Hi again everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Fantome Boo! produced by the Brasserie Fantome located in Soy, Belgium.

Anyone that knows me realizes how much I respect and appreciate what Mr. Dany Prignon does at Fantome.  I have yet to have this particular beer, so when it was offered I jumped at the chance to procure a bottle.

Well, I couldn’t find the commercial description on the fantome.be website, so let’s just go ahead and get it in a glass and see how it smells and tastes for ourselves.

Let’s pour.

Like all Fantome beers that I’ve has thus far this one comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 8.0%.

This brew poured a deep orange to caramel color.  The crown was slightly off white, soapy, rocky and soft.  It was sized very well and the retention time was spectacular.  Lots of patchy “cobwebs” of lace stuck to the sides of the tulip for the entire drink.  It looked great.

The nose smelled of spices.  Hints of nutmeg and clove.  Tones of pumpkin grazed the nostrils as well.  It presented some of that much loved barnyard funk, however it seemed to be a bit more mild mannered than some of the other Fantome products I’ve tried.  Oh well.  Further into the aroma I began to receive a fragrance of orange citrus and herbal breadiness.  Very well balanced and pleasant all the way around in my opinion.

The taste let that funky goodness come forth a touch more.  Again, spices of nutmeg and clove followed by the pumpkin.  I even picked up a light savor of black peppercorn.  No orange citrus was found in there, but the yeasty relishes were spot on, which helped balance and harmonize the overall profile.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Mostly smooth, dry, crisp and slightly refreshing.  The carbonation was near perfect.  Not too lively, but spritzy enough to dance on the tongue. Only a small dab of warmth was felt and enough flavor was left on the palate for me to enjoy between sips after each swallow.

Well, I’ve never been a fan of “pumpkin” type beers, but this one is different… and in a good way.  The funk really sets this thing off for me.  It tends to hide a lot of that pumpkin spice that, too me, is overbearing and distracting in some of those beers.  Even though this is not a typical Saison, it still retains enough of those characteristics to keep me interested for the entire drink.  The ease of drinkability is quite good too.  I know I’d much rather have this any day than any of those regurgitated pumpkin beers that flood the shelves every Fall. Either way, I really dug this brew and if you guys have the opportunity to try it, please do so.  I’d love to hear your opinion of the Fantome Boo!.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  4.0 out of 5

Grade:  B+