Better Drinking

I bought this beer at the same time as the Dupont Saison and finally got around to drinking it. I have come to appreciate this style of beer, though too late this year for the appropriate season. That is the traditionalist side of me; drink the right beer in the right season, with the right meal, and so on. However, there is also that "buck the system" side of me that says drink beer in whatever season you want to, and don't sweat the formalities. There is merit in both, and since I drink stouts in the summer, I can certainly drink saisons in the fall.

As I did not mention in the aforementioned review, the saison is a Belgian farmhouse ale, brewed in the winter, consumed in the summer. It is meant to be "sturdy", meaning full-flavored, complex, and capable of refreshing the spirit without being simplistic or dull. A picnic brew if you will. It can be higher gravity (over 8% ABV), but oftentimes runs in what I call the normal range, 5-7% ABV. OK, enough of that.

The Fantome pours a hazy golden, effervescent, with a frothy white head. A nice lace is produced as the glass is drained, and on the second pour (I was drinking a 750ml bottle), sediment from the bottom of the bottle adds to the haze.

The nose is a rather subdued peppery aroma, mixed with the sweetness of a Belgian. There is vague notion of sourness, though it is obvious there is a high level of complexity here.

Mouthfeel is medium-thin to medium; smooth, not slick, and well-balanced with carbonation. This just screams for warmer weather and outdoor drinking under the sun.

Taste is very reminiscent of the nose; a very smooth malt sweetness, sprinkled with a peppery spiciness, while a tinge of sourness floats in the background. There is also a kind of flat or sour floral flavor that must be the hops, intentionally low profile in a beer like this. The flavor from taste to swallow is very consistent throughout. No surprises here. The 8% ABV is mostly absent from taste, though it makes itself known about halfway through the bottle very quietly. A nap would have been nice, but my notes would have been incomplete.

Overall a great beer, and better than the Dupont in this reviewer's opinion. And while I certainly recommend this beer, for a price accessible saison more as a session beer, try Ommegang's Hennepin, a great representation of what American brewers can achieve through patience and skill.

Drink better and certainly drink good saisons!!

Labels: beer reviews