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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7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle @ Odense Smagning, May 2012. Pours clear yellow with a small white head. Nose is fruit and grain. Flavor is tart and warming. Grapes and white wine. Medium bodied.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 May 2012
at 04:37
8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pale golden with a big and lasting white head. On first impression a pilsner-like aroma with herbal hops, but also fruity notes and a nice mineral note. Dry and tart flavour with lots of white wine character, spicy notes, and some warming alcohol. Takes some effort to appreciate the complexity, but it’s a winner
Tried
on 01 May 2012
at 11:40
8.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Ooooooh, now this bottle is some neat shite. I complain regularly about Dogfish putting creativity before quality, but no bitchin’ to be found here. Noble Rot is a fairly amazing little concoction, layered and complex and as deadly as a ninja. Pours beautifully, and the nose reeks of pils malt and France. Tastes, uh, saisony, with a mild peppery sweetness, but the grape must does some seriously strange things to this brew. The finish is prolonged and bready and winelike and tart and absolutely frigging delicious, like a second, tasty brew tacked on to the back of a well-made, deviously potent saison. If you find a bottle, buy it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Apr 2012
at 19:53
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Sample at World Of Beer for Dogfish Head Draft Domination on 03/27/12. Pale yellow-gold color with a medium fluffy white head that dissipates slowly. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of yeast, cloves and malt. Medium body with a vinous character and flavors of Champagne yeast, spice and malt. The finish is sweet with a grape juice and hops aftertaste. Interesting, above average beer overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Mar 2012
at 07:15
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle @ Dan’s house. Transparent, light yellow appearance with a white head. White grape, a touch funky, dry, apple, pear fruity, tangy aroma. Tangy, lemon citrusy, effervescent, pear cider, white grape, acidic flavor with a tingly, lemon, pear finish. Fun brew.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Mar 2012
at 20:39
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draft at Crunchy’s, East Lansing. Clear light straw body, thick puffy off-white head. Funky, tart nose with grape, clove, and hints of bubblegum; phenolic and wheaty. Body tart, sweet and sour, dominated by complex grape and grapeskin notes with punchy alcohol and phenols, backed by biscuity wheat and a touch of clove. Unusual and enjoyable.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Mar 2012
at 14:02
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
Capped 750 from Malt & Vine. Pours gold with a 3 finger foamy/bubbly white head. Aroma is earthy/bretty. Ok, so there’s no brett, but I guess rot is rot. This is a good rotty smell. Full bodied. Flavor is vinous, musty, citrus and a whole lot of undifferentiable things. Moldy. Despite which it is somewhat like a nice spicy white wine. High end Pinot Gris. I rescind all bad thoughts I have ever had about those idiots at DFH. Uh, marvelously talented brewers at DFH. I am stunned. This could be my fav.
Tried
on 08 Mar 2012
at 18:22
6.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6
Picked this up at Hunger Mountain Co-Op in Montpelier Vermont. Poured into a standard pint glass
A - 2-Finger Head very creamy and white. The brew looks like a white wine or a pilsner. Not a lot going on, no sediment, very basic.
S - White grapes, earthy, leaves, very earthy in general. Some honey but not a lot.
T - Wheat, white grape juice, honey some wild yeast taste but not very extraordinary
M - Huge carbonation, lingering white grape and dirt taste.
O - It’s alright. Nothing too amazing. Drinks more like an overly carbonated white wine than a beer.
A - 2-Finger Head very creamy and white. The brew looks like a white wine or a pilsner. Not a lot going on, no sediment, very basic.
S - White grapes, earthy, leaves, very earthy in general. Some honey but not a lot.
T - Wheat, white grape juice, honey some wild yeast taste but not very extraordinary
M - Huge carbonation, lingering white grape and dirt taste.
O - It’s alright. Nothing too amazing. Drinks more like an overly carbonated white wine than a beer.
Tried
on 02 Mar 2012
at 17:32
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Whatever size bottle, I got that one. Poured a slightly hazy golden color, wispy white head. Aroma was tart grapes, but not too strong - just a light, green grape tartness. Flavor was about the same, very mellow, interesting brew. I expected this to be some kind of strange sugar bomb, but found it to be pretty well constructed - hidden alcohol content is a pretty nice bonus.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Feb 2012
at 23:29
6.8/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Had this at Ratebeer’s Horny Devil Pittsburgh Winter Tasting 2012. Big thanks to James for this rocking beauty! Looks like white wine. Smell is mild. First taste makes me think of dry white wine. However, there is this slight bubbling sizzle on the tongue that makes it seem more like champagne. Some detectable tartness in the background. Wew, I’m telling you, this is just like many white champagnes I’ve had in the past. Quite unique fer sure in the beer arena. Burns just a little going down the gullet. As the taste continues, I think this is better than white champagne, has its own personality that sets it apart. No detectable rudeness throughout. BIG THANKS HORNY DEVIL! I generally do not care for DFH but this stuff rocks!
Tried
on 27 Feb 2012
at 06:12