$10.99 for the 750 mL bottle that is capped and corked from Cheers in Carrollton, GA, USA.
Bottle has dates for notching but no notches! This pisses me off a bit. If they are there why not use them??
Poured into the Duvel tulip after an initial promising pop, the body is a slightly murky, reddish chestnut brown. Head is large initially and looks deeper and richer than it actually turns out to be. Fades quickly with no lace on the glass to leave a fine, mocha foam on the surface.
Nose is a little musty with some fruit esters and some wood.
Tastes are predominantly dry and I get some manure and a little cork-like bitterness. It tastes a little “old” – a bit floury, fluffly and lacking the usual funk edge that Fantome usually provides. I also get some red wine and tea like tanins.
This seems to lack a certain clean edge. Maybe its the age of the bottle, but I though that this would cope quite well. This is certainly not a REALLY old bottle so I am a little confused.
Not my favorite Fantome by a long way, and to be hnoest I was a little disappointed. It lacked sharpness and was a little dull. I don’t *think* that the bottle was that old, but the beer seems a touch jaded.