Fantome Circus Fantome

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

A slightly vigorous pour produces an initially three-finger thick, amber tinged, tan colored head that leave just a touch of lacing on the sides of the glass. The beer is a dark, amber-tinged, plum color as it rests in my tulip glass, but shows an almost brilliantly clear, cranberry red color when held up to the light. An aromatic mix of earth-like note and fruit greet my nose as I take my first draught of the aroma. Aromas of plums (both tart & sweet), raisins, cloves, a touch of damp leather, something like mace, hints of tamarind and a touch of musty, yet distinctly, woody-black-pepper. The fruit notes are more concentrated up front, and it is not till you take a couple of successive draughts of the aroma that the earthy spice notes really start to become noticeable. This has a pretty nicely complex nose that one would expect from Fantôme; it is very enjoyable to spend a couple minutes exploring the aromas of this brew.

Lightly sweet, a touch more tart and it has a sort of tannic, almost woody astringency to it in the finish. The fruit notes is much more on par with the earth & light funk here in the flavor, but I still get ample notes of concentrated plums, raisins, a touch of tamarind, pears and even apple. Musty spice notes & that woody note provide a counterpoint to the fruitiness; as does the acidity, but this tends to meld into and accentuate certain aspects of the fruit flavors too. Soft turpene notes (clove, hints of mace and allspice) are joined by a woody black pepper note (not as distinctly as in the aroma though), a hint of earthy ginger, spicy oak flavors. Quite light bodied, yet that tannic / woody note adds some body and the spiciness almost makes this a sipping brew despite how quaffable it is. Some phenolic notes and a touch of alcohol adds some sharpness to the finish.

The second pour of this brew adds a bit of sediment, which definitely adds a yeast-like dimension to the brew (both in the flavor and in the taste). Spicy notes of allspice, cardamom and clove seem to be accentuated as well. While not as funky as some Fantôme products, this has a rich depth of flavor that I am really digging. I am not really sure where the wood-like notes are coming from (perhaps the cork, or maybe some weird secret ingredient), but they definitely add a very nice additional complexity to this brew.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Dark hazy reddish orange, with ok head and lacing. Strong aroma of fruit and spices. Darker, sweeter, maltier and less refreshing than other Fantomes, but still very spicey and dry like the name implies. Creamy mouthfeel as always, but just not my favorite Fantome offering, good though.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle from Knightly. Pour is off-white colored head, deep orange to brown color. Head thins to a few mm after a few minutes, but has excellent retention. Aroma was spiced grapes, spices which I certainly can't place (coriander, pepper, cardumum among them?). Flavor followed the aroma, cherries mixed in, citrus, a heartily malted beverage, spices playing a supporting and accenting role, much more so than in a normal Fantome beer, yet of some degree of complexity. Mouthfeel was hearty, silky, creamy, airy feeling. A nice brew if you're looking for a malty saison.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

A murky orange appearance. Aroma is spicy with some cherries, pears, apricots. The flavor is kind of funky with some citrus, brown sugar, and sweet potatoes. This was prettty good and unlike any saison Ive had. Thanks Eagle!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Poured a hazy amber color with a large, tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus fruits, faint spices, funky barnyard, and orange peel. Taste of tart citrus, nuts, earthy yeast, caramel malt, some lactobacillus, and a dry finish. Very faint alcohol.