Fantome new Road...

[beeraroundtown1]

Anyone have an idea of how old this might have been, my guess was 2 or 3 years?

The first batch came out about 4 years ago I think, is there a date code on the side?

 

[BeerandNoise]

Don't have the bottle any more, but that's where I saw what seemed to be a bottle date that implied 2016.

 

[ChairmanHoltz1]

I've really been slacking with my tome posts. I opened this Dark White (bb 2018) recently.

I last checked in on this batch about 2 years ago. It's doing great. It's dried out and tarted up a little, but the carb hasn't gone haywire. Dark + White = a brownish amber, I guess.

 

[MooseLang]

My goodness I’m glad I was patient with this. I sort of opened it on a whim tonight. Was scared when I saw that there wasn’t that much carbonation, but one whiff eased those fears. Lemon and Fantome funk on the nose. Dry and slightly tart. Classic Saison with almost a slight hint of Tequila on the back end.

Drink ‘em if you got ‘em. Wish I had more of these...



(Link to media)

 

[stakem1]

Finally got all 3 batches of Tous les D'iape in the fridge. Strange how I had zero issue locating my bottles of b1 but b2 was hiding pretty good.

Anyhoo... color me surprised that all 3 have unique labels. Upper left hand corner has a small icon I assume to be the opponent’s flag for each year and corresponding best before end of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

 

[ChairmanHoltz1]

I recently tomed myself in a seasonally appropriate manner. Printemps bb 2018, maybe 3 or 4 years old.

I last drank a bottle from this batch a little over a year ago. It hasn't changed much during the intervening months, but it didn't need to. It was a lovely beer to both look at and drink. The taste was herbal, estery, a little minty, maybe some white pepper? I don't know. I never know. But I enjoyed it.

 

[BigFrank]

Finally got all 3 batches of Tous les D'iape in the fridge. Strange how I had zero issue locating my bottles of b1 but b2 was hiding pretty good.

Anyhoo... color me surprised that all 3 have unique labels. Upper left hand corner has a small icon I assume to be the opponent’s flag for each year and corresponding best before end of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Opponent?

 

[MooseLang]

Opponent?

The flag is where the tournament is taking place. The flag on b3 is a Russian flag, as this year’s World Cup is in Russia.

B2 was French flag for 2016 Euros. B1 was Brazilian flag for 2014 World Cup.

 

[MooseLang]

danyP everything ok buddy?

 

[stakem1]

danyP everything ok buddy?

I dont fully understand the issue but I am irritated that he has concerns and problems and cannot voice his opinion and freely discuss it.

It was probably wrong of me to blame Shelton Bros the way others piled on then too but if its not them causing the issue, id love someone to learn me aboot it and set me straight

 

[FTowne1]

I dont fully understand the issue but I am irritated that he has concerns and problems and cannot voice his opinion and freely discuss it.

It was probably wrong of me to blame Shelton Bros the way others piled on then too but if its not them causing the issue, id love someone to learn me aboot it and set me straight

What exactly happened?

 

[Kraftster]

What's the leading theory for why things got shut down today? I'm confused how a 591-member FB group was seemingly censored by? Who? Or what caused Dany to pull the plug?

 

[Pneill3161]

He was digging on some cars earlier.... he normally does this so seems ok to me.

 

[Pneill3161]

What's the leading theory for why things got shut down today? I'm confused how a 591-member FB group was seemingly censored by? Who? Or what caused Dany to pull the plug?

What does this even mean? I feel out of the loop.

 

[beeraroundtown1]

Yah, I missed it, just saw a deleted post. Summary?

 

[stakem1]

What exactly happened?

Yah, I missed it, just saw a deleted post. Summary?

I could be wrong but in Dany speak he made a post asking why USA seemingly has the greatest demand for his beer yet never wants to buy his new beers he makes. He said he currently has 12 pallets of beer and because they were mostly collaborations/unique/special beers the US would not get any because “all we ever order” is classic saison and sometimes magic ghost.

He made mention that if necessary he would seek a new distributor if that is what was necessary. I think that is what might have gotten the discussion flagged/reported because if im not mistaken some sheltons or shelton reps are in the group.

 

[stakem1]

To add to that, I guess it isnt fair for us the customer to complain in that we dont know the logistics of distribution and what all is involved in it. I guess its easy for ~500 of us to inaccurately or artificially inflate the desire for his beer if Shelton imports it and then has issues selling it?

From my own perspective, in the last decade I have NEVER seen something other than Noel, Saison or Printemps/Pissenlit on a shelf in PA. And when I do, the price is significantly higher than if id just order it online.

Whether it is true or not, I was told PA isnt licensed/registered to get anything other than those. Maybe thats the case innother states? Sooo who makes that decision and who is suppose to pay that fee for us to get new brews? Can I pay it? Can a bar/bottleshop pay it to increase their selection? Or are we as customers being punished for living in a state with ****** beer laws?

Dany said this has been an issue for quite sometime. Id love to see something change which will allow him more creativity to try new things and not get stuck with beer and nowhere to go with it when so many of us would love the opportunity to buy it.

 

[trickytunadicky]

To add to that, I guess it isnt fair for us the customer to complain in that we dont know the logistics of distribution and what all is involved in it. I guess its easy for ~500 of us to inaccurately or artificially inflate the desire for his beer if Shelton imports it and then has issues selling it?

From my own perspective, in the last decade I have NEVER seen something other than Noel, Saison or Printemps/Pissenlit on a shelf in PA. And when I do, the price is significantly higher than if id just order it online.

Whether it is true or not, I was told PA isnt licensed/registered to get anything other than those. Maybe thats the case innother states? Sooo who makes that decision and who is suppose to pay that fee for us to get new brews? Can I pay it? Can a bar/bottleshop pay it to increase their selection? Or are we as customers being punished for living in a state with ****** beer laws?

Dany said this has been an issue for quite sometime. Id love to see something change which will allow him more creativity to try new things and not get stuck with beer and nowhere to go with it when so many of us would love the opportunity to buy it.

We get a little bit more variety than that in Chicago, and it does move, but typically not the collaborations. Though if the collaborations are on another label maybe that is why? I always grab new Tomes when I see them.

 

[beeraroundtown1]

Yah, I’ve got some insight as I know our local Shelton rep. Honestly it’s consumer demand, very few people are buying imports in general, except Cantillon . I think the online vocal demand for Fantome exceeds the actual demand. I know Dany is frustrated, I’ve talked with him about it before, but if Shelton were selling more, then they would be taking more. Here in Portland they don’t seem to be moving well, there are kegs and cases backing up.

With so many people buying local, and in general the overall quality of beer improving, and variety expanding in the saison “style”, people are less willing to shell out. I still think his beers are excellent, but others aren’t so into the randomness and mystique. I have friends that don’t buy them as they have no idea what they will get, even if I tell them it’s good... and I get it. I’m like that with other brands.

Sorry, typed this on my phone half asleep

 

[beeraroundtown1]

Also, retailers do him no favors, the beers consistently sit out on shelves in the sun and get light struck. So most people’s first Fantome experiences are off. All the cooler space goes to local stuff.

 

[ncaudle]

Yah, I’ve got some insight as I know our local Shelton rep. Honestly it’s consumer demand, very few people are buying imports in general, except Cantillon . I think the online vocal demand for Fantome exceeds the actual demand. I know Dany is frustrated, I’ve talked with him about it before, but if Shelton were selling more, then they would be taking more.

and yet I routinely talk to Distributors who when they ask Shelton about Fantome availability they are constantly told there is none, or get no response at all. Virginia hasn't seen any Fantome in a couple years and even then it was only the super sporadic Noel and Hiver. I wish we got classic Saison....

 

[lb304854]

Yah, I’ve got some insight as I know our local Shelton rep. Honestly it’s consumer demand, very few people are buying imports in general, except Cantillon . I think the online vocal demand for Fantome exceeds the actual demand. I know Dany is frustrated, I’ve talked with him about it before, but if Shelton were selling more, then they would be taking more. Here in Portland they don’t seem to be moving well, there are kegs and cases backing up.

With so many people buying local, and in general the overall quality of beer improving, and variety expanding in the saison “style”, people are less willing to shell out. I still think his beers are excellent, but others aren’t so into the randomness and mystique. I have friends that don’t buy them as they have no idea what they will get, even if I tell them it’s good... and I get it. I’m like that with other brands.

Sorry, typed this on my phone half asleep

Kegs backing up? I've never even seen a Fantome keg in Chicagoland.

 

[MooseLang]

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have posted that Shelton Bros gargle balls. May have had something to do with the post deletion.


They do gargle balls though.

 

[beeraroundtown1]

Kegs backing up? I've never even seen a Fantome keg in Chicagoland.

Who is your local Shelton distributor? Get in touch with them and have them request it from Shelton HQ. I think they need to bring in a pallet at a time, but I assume it’s available.

 

[beeraroundtown1]

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have posted that Shelton Bros gargle balls. May have had something to do with the post deletion.


They do gargle balls though.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my frustrations with them. Portland was a big beer market for imports in the early 2000s, and once the craft beer scene exploded in 2010 or so all of our Fantomes disappeared from the shelves while the East Coast still got them. Essentially, they were just serving the close markets. No love for the long time supporters.

Now it just seems like, if you have a good local Shelton rep you can get Fantome, if you’re a market with a rep that isn’t in the know on Sheltons procedures, you don’t see much on shelves.

 

[sherm10161]

Virginia hasn't seen any Fantome in a couple years

Wisconsin neither (other than some Hiver that's been hanging around the warehouse since ca. 2012). I've had PM's with danyP about it here, but Beechwood (L. Knife and Sons subsidiary) is our local Shelton distributor. I suspect the parent company has control about which markets get specific imported / limited beers. Milwaukee hasn't seen Fantome (fresh), Cantillon, or 3 Fonteinen in probably 6 years, save for maybe a few cases that go to on-premises accounts and/or get held buy retailers for the private events. I'm fairly certain it's because the other imported stuff doesn't sell well here due to a strong macro presence and dominant craft players like New Glarus (#16 on the Brewers Association Top 50 craft breweries, and they only sell in Wisconsin).

 

[FTowne1]

Who is your local Shelton distributor? Get in touch with them and have them request it from Shelton HQ. I think they need to bring in a pallet at a time, but I assume it’s available.

Can I order a pallet of Fantome kegs? For personal use?!

 

[stakem1]

Can I order a pallet of Fantome kegs? For personal use?!

No joke.

I tried....

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Yah, I’ve got some insight as I know our local Shelton rep. Honestly it’s consumer demand, very few people are buying imports in general, except Cantillon...Here in Portland they don’t seem to be moving well, there are kegs and cases backing up.

You can't use Portland as a stand-in for the rest of the US. Yours is one of the most price-sensitive beer markets in the country, except for maybe WI? They don't want non-rare imports, and they don't want anything more expensive than a $5 pint.

...is Jon on TB? Can't remember.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Who is your local Shelton distributor? Get in touch with them and have them request it from Shelton HQ. I think they need to bring in a pallet at a time, but I assume it’s available.

Bless your heart. I'm sharing this in the Chicago Group thread.