I’m pretty experienced with Fantôme, so I know what to expect (i.e., the unexpected), but lately I’ve had a couple of less than stellar experiences. This beer gets me back to more familiar territory of the brilliant madness.

Pour is a slightly reddish, brown pour, with a creamy, light tan colored head. Nose offers a lovely, deep bready, yeasty note, with a little herbal element. Mouthfeel is lively. Nice.

The tastes are a mid-sweet, very lightly herbal bitterness with a paradoxically dry finish. It’s a real mix of experiences here. It starts as a beer that seems quite sweet, then the dry elements kick in, then the bitterness and dryness cuts across the palate. Some black pepper adds to the bitterness. There’s plenty of malt here, and a touch of clove.

It’s simultaneously very drinkable and quite rich. As is usual for a Fantome beer, it’s hard to describe and to pigeonhole, but insanely drinkable and delicious. In the end, a beer that is greater than the sum of its parts. Not unusual for Dany.