saison Dupont, with the bubbly, shiny happy fruity vibe of Dupont gave way to the subtly funky, hard-hitting boozy farmhouse Ale with perfectly balanced lacto tartness and sweetness. The fear of being a sour Saison is totally unfound. If you like the subtle funkiness of Orval, you will like this one. A winner with two thumbs up!
P.S. A great one to celebrate my 2800th rating!
Mooi strogeel licht troebel met fijne witte schuimkraag. Zoet-zurig, brood, hint vanille, mooie droge afdronk. Totaal geen saison liefhebber maar deze kon mij absoluut bekoren.
0,75l bottle, courtesy of MrBubbler, many thanks, Pours deep hazy orange liquid, big frothy white head, Aroma: nice typical saison notes, spicy, hopy, belgian phenolic yeasty notes, fruity, apricot, flowers, Taste: medium sweet, medium bitter, light sour, spicy, belgian phenolic notes, yeasty, wheat, apricot, flowers, herbal bitter, Palate: medium body, soft carbonation, creamy mouthfeel, long bitter spicy phenolic aftertaste, Overall: very good exampl of a classic saison. Enjoyed very well.
Very good spicy and floral notes, deep golden with a good white head, medium body, average carbonation, a bit of alcohol warmth with again spicey, floral honey notes, bitter in the final...good classic one.