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Noble Rot
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- From:
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- Delaware, United States
- Style:
- Saison
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 12.99%
- Reviews:
- 344
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 15, 2022
- Added:
- Feb 20, 2011
- Wants:
- 123
- Gots:
- 241
This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash.
The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.
Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.
The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.
Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by WastingFreetime:
Reviewed by WastingFreetime from Wisconsin
3.59/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Reviewed from tasting notes.
Poured out a lighter yellow color, semi-hazy, with a fast-fading head and minimal lacing.
Smells of lemons, white wine (really nice white wine BTW) and gains a tiny little garnish of funk / spice as it warms up. Very straightforward nose on this one.
Tastes a bit more sugary than I had expected from the nose. There is some residual left over in there, but the wine is definitely the dominant force over the beer characteristics in this one. White grape must transitions into a semi-dry white wine blended with a touch of Belgian yeast tones.
Sparkly carbonation and lighter body makes the texture more akin to a wine spritzer than a beer as well.
Overall, this was a worthwhile experiment IMHO, even though the beer qualities tend to get drowned out somewhat by the wine aspects.
Aug 09, 2012Poured out a lighter yellow color, semi-hazy, with a fast-fading head and minimal lacing.
Smells of lemons, white wine (really nice white wine BTW) and gains a tiny little garnish of funk / spice as it warms up. Very straightforward nose on this one.
Tastes a bit more sugary than I had expected from the nose. There is some residual left over in there, but the wine is definitely the dominant force over the beer characteristics in this one. White grape must transitions into a semi-dry white wine blended with a touch of Belgian yeast tones.
Sparkly carbonation and lighter body makes the texture more akin to a wine spritzer than a beer as well.
Overall, this was a worthwhile experiment IMHO, even though the beer qualities tend to get drowned out somewhat by the wine aspects.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.23/5 rDev -16.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.23/5 rDev -16.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottle, from Costco, Sacramento. Golden color, white head. Aroma and flavour of American hops, saison yeast and grape must - an unusual combination, more interesting than really great. Not a bad beer though.
Apr 30, 2021Reviewed by imnodoctorbut from Texas
4.25/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
"saison-esque" is certainly right.
very musty, no doubt thanks to the copious amounts of wine grapes added.
I absolutely loved the addition of Belgian yeast, which added to the already Paradigm-level of funk.
the brew was also quite spritzy and citric, layers of mellow tart upon the funk.
This was all gathered from my notes; I absolutely loved this phase of Dogfish where they went full blast with experimentation and digging up old and forgotten styles.
Jun 11, 2020very musty, no doubt thanks to the copious amounts of wine grapes added.
I absolutely loved the addition of Belgian yeast, which added to the already Paradigm-level of funk.
the brew was also quite spritzy and citric, layers of mellow tart upon the funk.
This was all gathered from my notes; I absolutely loved this phase of Dogfish where they went full blast with experimentation and digging up old and forgotten styles.
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.59/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle into a tulip. Bottled on date has worn away, but this is several years old at least.
Clear yellow body with a small white head leaving a little lacing. Decent carbonation.
A very faint light malty aroma.
Initial bitey on the tongue, this quickly fades away to reveal a slightly dry and somewhat sweet grapiness. The Saison base is merely a suggestion.
Mouth between medium and full. Finish a grapey wash.
Overall, and I freely admit to not being a big fan of grape must in beer, the grape factor dominates, and I got tired of this beer pretty quickly.
Jun 07, 2019Clear yellow body with a small white head leaving a little lacing. Decent carbonation.
A very faint light malty aroma.
Initial bitey on the tongue, this quickly fades away to reveal a slightly dry and somewhat sweet grapiness. The Saison base is merely a suggestion.
Mouth between medium and full. Finish a grapey wash.
Overall, and I freely admit to not being a big fan of grape must in beer, the grape factor dominates, and I got tired of this beer pretty quickly.
Rated by BillRoth from Maryland
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Had on tap at DFH Rehoboth Tap House
Aug 19, 2017
Noble Rot from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
1585 ratings
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