Fantôme

I’ve been thinking I want to buy a bunch of Fantome before Dany is fully out, but I also can’t bring myself to. Every review I see on the Knowers group is like “Great bottle. Bitter and herbal.”

I will always have my memories.
Very much the same. I haven't loved a new/fresh Fantome bottle since those Pissenlit's from around 2020.

Sounds about right.

I gave up on even believing any of the stuff released in like the last 5 years has any potential to age out that bitterness or develop any of the bretty house character that use to be the most iconic aspect of Fantome for me.

I think the golden age/period is behind us save for a random gem here or there that Dany might do something unique with like forget to add hops. I have not tried/bought any Fantome in a couple of years now except for those dinky imperial stouts (someone bought and shared with me) and some of them turned out to be a train wreck.

Then again, I also have a life time’s worth of Fantome that is just sitting around hardly getting drank so I have no business to be acquiring more/new stuff.
 
I didn't realize they sold other stuff as well. Looking forward to it for sure
We’ve got other plans that day otherwise we would offer to meet up, but I cannot recommend stopping into Standard Mead enough. If you like mead or tiki cocktails. They are a flat mile down the prairie path from Afterthought.
 
I thought it was this thread… apparently I was wrong. However… you know how me/a few others joked that Garret Crowell, formerly or Jester King, currently at Yokefellow/Nice N Easy, should totally buy out Dany?

Well… I went wine/whiskey tasting through TX Hill Country last weekend and ended the day at Nice N Easy. Garret wasn’t working, but Matt his partner was. I jokingly asked if Garret/they talked about buying Fantome… and Matt started laughing because Garret had considered it.

We called it boys.
 
I thought it was this thread… apparently I was wrong. However… you know how me/a few others joked that Garret Crowell, formerly or Jester King, currently at Yokefellow/Nice N Easy, should totally buy out Dany?

Well… I went wine/whiskey tasting through TX Hill Country last weekend and ended the day at Nice N Easy. Garret wasn’t working, but Matt his partner was. I jokingly asked if Garret/they talked about buying Fantome… and Matt started laughing because Garret had considered it.

We called it boys.
Ive heard lots of rumors for years prior to Dany making his public announcement. He talked to me privately about it and I promised I wouldnt talk about it until he made something official. Some of the potential buyers pre-covid that showed the most interest and had the buying power to make it happen would have absolutely defiled what remains of the Fantome name.

It will never be the same with Dany gone/done but if there was ever, any glimmer of hope left, I would fully support Garret being the one to take up the reigns.
 
Best by range on the label is 07-12, nothing is checked or written to indicate a bottling or best by date. Gold cap, pretty funky, some dried fruit vibes, not exceptionally winter spiced or herbal. I never know about Hiver but this is a win in my book.

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Not a gusher?!
 
Had been excited by the dozen or so untappd checkins on this one, so I decided to open tonight.
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This is an incredibly ordinary Belgian saison. Tastes more like Dupont than Fantome. Predominant tasting note is dusty bubblegum, like bazooka Joe left in an attic for a couple decades. Teases having a little tartness but the building wave crashes in the other direction and it finishes with bubblegum, hinting at but steering clear of nu tome bitterness. I guess the tart tease has a little white grape flavor, but I otherwise don’t notice the wine. Honestly reminds a lot of that Belgian Arthur batch from a couple years back. That one funked up a bit with some time, so I’ll sit on my second bottle for a long while.
 
Had been excited by the dozen or so untappd checkins on this one, so I decided to open tonight.
IMG_8226.jpeg
This is an incredibly ordinary Belgian saison. Tastes more like Dupont than Fantome. Predominant tasting note is dusty bubblegum, like bazooka Joe left in an attic for a couple decades. Teases having a little tartness but the building wave crashes in the other direction and it finishes with bubblegum, hinting at but steering clear of nu tome bitterness. I guess the tart tease has a little white grape flavor, but I otherwise don’t notice the wine. Honestly reminds a lot of that Belgian Arthur batch from a couple years back. That one funked up a bit with some time, so I’ll sit on my second bottle for a long while.
This sounds maybe more promising than most new Tomes in terms of long term potential?
 
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