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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 scruffwhor:
Reviewed by scruffwhor from Illinois
3.94/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A clear, somewhat bubbly looking mix between a Riesling and a pilsner. Sunshine yellow and some clear-ish, grape juice colors. Pretty quick, bright white head. Looks like a sub-par saison, but we all know there's something special about this brew.
Grapey, earthy backbone aroma. There's some soft, barely toasted cracker and pilsner malt aromas. Sweet, yet a sharp tartness that makes me think a dry Riesling and a chardonnay had a baby. Different indeed.
For something almost looks like wine and smells like wine, well.... it tastes winey too. Dry and tart from start to finish. Tart white grapes meet dry pils and wheat malts. There's maybe just a touch of spicy yeast that helps cut some of the grape juice's tartness a little. Thiss taste like a tart Saison had a baby with a semi-sweet white wine. The wine carries the dominant traits in my opinion.
This has a tart, winey palate, and the carbonation of a Saison. Good sipping beer that I will buy again and share with friends and loved ones.
Apr 05, 2013Grapey, earthy backbone aroma. There's some soft, barely toasted cracker and pilsner malt aromas. Sweet, yet a sharp tartness that makes me think a dry Riesling and a chardonnay had a baby. Different indeed.
For something almost looks like wine and smells like wine, well.... it tastes winey too. Dry and tart from start to finish. Tart white grapes meet dry pils and wheat malts. There's maybe just a touch of spicy yeast that helps cut some of the grape juice's tartness a little. Thiss taste like a tart Saison had a baby with a semi-sweet white wine. The wine carries the dominant traits in my opinion.
This has a tart, winey palate, and the carbonation of a Saison. Good sipping beer that I will buy again and share with friends and loved ones.
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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