Fantôme Printemps

Brewed By: Brasserie Fantôme in Soy-Erezée, Belgium   

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I want to put the kibosh on this beer sooner than later, because my feeling is you either drink these ghosts fresh, or age them for the looooonnnnggg haul. Maybe we'll try that with the next bottle. About Fantôme: 

Fantôme is a brewery based out of Soy, Wallonia, Belgium, that was founded in 1988 by the mad man and mastermind, Dany Prignon. The brewery is located in a crumbling farmhouse in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, and Fantôme's beer just might be more popular in the United States than it is in Belgium. Dany brews one type of beer: Saisons/Farmhouse Ales. Each of his Saisons have a unique twist, and he often brews his beers using herbs, spices, juices, and other off-beat ingredients. Their website is so hardcore it only comes in French, but check it out anyway. 

Like the "Hiver" which meant Winter, "Printemps" means Spring. I actually already knew that, because I'm worldly and traveled and love Stravinsky and can't you see I'm adjusting my blinged out monocle. I'm talking about La Sacre du printemps, mother

Stravinsky wasn't classical.

fucker. If you haven't checked out that Russian ballet shit you haven't lived. For realz, I'm going to pop that noise like bros pop collars and elevate my game while I write this shitty review. Classical music makes that uterus tick. Except - - - DAVID BLAINE FACE - - - Stravinsky wasn't classical.

Man, I've been going out of my way to drink all the fucked up Fantôme beers, but this one seems to be playing the Saison mostly straight. The beer pours into a hazy, straw/lemony/yellow/urine-colored body, and kicks up three fingers of wispy, white head. The head is thick and foamy like beaten egg whites. The beer looks much the same in bright light, only the body takes on a bit more neon green/yellow, and you can see the rising streams of peppery carbonation. The head is hanging around, and there is lacing. This looks like the real deal. 

I should mention this one opened gracefully, with a solid pop from the cork, and no gushing whatsoever. This beer was also housed in one of those damn green bottles. It doesn't smell skunked at all...in fact, the aroma on this beer is rustic, and lively, and features some of that unique Fantôme house yeast. There's big lemon, some light peppery funk, apple, apple slaw salad, peaches, and pineapple...there's also even a hint of Belgian funk/clove, which is something new for me in a Fantôme beer. Beneath all your typical Saison goodness is some Brett funk, old attic, ass-leather, and mild ghostly cigarette smoke. It's like hugging that immigrant worker in the lemon field. 

Normal Ghost: Fantôme Printemps

WOW...this is light, almost watery, and ridiculously refreshing. 8.0% you say? Fuck me, this drinks lighter than some 5.0% beers. You get lots of lemon, light straw, and grains up front. There's a hint of peppery funk, and the middle has a dash of peaches and apple/slaw. The back end dials up some mild attic funk with cigarette smoke kisses. I use "mild" in the context of Fantôme. Compared to their Hiver or Dark White, this beer features minimal funk. There's a little leafy/vegetal bitterness that pops in here, and this is insanely refreshing.

All things considered...and I really find myself shocked to say this...this is kind of just a great Saison, with the Above-Average twist being that funky Brett/leather/ghostly tobacco smoke character. There's a nice rustic grainy character here that I really like. It doesn't taste like cereal or corn...it's just straight up rustic grain. This is also stupid drinkable at 8.0%. Where did the alcohol go? Am I being lied to? As you can imagine, this has a light-bodied mouthfeel. The body is slightly creamy, and the carbonation is light. But there is carbonation. I think some previous vintages of this beer had some carbonation issues. Palate depth is just okay, but complexity brings things up. You get lemon and grains up front; that rolls into a kiss of peppery funk, some peaches and apple slaw; the back end is all about more lemon, some attic, and Brett ass-leather. Dat ass-leather.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Above-Average. This is actually a really nice Saison, with a nice rustic/funky twist. None of the flavors here are overly aggressive, and I would definitely recommend this beer to someone new to Fantôme. The leather/tobacco on the back end does elevate this beer, and you get some of the patent Fantôme funk. You could pair this beer with things that go well with Saisons: peppery meats, lightly seasoned grilled foods, dry cheeses, etc. This style is inherently wine-like, and compares well to a dry white. At around 15 dollars a bottle, I have a hard time recommending this as a daily Saison, but it's a great special occasion beer to check out.

Random Thought: The Stravinsky did pair well with this beer. I literally went from the 99% to the 1%, just by drinking a single beer and listening to a ballet. You wish you were me, but bro, do you even bicep curl?