Brasserie Fantôme - Fantôme de Noël

Purchased From: Bierkraft
Serving Type: 750ml bottle, corked and capped, poured into a snifter

To celebrate Christmas and Winter Seasonal beer this year I enjoyed a bottle of Fantôme de Noël from Brasserie Frantôme in Soy, Belgium. Unfortunately I do not know the year on this bottle. It is at least from 2011, brewed ahead of last Christmas, but it could possibly be older. The drink by dates on the label were not notched.

Fantôme de Noël pours a medium auburn body with a lightly reddish undertone. The body is very hazy with both fine yeast suspension and large pieces of sediment floating idly. The light tan foamy head is fairly small from a moderately vigorous pour. Mild retention leaves nearly absent lacing. The nose is spicy with a huge candied sugar aroma. Dusty and lightly boozy the beer is reminiscent of the cellar with a dash of apple cider and wafting Belgian yeast.

Light Belgian ale on the foretaste introduces the distinctive earthiness of the underlying saison. A tiny hint of sourness sneaks in on the mid-palate with a well received Belgian funk. The earthiness becomes an undertone that carries pronounced cinnamon and the resurgence of apple cider. A hint of woodiness leads into the mildly bitter finish that leaves a warming heat on the Chest, perfect for sipping by a Christmas tree on a cold Winter night.

Final Verdict: A-

Hof ten Dormaal - Amber

Purchased From:
Serving Type: 12.7 oz. bottle, corked and caged, poured into a plastic cup

This amber saison from Hof ten Dormaal has a clouded unfiltered amber hue with a brilliant inner glow. Rapidly rising carbonation fuels the huge yellowed-tan head which features distinctive and chunky peaks and valleys of foam. The beer's head features superb retention and leaves massive swathes of lace behind. The nose is malty with a minor lagery aroma and a sweet honey-like character. The nose is vaguely like a German bock, or perhaps more closely, a mäibock.

The body features prominently complex earthy tones and a broken down graininess that brings the character of this amber saison more in line with the flavor profile of a Belgium dubbel. Caramel and a dank woodiness hold up the lower end of flavors, which are matched by the sweetness of dark fruits like figs and dates. Spiciness comes in late with a minor dustiness. The beer doesn't seem much like a saison, but it is delicious.

Final Verdict: B+

Hof ten Dormaal - Blond

Serving Type: 12.7 oz. bottle, corked and caged, poured into a plastic cup

This blonde saison ale from Belgium-based Hof ten Dormaal pours a hazy unfiltered yellowy amber body with a straw-colored inner glow. The large head is a thick yellowed foam with sticky consistency that slowly fades leaving stiff standing peaks and deep craters. The had leaves thick chunky lacing. The nose is spicy and almost lightly meaty with moderate earthy barnyard twang. Minor cellar notes and a slight dustiness lead to a vague lagery aroma of clean malts.

The beer seems incredibly spicy on the front end and almost hints of a smoked or cured meat, with a lean toward prosciutto. Massive malt notes enter in on the mid-palate and line up a profile that is at once sweet and powdery dry. A dash of ginger accents a moderate grassiness on the bank end. The carbonation is pointed from the mid-palate through until the end. The finish is dry, lightly earthy and organic, with a persistent freshness.

Final Verdict: B+

Butternuts Beer & Ale - Porkslap Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. can, poured into a plastic cup


This interestingly named, canned Farmhouse-inspired Pale Ale pours a deep amber body. The beer is semi-tawny with a slight grapefruit glow. The head is lightly tanned with a yellowish tint. Foam retention is solid and produces layers of lace as the head slowly disappears. The nose is malty and lightly spicy with a mild funk. By the nose, with light citrus hints, you might swear you were picking up the beer's hops. However, this beer, as advertised on the can, is an 'all malt' brew.

The beer is tart and dry with a gristly malt base. Sweet but not cloying and malty without being a bomb, the beer strikes an elegant balance of flavors. A solid graininess produces a coarse texture and lends a grassy component. The grassy earthy flavors give the beer the feel of a farmyard, whether or not its produced in the true style of a Farmhouse Ale. The finish carries a light crispness and and goes out with a lasting dryness on the aftertaste.


Final Verdict: B+

Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal - Dark

Serving Type: 12.7 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

The Dark beer from Hof Ten Dormaal is a Saison or Farmhouse Ale brewed with toasted malts for a darker body and bolder sweetness. The beer pours a hazy, woody brown. It is unfiltered with a murky appearance, packed with floating yeast sediment. The beer sports a thick tan head of sticky foam with excellent retention and elegant lacing. The nose is earthy with minor coffee-like notes juxtaposed against a sour, pungent air common among the style.

Crisp carbonation gives the beer a tight mouthfeel. Malted grains seem coarse and slightly earthy with hints of decomposing wood. Cellary yeast and ample spicy elements give the beer its defining Farmhouse heritage and contrast the almost Bock-like malt profile. Fairly boozy on the finish, the beer finishes warm with lasting caramelized sweetness and spice. Not a style I've had before, I'd like to try more dark Saisons. I found it very interesting how the style is able to absorb the toasted malts while prominently featuring the best parts of a brown beer and a Saison at once.

Final Verdict: B+

The Lost Abbey / Port Brewing Company

On my way down to San Deigo from Los Angeles I could not miss stopping at the popular, but elusive Lost Abbey. The brewery, along with its "American side" Port Brewing Company are well known and popular among beer drinkers in the region, but has very sparse distribution. From Connecticut, the closest areas in Lost Abbey's distribution are the Boston and Philadelphia metro areas.

The brewery is hidden away in a commercial park, but clearly marked by its grain silo painted to look like a large barrel. After entering through the large garage door, the open taproom is directly ahead. I got lucky on my timing. I was in the area on a Wednesday, but the taproom is usually only open for bottle sales. I was more than happy to find out that because the Home Brewers Convention was in town, Lost Abbey modified their hours.

Lost Abbey has a large barrel program, giving their beers interesting, layered flavor profiles. The evidence of their barrel aging was all around the facility.

At the counter of the tap room I sampled six Lost Abbey beers. A number of them were also available in bottles, although I didn't buy any. I did, however, buy a glass as a souvenir.

The Lost Abbey - Avant Garde
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

At the Lost Abbey they insist that this beer is truly Avant Garde, and it should not be considered brewed in the style of the traditional French Bière de Garde style. While it may be true, or at least believable, this beer does share some similarities to the style, as well as the related Belgian Saison style. The beer pours a rich ruby amber with a moderate white Caramel and honey essence are present in the malt aroma as well as a mild booziness.

The beer has a pronounced spice spice element and a subtle depth of flavor and richness. It seems fairly dry and has a somewhat musty or dusty component, consistent with the cellared edge of the style. There's a slight mash feature as well as a seemingly charred flavor. It doesn't seem like the charred roasted flavor of a stout, there's a greater emphasis on the woodiness than the smokiness. A delicious, well-made beer.

The Lost Abbey - Red Barn Ale
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

Following up the Avante Garde, I had the Red Barn Ale. The order is very fitting considering the Red Barn Ale is a Saison-style beer, also known as a 'Farmhouse Ale,' which has a heritage very similar to the Bière de Garde. The beer poured a golden straw body with a healthy white head that carried a slightly creamy texture. The nose was spicy, with hints like a witbier. In fact, the beer is brewed with barley, wheat, and oats.

Very big on the spice, there are hints of ginger and black pepper that give the beer a drying edge. Pronounced citrusy orange peel is prominent blending with the spice notes and the semi-sweet malts of the beer. The carbonation is very crisp and lends itself to a crisp finish with a lasting spiciness.

The Lost Abbey - Serpent's Stout
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

Serpent's Stout, an American Imperial Stout pours a very dark brown with a thick, creamy medium tan head. Smokiness is pervasive on the nose with rich, deeply roasted, coffee notes and a hint of dark chocolate.

The body of the beer is strong with a smokiness, bold caramel and minor esters. The beer seems very thick, almost pudding like. In a 4 oz. sample it was difficult to determine how heavy the beer actually is, but it seems very strong and clearly alcoholic. Not a session beer, but an event. Dark roasted malts add sweetness of caramel and toffee that are tempered by the smoke finish.

The Lost Abbey - Framboise de Amorosa
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

Framboise de Amorosa is a famous, interesting, and unique play from the Lost Abbey. Although I can't confirm there is actually any spontaneous fermentation going on, I've seen it dubbed an 'American Wild Ale,' clearly taking after the Belgian Lambic ales that undergo spontaneous fermentation. Similarly, the Belgian Guezes have fruit added to them to produce a variety of interestingly and delicious fruit beers.

In this case, the beer is aged in fresh red wine barrels and sees three additions of raspberries during its year-plus aging period. The beer pours with a ruby accent to a light amber body. The glow is brightly red and the nose is a sweet, candy-like, raspberry.

The sweet raspberry flavor is akin to a Belgian Framboise, but with a much more sturdy malt body. The underlying malts aren't quite overshadowed in this case, and there's a clearly present alcohol component. There's a very familiar candy sugar feel toothsome feel on the finish.

The Lost Abbey - The Angel's Share (Aged in Brandy Barrels)
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

As I hear, the beer starts out a lot lighter, more of a burgundy than a brown, but after a year in a barrel, it comes out more of a deep brown mahogany with mixed ruby and golden glows. A year in a Brandy barrel adds a considerable boozy grape component to the beer as well as a mild oakiness on the nose.

The beer has big chocolatey notes and a velvety mouthfeel. It is boozy and strong with raisins for days and tons of sweet dark fruits, which play well with the depth of flavors imparted from the barrel aging. A slight evaporating carbonation adds a tingle to the finish of the beer. It is very different from the common understanding of what beer is. The Lost Abbey is not the first or the last brewery to delve into barrel aging, but this is a great example of what can result. I preferred the Brandy barrel-aged version of The Angel's Share to the Burbon barrel.

The Lost Abbey - The Angel's Share (Aged in Burbon Barrels)
Enjoyed At: The Lost Abbey Taproom, San Marcos, CA
Serving Type: 4 oz. sampler glass, poured from the tap

The Burbon barrel-aged version of The Angel's Share pours a very similar mahogany brown with competing glows from within. The nose carries a distinct smokey whiskey edge with clear vanilla characteristics. The oak from the barrel also asserts itself on the nose.

An unmistakable Burbon aroma manifests itself in the flavor giving this beer a strong whiskey influence. It almost overtakes the beer. The fired oak flavor is present throughout, as well. I preferred the Brandy barrel-aged version, but would gladly have either. Both were well worth trying, given the opportunity.

From their website: "Down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers who age their whiskeys for many years refer to the evaporation of the spirits from their barrels as "The Angel's Share." We couldn't agree more. Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of liquid seeps into the oak and is lost for good."

Piccolo Birrifico - Sesonette

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 11.2 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Sesonette is an Italian take on the classic Belgian Saison style. It pours a light orangey amber, significantly darker than I expected for the style. A fine yeast suspension accents the hue of the beer and a few larger, darker specks of yeast float gently through the brew. The white foam head is made of fine carbonation, the small size was also unexpected, especially for a pour in a tulip glass. The aroma carries a honey sweetness with the added character of a light sun tea. The spiciness on the nose is a definite nod to the Belgian roots of the beer. A minor boozy hint rounds of the nose.

The beer is very interesting and a unique and inventive take on the style. While the makings of a Saison are present, this Italian version is more a reinterpretation of what a Saison can be than it is a Saison that happens to be made in Italy. The advertised juniper berries are a defining flavor in the beer. They add both sweetness and a singular herbal edge to the beer. The carbonation is very mild, but the beer is never watery. It remains refreshing throughout. A sweet waxy honey comb element adds some depth and character to the beer, which finishes with a minor crispness and a lasting sweetness coupled with mild spice.

Final Verdict: A-

Brewery Ommegang - Hennepin

Purchased From: Beltway Fine Wine
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Ommegang is back with two more beers this week after making a brief appearance during the first week of this blog's active life. Today is Hennepin, the Belgian-inspired Saison from the New York brewery. The beer pours a hazy, light yellow straw with a huge, rushing active carbonation from the center of the glass. The airy white head is massive with large carbonation bubbles for a light and fluffy consistency. The retention is excellent and leaves thick and chunky lacing on the glass.

The nose is spicy and complex with a cellary must. The Belgian-influence is abundantly clear, making for a very promising American take on a traditional style. The beer is very spice oriented off the front, with an extremely crisp mouthfeel. Mid-palate the beer seems to turn silky allowing its delicate and nuanced notes to shine through. Lemon and citrus make the beer extremely refreshing. The beer is dry for the finish and its alcohol seems to peak late. It comes through a bit stronger than I would've liked, even for a 7.7% ABV. While it seems like the heat could be managed a bit better in such a distinctive beer, this remains an extremely solid American Saison-style beer.

Final Verdict: B+