Noble Rot | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Brewed by:
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Delaware, United States
dogfish.com
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
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.
Added by paulozanello on 02-20-2011
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 1,576 | Reviews: 338
Reviews by AWB3:
4.25/5 rDev +7.9%
AWB3, May 28, 2014
More User Reviews:
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dogfish Head Noble Rot Saison style beer 9% as stated on the bottle. Poured from 25.4oz bottle into a pint glass.
A- Crystal clear yellow fluid with a huge one and a half inch white head that falls slowly to a quarter inch of frothy head leaving the thickest patchy lacing i've ever seen on a Farmhouse beer.
S- Sweet white grapes with a little yeasty funk come to mind upfront. Dusty cellar lemon and grape musk is noted with citrus like rot scent as well.
T-M- Taste is one of a kind with a bite of unripe white grapes straight off the vine flavor and a musky over rippend rotten grape finish... nice mixture of Saison flavor. First off the taste is some what wine like with slight yeasty undertones to make it beer. Funky after taste of very overdone yeast almost makes its flavor a over fermented apple cider.
Mouthfeel is a watery medium carbonated sweet juice like fluid with a lingering musky film on the palate.
O- Looks like its a joke but one sip will leave you wanting more. For the style i'm not sure its there with the Farmhouse but its a sweeter version... OK in my book.
1,089 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dogfish Head Noble Rot Saison style beer 9% as stated on the bottle. Poured from 25.4oz bottle into a pint glass.
A- Crystal clear yellow fluid with a huge one and a half inch white head that falls slowly to a quarter inch of frothy head leaving the thickest patchy lacing i've ever seen on a Farmhouse beer.
S- Sweet white grapes with a little yeasty funk come to mind upfront. Dusty cellar lemon and grape musk is noted with citrus like rot scent as well.
T-M- Taste is one of a kind with a bite of unripe white grapes straight off the vine flavor and a musky over rippend rotten grape finish... nice mixture of Saison flavor. First off the taste is some what wine like with slight yeasty undertones to make it beer. Funky after taste of very overdone yeast almost makes its flavor a over fermented apple cider.
Mouthfeel is a watery medium carbonated sweet juice like fluid with a lingering musky film on the palate.
O- Looks like its a joke but one sip will leave you wanting more. For the style i'm not sure its there with the Farmhouse but its a sweeter version... OK in my book.
1,089 characters
4/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #62 (Mar 2012):
LOOK: Very pale, bright, clear, Pils-like, active, big frothy white foam head
SMELL: Vinous, Pinot Gris, cheese, fruity, musty
TASTE: Light, vinous, concentrated white grape juice, fruity, slightly acidic, dry, spicy, cheesy, musty, tannic
This Saison (of sorts) was brewed with botrytis (noble rot) infected juice from Viognier grapes and Pinot Gris must, which was intensified by “dropping fruit” (cropping the grapes). It’s then balanced with Pilsner and wheat malts, and finished with a Belgian yeast strain. Although its wine-like flavors dominate, Noble Rot tastes just as interesting as it sounds; demanding a “must” try for adventurous palates.
715 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #62 (Mar 2012):
LOOK: Very pale, bright, clear, Pils-like, active, big frothy white foam head
SMELL: Vinous, Pinot Gris, cheese, fruity, musty
TASTE: Light, vinous, concentrated white grape juice, fruity, slightly acidic, dry, spicy, cheesy, musty, tannic
This Saison (of sorts) was brewed with botrytis (noble rot) infected juice from Viognier grapes and Pinot Gris must, which was intensified by “dropping fruit” (cropping the grapes). It’s then balanced with Pilsner and wheat malts, and finished with a Belgian yeast strain. Although its wine-like flavors dominate, Noble Rot tastes just as interesting as it sounds; demanding a “must” try for adventurous palates.
715 characters
4.2/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours clear yellow/golden brown with almost two fingers of creamy white head. Head has good retention. Pretty nice lacing.
S - Light earthy musty funk, pils malt and white wine. also some grain in the aroma. Somewhat mild, but nice.
T - The grape component of this is quite prominent. Taste includes some grape juice flavors, as well as white wine flavors. Has a pleasant tartness to it, especially near the finish. Also a nice funk presence, not overly heavy, but present throughout and more prominent on the finish.
M - Medium mouthfeel has a nice acidity, with a dry earthy finish.
O - In some ways, this is one of my favorites from DFH. Definitely not a traditional saison, but a nice twist on the style.
716 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours clear yellow/golden brown with almost two fingers of creamy white head. Head has good retention. Pretty nice lacing.
S - Light earthy musty funk, pils malt and white wine. also some grain in the aroma. Somewhat mild, but nice.
T - The grape component of this is quite prominent. Taste includes some grape juice flavors, as well as white wine flavors. Has a pleasant tartness to it, especially near the finish. Also a nice funk presence, not overly heavy, but present throughout and more prominent on the finish.
M - Medium mouthfeel has a nice acidity, with a dry earthy finish.
O - In some ways, this is one of my favorites from DFH. Definitely not a traditional saison, but a nice twist on the style.
716 characters
4.32/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the Birdsall House, in Peekskill, NY. At least a few months ago and reviewed from notes.
Pours near clear, light and yellowish. Also a near white delicate head, that leaves dense sheeting and ample fine lace.
Fruity wine like nose, grapey, dry and acidic.
This is a bittingly dry and at the same time quite fruity and flavorful creation. Wine like, crisp, complex and yummy in general. Nice job here by DFH
419 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the Birdsall House, in Peekskill, NY. At least a few months ago and reviewed from notes.
Pours near clear, light and yellowish. Also a near white delicate head, that leaves dense sheeting and ample fine lace.
Fruity wine like nose, grapey, dry and acidic.
This is a bittingly dry and at the same time quite fruity and flavorful creation. Wine like, crisp, complex and yummy in general. Nice job here by DFH
419 characters
4.01/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Noble Rot from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
3.94
out of 5
based on 1,576 ratings.