Non-saisons at Saison tasting

    Ben from BA recently organized a rarer Fantômes' tasting that I attended. While I had every intention of reviewing, I was so overwhelmed by the beers that I didn't find anything meaningful to write. This is the list of Fantômes had:

• Brise-BonBons
• Blanche (my favorite)
• La Piétrain Blonde
• Magic Ghost (pretty good, and very unique)
• Santé-15
• Saint-Roch
• Hiver

However, there were other very different beers at the tasting that I thought I could review:

Lou Pepe Framboise (2002 Vintage)

Thanks Andrew! For this one and for Gratitude.

    Pours burnt orange-pink with a dirty collar for head. Aroma is massive funk, sulfur, leather and maybe some fruit lurking somewhere. Smells abrasive!

    Tart, dry, pungent. Did I already say dry? I don't think I have ever had a monster comparable to this beer in its dryness and sour character except the Beatification that I don't remember having at Darkness Day 2010 :/

Excellent mouthfeel with loads of crisp carbonation.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4.5

Lente

    Thanks Kevin for hosting and sharing this awesome (and rare ;-) beer! Not to mention the excellent homebrewed Berliner Weisse.

    Pours light golden with a medium white colored dense head. Signature Gueuze. A very very interesting aroma: I usually expect Gueuze to be all about acid and such but I got a lot of coal and tobacco like notes over the massive funk and of course, acidic notes. It is noteworthy that the said coal/tobacco notes seemed more related to a damp warehouse than the perfectly oxidized strong ale.

    Taste contains everything in aroma and more: the tart character is more intense and the light body/crisp carbonation make things more interesting. A very intense and complex, and yet easy drinking beer.

    I am not a very discerning Lambic drinker but I noted a lot of similarities in Zomer that Frank and Pasta shared at another later tasting. Thanks again guys!

4, 4.5, 4, 4, 4

Event Horizon (2010)

I don't quite remember who shared it but I think it was Kevin again. Thanks!

    Fairly standard -bal Imperial Stout with a dark, smooth body and tiny head. The aroma is full of chocolate notes and vanilla, and of course bourbon. Tastes chocolaty and is reminiscent of BCBS without the booze. Mouthfeel is good for an ~8% beer. An achievement in the sense that so much flavor is packed into this beer without being too strong. Very very good.

3.5, 4, 4, 4, 4.5