Oak-Aged Noble Rot
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
Fruit Beer - Grape Ale Rotating Out of Production|
Score
6.96
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This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from the addition of two unique white wine grapes, sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Washington.
The first addition is the must of 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 a pinot gris intensified by a process called 'dropping fruit,' where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality and distinction of those left behind.
We then aged Noble Rot in one of our oak tanks for an entire year, making for a hazy ale that has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.
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Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 18
A thin white head on a clear straw body. The nose punches with ripe, slightly sour fruit with sweet biscuit malt. A beautiful blend. An array of fresh fruit notes - green apple, grapes, peach and pear are blended nicely with honey and roasted grain. A slight funk in the yeast and a very tart sourness make this a deep but refreshing and clean ale. Superior.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Capped 750 from La Riviera. Pours light gold with a white head. Aroma of dry white grapes with an oak note. Med body or so. It's dry. It's white grape. There's some oak that's slightly musty. Something that might be botrytis fungus. Or something else. Very light breadiness in support. Indeed it is coming across as something very like a dry white wine. Interesting. Tasty. Perhaps one of DFH's better adventures.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
750 ml bottle. Clear brassy gold color. Small creamy white head. Tart, yeasty nose. Sweet, yeasty, hay-like notes. Tasty, vinous flavor with oaky notes. Complex flavors abound. Vanilla, oak, pear, apple, grapes and lime zest. Dry, tangy finish is refreshing. Some warming alcohol as well. Very nicely done.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Very good, not quite as big a revelation as normal Noble Rot but close. Still has the lovely vinous qualities of the original, but seems sweeter and a bit rougher around the edges, weird considering the BA treatment. Tasty regardless; mild saison notes of clove and grass give way to a growing wine acidity, leading to a tart, yeasty back end with tons of woodsy bitterness tempered by soft vanilla. Finishes with a flourish of viognier complexity and farmhouse mellowness. Gets better as the pint warms, bringing out more grape notes and intensifying the dryness of the oak. Not all that pretty of a beer, more fizzy and yellow than expected for a saison, but the nose is a massive dose of yeast and grape. Excellent feel, a tad boozy but fluffy enough to meet farmhouse standards. Tasty brew, likely better than it scores.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
750 ml bottle from Sparrow. Clear golden pour with a white head and strong lacing. Oak and vinous aroma. Lots of grape-like and dark fruit notes. Reminiscent of wine in a few different ways, but still clearly comes off as a beer. Light hops, yeast, and some other fruity notes. A bit of bready malt. The oak really dominates the close. Well-made beer, but not something I'm trying to drink regularly.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle, thanks to stevoj. Golden color with an ample white head. Aroma is kinda spicy, herbal, earthy, and oak. Not picking up much fruit other than the vinous kind. I guess I’m not picking up much fruit in the flavor either (fruit beer?), but it’s more like a saison aged in wine barrels… kinda like the description. There is a light vinous bit, some herbal and earthy notes, pinot, and oak.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
750ml bottle thanks to stevoj. Pours out a golden topped with a small head. Nose has lots of spice clove pepper a light apple banana and some of the oak barrel. Taste is more of the spices light fruit notes and the barrel adds just a touch.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle from brewery. I was hoping for something a bit bigger, a bit more wow. Instead, it was a little underwhelming . I actually preferred the normal version. Barrel aging isn’t as prevalent as you would think.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 12/17/2015. Pours fairly crystal clear pale golden yellow color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lemon, lime, pear, green apple, white grape, pepper, clove, oak, white wine, light vanilla, wheat, cracker, light honey, herbal, straw, grass, light musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, lime, pear, green apple, white grape, pepper, clove, oak, white wine, light vanilla, wheat, cracker, light honey, herbal, straw, grass, light musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate yeast/oak spiciness and light fruity/tannic tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon, lime, pear, green apple, white grape, pepper, clove, oak, white wine, light vanilla, wheat, cracker, light honey, herbal, straw, grass, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness from tart/spiciness as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp/acidic/tannic, and light grainy/bready balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding experimental fruited saison. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate pale malt flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle. Poured pale yellow color with a small off-white head. aroma was grape, vanilla, sweet apples. Flavor was herbal, with some light wine notes. Decent.