Noble Rot
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
Fruit Beer - Grape Ale Rotating Out of Production|
Score
6.98
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Hmmm. We wonder if anyone will buy a beer with the word "rot" in the name?
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.
"This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially," says Dogfish's Sam Calagione.
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.
Noble Rot first went on tap at our brewpub in February of 2011 and went into full 750ml bottle production in January 2012.
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.
"This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially," says Dogfish's Sam Calagione.
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.
Noble Rot first went on tap at our brewpub in February of 2011 and went into full 750ml bottle production in January 2012.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Slightly cloudy gold white head. Whute wine. Apples. Pretty dry finish. Draft from alewife
Tried
from Draft
on 20 May 2025
at 01:17
8/10
RB score 3.55
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Mar 2025
at 04:26
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Frothy white good mostly diminishing head. Yellow colour. Light malty and hoppy aroma. Moderate bitter flavor. Average moderate bitter finish. Oily palate.
Tried
on 27 Dec 2018
at 15:31
6.2/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ Assentoft tasting. Small head with short duration. Color is golden. Aroma and taste are fruits, hops, malt and has a sweet fruity finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Dec 2018
at 15:30
7/10
Backlog
Tried
on 10 Sep 2018
at 09:47
7/10
Backlog
Tried
on 10 Sep 2018
at 09:47
7/10
Backlog
Tried
on 10 Sep 2018
at 09:47
7/10
Backlog
Tried
on 10 Sep 2018
at 09:47
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle with a few years of aging. Goos flavor, similar to a Belgian ale. Some white wine, flowers, and a dry finish. Lightly sweet before the end. Goood.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Apr 2018
at 05:23
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
750 ml bottle shared by Sebilinz, thanks!
Light orange, clear body, with a small, frothy, off-white head.
Aroma of bread, sweet fruits, biscuit, a bit honey, slight grapes.
Tastes of grapes, other sweet fruits, bread, some honey,
Medium, a bit oily mouthfeel, with a quite lively carbonation.
Finishes bready, fruity, with graues.
Nice one, while nothing special. Quite simple, with nice grape notes and a bready malt body, but I’m missing some more diversity. Good to drink, but I’ve had better fruit beers.
Light orange, clear body, with a small, frothy, off-white head.
Aroma of bread, sweet fruits, biscuit, a bit honey, slight grapes.
Tastes of grapes, other sweet fruits, bread, some honey,
Medium, a bit oily mouthfeel, with a quite lively carbonation.
Finishes bready, fruity, with graues.
Nice one, while nothing special. Quite simple, with nice grape notes and a bready malt body, but I’m missing some more diversity. Good to drink, but I’ve had better fruit beers.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jan 2017
at 11:13