lot 04 02 23 Best Before end of 2027.

Lightly hazed, orange creamsicle body with a high, rocky and broken head. Head retention above average, lacing the same. Thin film settles on the surface of the beer.

Acidic, grainy, musty apples on the nose with some herbal notes.

Typical Fantôme with a ton of grassy, medicinal bitterness and light funk. A ton of hoppy bitterness that is quite green, but the beer still showcases many citrus-based herbs. There’s no doubt that the beer remains bitter, but it’s well within the parameters that one expects from Fantôme, and with warming the beer really evens (and mellows) out. Warming slightly really helps this beer as more roundness comes to the fore with a really soft edge. Works beautifully within the Fantôme style. Finish is predictably dry.

The saaz, the citra, the lemon peel, and bitter orange are all there, the other mentioned adjuncts (cinnamon and star anise) less so.

Crispy and prickly mouthfeel completes the package.

If you like Fantôme beers this is basically very typical, and therefore in my wheelhouse. It does what it says on the label, and there is nothing else to it.