It is not often that I am surprised at the ingredient list for a beer. Brewers have unleashed all the arrows in the quiver, or so I thought. But FANTÔME has done it with a … “Special recipe brewed with quinine, cardamom and quince juice.”
Q
Holiday Beer # 12 – Fantome de Noel from Brasserie Fantome
Brassierie Fantome de Noel / Belgium
“A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients. The alcohol content probably goes a long way toward explaining that very warm and satisfied feeling one finds on the very first sip. A rich, dark-flavored beer with lots of deep-roasted chocolate malt, but still fairly dry, with a hint of sourness at the core. It is very spicy, with some winter spruce flavor in the bargain. The wild yeast sourness also adds to its welcoming character.”
An (Extra) Sour Fantome
There are quite a few English, German and Belgian beers that I need to re-acquaint myself with. I recently had Omer blonde ale and was reminded how great it was. Fantome is another brand that I should sample more of and this new sour offering is now on my watch list.