Haunt me any time: Fantome Biere Artisanale Sur Lie

Many years have flown by since I first tasted Belgian saison. When in Columbus recently, I stumbled onto the black and white ghost label of Fantome.

I have a soft spot for cheesy labels, especially ones with serious beer behind their glass. From that initial bottle found at Ancona's in Ridgefield, Conn., I knew never to shy away from that Belgian phantasm, which looks like a distant cousin of Casper.

After not seeing it since I headed south, spying Fantome in Clintonville's Palmer's Beverage was a mild rush. Although I nearly scoffed at the new price - $13.99, compared with $8.99 in 2004 - I needed to check Fantome for quality.

The brewery produces four Saisons annually and doesn't release its spice lineup, but make no doubt, it often surpasses the DuPont brewery as Belgian's top saison producer. Through the years, I've had their fine Noel and an intriguing noir version brewed with darker malts.

Brewed in the farmhouse style from the Ardennes Forest, it's a testament to the days when farmers crafted local ales from the ingredients available to them, a tradition alive and well in Belgium.

Unlike many saisons, this Fantome pours with a thick, quickly evaporating head and some spirited effervescence. Its initial bouquet bursts with a range of spices and a strong degree of minerality, which could be a result of the local water or conditions under which the ingredients were grown. Either way, more than any other beer style, saison owes a major debt to its environment.

This one has a delectable finish, as it a dose of honey was added to round and soften this Fantome. Nearly amber in color, there's plenty of burnt citrus flavors running with the spices, giving it complexity without sacrificing drinkability. Creamy tones run from the head to the finish. They might change the recipe from batch to batch, but almost anything from Fantome is archetypal saison. There might be a little bit of candied sugar included as a mild sweetness makes fleeting appearances.

Brewmaster Dany Prignon has done his due diligence with this saison, blending ingredients to produce an infective strong saison (8 percent ABV). Now if we can just get Fantome to work on its affordability - with plenty of $7-$10 saisons in the American market, even one of this caliber is a tough sell at $14.

Still, even one taste will make any saison lover or skeptic a believer in this Fantome's supernatural roots.