750 mL capped and corked bottle. $12.99 from Green’s on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA.

I don’t really know why, but for years I’ve just not bothered to pick this up, but having been told that the Fantôme distribution in the USA is becoming increasingly spotty (something I’ve informally noticed for a long time), I thought I’d better pick one up before it disappears for good from the market.

Golden orange pour with some nice snowy white, fluffy head. A few yeast floaties come with the first pour.

Nose offers a touch of mustiness, but a larger dose of mild orange, lemon and grapefruit citrus. The taste reflects the accentuates the citrus rather than the funk, but it is clean, mild and does not linger. Frankly a surprisingly subtle, low-key beer in terms of the taste. This may disappoint some, but to me it adds to the drinkability and I am delighted to enjoy what adds up to be a really quite subtle beer. The brew is certainly grapefruit based but its really quite light. Finishes quite dry, alcohol is very well hidden and from the taste alone you’d be forgiven if you thought this could be sessionable.

Summer and spring drinking is called for here but the beer is difficult to put down under any circumstances. There is a fine, dense carbonation that leads to a really velvety mouthfeel that also adds to the drinkability. put it al together and this is a very, very nice beer.