Noble Rot - Dogfish Head Brewery

mactrail

California

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Quite attractive with a clear lemon color and a fine-grained foam. Interesting winey fragrance full of flowers, wine barrels, and fresh grapes.

Quite sharp, with a flavor more like an acidic young white wine than a beer, but I like it. Tastes like a Saison, but with that grapey flavor. Nice yeasty flavors but not as dry as many beers using the Belgian yeast. Tangy and bright. Malt I don't taste much of.

From the 750 ml bottle bought at Liticker's Liquor & Deli in San Diego. I don't want to say how much, but I won't be buying another for that price. Still, it's an adventure in flavor, and much easier drinking than most of Dogfish Head's experiments.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 04:28:08 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Comes out of the bottle a clear, slightly wan solar yellow with a thick, fluffy white head. OK, so I prefer dark beers - I'll cut this some slack since it's a saison and not a porter. The head does leave some generous lacing - that's a half point right there. Aroma is robust and fruity, mainly apple and grape with a hint of banana and just a whisper of citrus, as well as a yeasty and slightly earthy undertone. Flavor fills the mouth with lip-puckering sour apple and yeast, plus subtle grape, malt and butterscotch notes. Texture is firm-bodied, edgy and lively, sour all the way down to the tummy. Though this is technically a saison, I recommend it to all lovers of sour beers - if sour is your, ahem, cup of tea, you should enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:37:44 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dogfish Head
Noble Rot

A hybrid ale brewed with grapes. Pours a bright, clear golden color. Aroma of sweet cider, phenolic yeast and a touch of malt. In the taste, some vinous qualities with lemon, citrus rind, mild Belgian ale yeast and faint hop. Gets progressively sour, which was the highlight of this brew. Almost as if aged in an old bretty barrel, there's a nice tang to this one. Strong comparisons to wine brew are well founded. Light to medium bodied, crisp, yet slightly syrupy. Overall, I like this ale alot, the sour component made it really work well.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 04:52:22 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A very vinous smell, dominated by the grape element, with some malt as well.

T: Like the aroma, the taste was predominantly a grape one. It was like wine, with a malty finish, and a hint of grain thrown in for good measure. An unusual flavor that's oddly likeable.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Certainly not like any saison I've had before - not sure I'd even categorize it as such. Nonetheless, it's an oddly drinkable, easy to like beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 14:28:13 | More by avalon07

gford217

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours very light - a clear pale yellow with a big creamy white head that leaves some thick lacing and continues to be fed by a stream of bubbles in the middle.

Aroma is dominated by the grapes with some sweet sugary notes mixed in. The pale pilsner malts are evident but subtle.

Taste is tart up front, much more tart than the aroma would suggest. The sweetness comes out more after the initial grape tartness but it's swept away again in the finish, which is extremely similar to a white wine - dry with some boozy burn.

The mouthfeel is lively with strong carbonation and has a lot of similarities to a white wine.

I have to admit that the last couple of specialty brews from DFH have been disappointing so I've started to lower my expectations. However, this one surprised me on the positive side. Very good and very unique.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 04:01:59 | More by gford217

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
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.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:32:02 | More by scruffwhor

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Shady McGrady's-served chilled in a snifter.

A very pale golden color with great clarity and thick fluffy white cap with tiny bead lace sticks well. The smell is very vinous up front with light tinge of tart white grape and subtle spicy yeast odor, mild hints of tropical fruit with a gentle grainy accent, but mostly pear and light apple odor. The feel is good with tangy fruit and spice from the yeast with an overall dry body with mild alcohol and slight creaminess in the middle.

This saison is dominated by the grape must used in the beer which gives a lot of tangy white grape flavor yet it is spicy too which could be the yeast or the fruit, mild sweetness from the grape which seems to blend well with the light sweetness of the malt which also has a slight toasty and wheat flavor. The mild acidity is nice which contrasts with the malt and there is a nice amount of alcohol to add complexity but not very apparent in the taste until midway into the glass. Overall I was very excited to try this and it lived up to my expectations. This is the most wine-like beer/wine hybrid I have ever tasted a very interesting and flavorful beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2012 14:59:38 | More by Slatetank

kylehay2004

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Frothy three finger head with excellent retention and nice lacing on a clear straw with light gold hues body. Very crisp aroma with strong fruity ester presence mostly lemon and Belgian spice. Flavor is more on the sour side than sweet. More lemon mostly with an herbal note to the finish. Light to medium body and high carbonation with a moister finish than many other sailings out there. Overall a nice offering from dogfish. Little too sour for my tastes when it comes to saisons.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 13:05:01 | More by kylehay2004

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

another white wine style offering from dogfish. this one pours as average as can be, with a mildly hazy pale look and a modest white head. smells like tannins and cologne. flavor is musty and grapey, like an old starburst soaked in chardonnay. had a sour characteristic, but it isnt brett. hard to place this one. feel is nice, good bubbles and a drinkable body. overall a unique creation bordering on not beer, like a lot of DFH brews. i support the creativity here though, keep em coming doods...

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 07:38:24 | More by StonedTrippin

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just had to. I've passed on some of DFH's more "normal" beers of late (another RIS? nah. DIPA? nah), but this sounded just too damn intriguing to pass up.

A brilliantly clear light yellow with a dense, white head with excellent retention and gorgeous lacing, this is a pretty stunning beer. The nose is pretty intensely vinous. Yes, there's a lot of white grape character, along with fruity white wine, but there's also a mildly musty, earthy character to it, and it doesn't appear to be from the yeast. A little herbal and a little minty. Pale base malt lends a moderately cracker-like backbone here, but this really is dominated by the grape and grape must.

The palate is pretty vinous, rather incredibly so. I'd be lying if I said bum wine didn't cross my mind, but there's more to it than a moderately fruity white wine. Yes, it's sweet, but it's musty, musky, mildly acidic (ripe lemons), and quite fruity (melons, grapes) as well as a moderate tannic character. Grape skins dominate the mid-palate. A touch spicy, though I'd be hard pressed to positively identify the yeast as a saison strain, it's almost tripel-like. A touch phenolic and fusel-y on the finish, this beer finishes a little sweet with some alcohol noticeable. Mildly funky but not really sour. Highly carbonated, this is one beer where that actually works. Yes, this beer has flaws, but it is a joy, both to drink and to deconstruct. I don't know what the botrytis has added her, but it does make me want to go out an buy a bottle of a beerenauslese.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 03:43:03 | More by DefenCorps

smakawhat

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Lots of fizzy sounding noise, simple white head makes about a finger. It doesn't last very long, but a collar seems to remain while drinking throughout. Body color is super crystal clear, gold, very lager in appearance, some rising carbonation in the middle but just a little.

Bouquet come like a standard Belgian Ale, but some sweet cream with some vinous action, sweet fruit, not tart, little bit of bread. Fairly nice but very light.

Taste brings extremely wine forward sensations. Classic dry white table wine, malt hitting in the aftertaste quite nicely, dry almost ripping. Interesting. Gets into champagne/sparkling wine territory, slightly flattened though, which is not a bad thing for this (this is beer after all). Carbonation high but nothing overboard.

Overall lemon and grape in the palate, and a real interesting take that matches for a beer. I would love to give this to my wine friends. This would be great for a wine person (not unlike myself). Botrytis and classic dessert wines this is not, but a good marriage of wine and beer nonetheless, I am not sure why they used Vigonier but no complaints. This is also a bit of a style blur, it probably deserves its own category.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 00:04:53 | More by smakawhat

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into tulip 18/10/12, cheers liamt07 for sending the bottle

A clear yellow liquid with just a few tiny bubbles feeding a thin cap of white head that sits for a few sips leaving a single partial ring

S smells of apple juice then a bubblegum forward saison yeast takes over, a little pear and vinous notes, sorta smells of oxidized white wine

T not quite funky but earthy notes and vinous aspects sneak around the heavy blast of apple juice, a little sweetness but I was expecting a very sweet beer from the name, interesting idea and attempt but not overly impressive

m not overly thick but a little fluffy from the bubbles, just some faint heat but at 9% I'd expect much more

O reminds me more of a cider then anything, vinous notes and a nice farmhouse is trying to shine through but its not that bright, its a decent beverage and an interesting concept but not really rocking my world

I'll hand it to Dogfish Head they try new things and take chances, this is far from a bad brew but perhaps I'm just not in the mood for a cidery, vinous style beer, props for hiding 9% though this one has some well concealed liquor

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 05:35:24 | More by wordemupg

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a clear light gold color with about an inch off-white head that sticks around for a little while. There's also a good amount of lacing. The brew smells like green grapes, yeast, apples, white wine, and some grain/bready malt. I think the taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also some tart fruity flavors noticeable too. The flavors are more wine-like than beer-like (however I'm not exactly a wine person), but in this case it works for me. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it has moderate carbonation and it's easy enough to drink. I think this is a good brew, I'd buy it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:32:05 | More by bluejacket74

dgilks

Australia

3.64/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Clearish pale straw cour with no real head. No lacing.

Davison through and through. Lots of clove and wheat. Touches of tartness. Very nice.

Tart and light. Wheat and clove dominate but there is some grape. Interesting butt dull for my tastes.

Medium light body with moderately high carbonation. Good.

Not bad. It seems a little insipid at times but could be much worse.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2013 05:40:22 | More by dgilks

Brent

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Okay, I'm sucker for inventive (a/k/a wacky) beer experiments, but this one really works. Great dry character - amazing drinkability for the abv. Up front a typical saison funkyness, but close behind is a reserved but distinctive apple cider vinegar note that harmonizes with the beer in a way that I found surprising. Finish was clean with a lingering touch of vinegar acidity. Quite an interesting experience.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 15:01:55 | More by Brent

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.66/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent beer! Poured at a good temperature with fizzy, small, off-white head that quickly settled and a bit of lace. Color is a clear, light yellow with plenty of racing bubble trails. Aroma is yeast, grapes, and beer. Flavor is absolutely outstanding! This is the best grape beer I've ever had!! The grapes add a bit of sweetness but that is perfectly balanced by the fresh tart style of the beer and robust carbonation along with the yeast bitterness and of course, hop. Body is bang on perfect; ditto carbonation. Finish is like flavor, quite long, and extremely drinkable. Wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 05:39:12 | More by drpimento

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a DFH goblet at the Brick Store. Pours a beautiful straw gold hue with a fluffy, two inch, bright white head. Clarity is translucent and the nucleation point at the bottom of the glass produces a cascade of tiny bubbles that effervesce to the undersides of the cap. Thick curtains of textured lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose expresses candi sugar and light, fruity esters - I don't get a lot of complexity here, but I think that is partially due to the coldness at which the beer was served. Taste expresses white grapes, a grassy character, some spiciness and a trace of candi sugar. There is also just a hint of wine vinegar. The effect I get here is somewhat akin to a white wine spritzer with some saison-esque qualities. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body (but closer to light), with a bright, lively carbonation and a slight acidity. Overall, I have to say that this is one of the large format DFH offerings that I really enjoyed. It is interesting and complex but definitely closer to a sparkling wine than a saison; quite a nice hybrid however. One recommendation - if you are opening a bottle, I suggest having one or two friends on standby to help. The flavors are a bit intense.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 23:12:16 | More by Jwale73

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On Tap at Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting.

The Noble Rot sports a nice golden yellowish color coming from the glass. A firm inch of off white bubbles that form like voltron. Nice stick towards the sides coating the glass. Retention is there. Smell is of the vinious/wine quality with underlining Saison traits.

The addition of whatever grapes used are bold and light rather than those purple type grapes. Wheat in the background with some earthy quality as well. This tastes fairly decent and the more sips that go down, the more I am digging this.

White wine character up front with some juice quality, some wheat mixing in with pale malt flavor with some twang on the finish. I thought this would be one of those syrup rich DFH beers but the lightness and non over sweetness bring this down to earth. While the 9% is quite high, this goes down easy like with no intrusion of the alcohol.

If this were 2 percent lighter, this would be even easier to take more gulps from quicker. Body is a sturdy medium with spritzy carb and a tart finish. Alive with flavor, Noble Rot is a nice step away from the overly extreme beers that make DFH a hit or miss brewery with me. This one is a hit, I just wish it came back in 4 packs.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 01:51:37 | More by onix1agr

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear golden-yellow with a finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of farmhouse yeast and spices with some lemon zest, grape, with a bit of wheat and grains.

T - Starts off with a mix of grains, pilsner malt, white grapes, and a bit of tart lemon. Through the middle, some Belgian yeast comes through with a bit of spice and some more tart lemon peel. The finish is a mix of tart lemon, Belgian yeast, white grapes, and a bit of light yeast.

M - Medium bodied with moderate-plus carbonation. Feels smooth with a tart and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice flavor added by the white grape, and the base saison is really nice. Good balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 06:51:00 | More by ngeunit1

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Super-clear, this pale yellow beer has an ultra-white head and light complexion. It's aroma is reminiscent of tart apples, lemon juice, and dry white wine. It has a bit of lambic-like funk in the smell, but very sublet. The initial taste is sweeter than expected. It's got a grape-juice and pale malt flavor. Grape skins, apricots, and watermelon rind. It's quite wine-like. The finish is a little dryer, with a lingering tartness. Light in body, this beer is drinkable and would go well with many cheeses.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 02:40:27 | More by Suds

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Interesting looking beer...the liquid is a very pale yellow color with total clarity...looks like any average Asian pils or something. The head is a crazy fluffy and creamy thing, very thick too, although it dwindles pretty quickly leaving a dishsoap-like scum on the surface and edges of the liquid.

Having recently gotten into white wine styles such as Chardonnay, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, this smell captivates. It's as much like a good dry Pinot Grigio as it is an earthy Belgian saison. Everything's well-behaved and balanced, revolving around the white grape personality, and plenty of earth and crisp green apple.

Feel and taste link up in the mouth, and again it's all very much like drinking a white wine, this time I'm reminded of an Italian sparkling white. It's crisp, dry, fruity (white grape, of course, also pear, tart green apple and a hint of grapefruit), earthy, some SweetTarts (somewhat sweet, very tart!), has a pils-like sulfur sort of slant, and shows just a bit of the yeast underneath it all. The 9% ABV is hardly noticed.

Wow. I've had vinous beers before, but this could totally impress a wine aficionado who might swear off beer. Definitely as much a white wine as it is a saison-style beer, for all intents and purposes. This brewery continues to impress in their gusto for trying new things. Hail!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 22:38:33 | More by Metalmonk

superspak

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 2012B. Pours almost crystal clear golden straw color with a nice 1-2 finger white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice small cap that lasts. Some very nice soapy lacing clings to the glass, with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big grape, pear, lemon, grass, herbal, bread, floral, earth, clove, and light funkiness. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good complexity. Taste of big lemon, grape, pear, apple, herbal, floral, earth, bready grain, grass, funk, and light spiciness. Light tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of grape, lemon, tart apple, earth, herbal, bread, and light spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity and balance of flavors; with a nice funky tartness in the background that compliments the flavor profile perfectly. Zero cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly slick and quite crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. No cloying sweetness at all. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an absolutely outstanding experimental saison from Dogfish Head! Incredible balance of flavors with great complexity; and extremely smooth to drink. Really loved this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:37:58 | More by superspak

oline73

Maryland

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at the brewpub in Rehoboth, served in a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a bright yellow/golden color with a layer of fluffy white head that leaves some lacing.

Smell: Belgian spice hits the nose first. I'm also picking up grape, some sweetness, and some mild booze.

Taste: There is a lot less spice in the taste than there was in the smell. I'm picking up the grape/wine flavor that gives the beer some sweetness. Overall I would say this beer is crisp with some alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Has a medium body with a super dry finish. The carbonation is mild and tingly.

Drinkability: This beer was very different from anything else I had ever tried. I liked it and it was very crisp. I would call this a wine lover's beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 16:55:29 | More by oline73

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Very slightly hazed golden wheat color. Two and a half fingers of frothy white head. Retention is at least average and a moderate amount of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Clean, lightly biscuity malts. Quite earthy and outdoorzy. Apple orchard, rotting wood, the forest in spring after a rain. Then there's the vinous grape component. Interesting addition to this type of beer and it totally works. Good, but not overly impressive despite being quite unique.

3.5 T: Whatever botrytis is, it seems to be the source of the easily apparent tanginess in this. It's like an earthy variant of lactic acid. Next the grapes present themselves. If I didn't know better I'd have thought this was some sort of champagne. (As an aside, I might try to trick a wine snob with this, if I can find one.) Anyway, apple and apple orchard funkiness, woody, earthy, vinous, and lightly musty.

4.0 M: This even feels a bit like champagne. Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation with an almost champagne-like spritziness. It works.

3.5 D: I never had Infinium, but it seems like this is what they should have been going for. Interesting as usual from DFH.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 02:18:10 | More by DavoleBomb

billab914

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Southern Tier glass. It poured a light golden yellow color with a thin white head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma shows a lot of the grapes and white wine qualities to it. I get a little spice along with some zesty citrus flavors to it as well.

The taste also has a lot of white wine characteristics to it. I get a the grapes coming out especially in the dry, crisp finish. Just a touch of the citrus and spice is noticeable. The grapes seem to dominate the flavor to the point where it's a little like a carbonated white wine.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being high. Overall it was a decent tasting beer but it was a little too close to white wine for me. The aroma had some decent beer qualities to it, but the taste was dominated by the grapes. It was a cool experiment but not something I think I'd purchase again. If I wanted a drink that tasted like white wine I think I'd just buy a good white wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 22:39:17 | More by billab914