Tasting Notes - Fantome Bris-BonBons!

David, Jon, Carla, and I shared one of these last night during a hig-stakes game of Scrabble. The verdict was 3 thumbs up and one utterance of, "Meh, no thanks."

Immediately after popping the cork we were greeted by a little volcano of foam and a blast of sweet, almost rotten, tropical fruit. Sounds gross, but it was strangely appetizing. After pouring and giving it a couple minutes for the head to recede we were able to dig beneath the now increasingly yeasty/fruity/earthy aromas to the heart of the beast. The mouthfeel on this, like most Fantome brews I've had, was light and effervescent yet chewy at the same time. The fruitiness died off a little bit once we desensitized to it and we noticed hints of sourdough bread carried on a grassy afternoon breeze. The swallow is where this beer really gets funky. It's definitely a bitter finish, but not just from the hops. There's an earthy, dirt like quality to it that can only be compared to something like kava kava or yerba mate. It takes a little getting used to, especially if you're not a yerba mate drinker, but once it settles in it really helps contrast the fruitiness of subsequent sips.

I wouldn't call this my favorite Fantome, but when I'm in the mood for something bitter and funky this will certainly be near the top of the list.

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