Noble Rot - Dogfish Head Brewery

neobob187

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml into a DFH Snifter.

A: Very pale golden color. The lacing on the glass is great though. Retains a nice white foamy head. The carbonation is really noticeable when you hold it up to the light. Great beads of bubbles from the bottom of the glass, all the way to the top that don't let up.

S: The smell isn't very crazy. I get a slight musty pinot nose. But it's very subtle. Maybe a bit of lemon too.

T: This is where the beer is standing apart for me. It has a really nice pinot grigio flavor. It starts a little tart and lemony but ends with a rather sweet and dry finish. Reminds me of a champagne or possibly a dry cider.

M: Nice carbonation but not crazy for a saison. A light body, very easy to drink. The 9% doesn't really overtake this beer. It's well balanced.

O: Overall I really like this new offering. The PJ Faithful Ale and the new Tweason'ale aren't really my bag. But this beer I personally really enjoyed. I feel like it'd be a great beer to pair with cheeses or meats, especially with the significant amount of vinous wine flavors present.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:08:25 | More by neobob187

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out with a very beautiful clarity to it. The beer was clear yellow in color with a fizzy white head on top. The smell of the beer has a little bit of funk on the nose but remains pretty soft. The taste of the beer bites the sides of the tongue. It's got an interesting amount of sourness to it but it's not strong enough to make you pucker up. It tastes more along the lines of a white wine. The mouthfeel is light, with moderate carbonation. Overall it was an enjoyable Saision.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 18:14:21 | More by Knapp85

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A snifter at Al's.

A: The lightest, clearest, stillest saison on record. A light yellow, watered down apple juice (or maybe white grape juice would be more appropriate) hue that is devoid of carbonation. Really, it just sits there like a newborn baby, unable to move itself.

S: The first sniff delivers a very white grape aroma, juicy with a fleeting sweetness. General mustiness, thank you yeast, also leaves an imprint (especially near the finish). The grapes and their wine-like zest are the driving force, leading the ale somewhere unusual.

T: The saison base, perhaps just a catch-all for this Belgian-styled creation, is lost behind the vinous character. Sweet white grapes, juicy with an edge, lead into the Belgian yeast finish. At the end, mustiness wins out with a soft funk (I hesitate to use the work funk here, it's not a sour). The body is very light, nicely carrying the grape flavors. Interesting.

M: The mouthfeel has plenty of sweet white grapes without the dryness that comes with the wine - a sweet-bodied ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 20:50:24 | More by akorsak

Proteus93

Virginia

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

I always enjoy Sam's experiments, even if the beer isn't one of my favourite things.

A: Pale blonde topped with more head than I might have expected. Maybe it's the connection with wine, but I didn't really give the head much consideration. It recedes fairly quickly, but since it was poured into a Delerium Tremens snifter with a nucleation point, the bubbles continue to rise and leave a light mist over the top of the beer.

S: Musty, vinous, with a little bit of a yeast 'funk.' It all works fairly well together, and quite delicately. I can certainly appreciate the nose on this... it's one of the more unique scents from a beer that I have experienced.

T + M: The flavor is very vinous... pinot gris really stands out, but quite sweet--as far as wines go, that is. It's certainly not cloying. A little hint of citrus, and a little bit of barnyard-like yeastiness adding some interesting characters. All the while, the beer is quite dry with a sparkling body, somewhat reminiscent of champagne.

D: I found this to be one of the more fascinating brews I've experienced, and one of the better experiments from DFH. I certainly plan on picking up more to experience it again. While I am certainly no wine connoisseur, I do know that much of what is acceptable (and even encouraged) in beer can ruin a wine. This rather significant difference between the two makes this an unlikely marriage, and I'm pleased to see that the potential negative could be avoided to create an intriguing hybrid of the two... now if it could be done with a red varietal,!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 05:11:47 | More by Proteus93

bbeane

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a snifter... looks almost like white wine with a fizzy white head that appears and disappears quickly. Little activity

S- Has an interesting aroma. Sweet smelling like that of a white wine with some light notes of yeast. Almost smells more like a cider

T- Starts a bit tart, eventually turning more sweet. You can definitely taste the attributes of the grapes. Again, very reminiscent of a cider

M- Light body with light carbonation

O- Nice easy to drink beer with an interesting taste profile. Probably not something I would ever spend the money on for a whole bottle of again, though I could definitely see myself springing for a draft should I come across it

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 16:56:42 | More by bbeane

wesbrownyeah

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dogfish Head Noble Rot Saison style beer 9% as stated on the bottle. Poured from 25.4oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- Crystal clear yellow fluid with a huge one and a half inch white head that falls slowly to a quarter inch of frothy head leaving the thickest patchy lacing i've ever seen on a Farmhouse beer.

S- Sweet white grapes with a little yeasty funk come to mind upfront. Dusty cellar lemon and grape musk is noted with citrus like rot scent as well.

T-M- Taste is one of a kind with a bite of unripe white grapes straight off the vine flavor and a musky over rippend rotten grape finish... nice mixture of Saison flavor. First off the taste is some what wine like with slight yeasty undertones to make it beer. Funky after taste of very overdone yeast almost makes its flavor a over fermented apple cider.
Mouthfeel is a watery medium carbonated sweet juice like fluid with a lingering musky film on the palate.

O- Looks like its a joke but one sip will leave you wanting more. For the style i'm not sure its there with the Farmhouse but its a sweeter version... OK in my book.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:14:32 | More by wesbrownyeah

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

WorldWideStout

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A transparent, yellow body with a golden hue and a small amount of bone-white head that dissipates fairly quickly.

S: A lot of tartness and green grapes. No aromas from yeast.

T: Also features lots of somewhat sour grapes. A bit of grapefruit and lemon are present as well. There is a bit of sweetness in the middle, but the end and aftertaste are decidedly bitter. This is not as sweet as Midas Touch or Chateau Jiahu.

M: Carbonation starts out at a medium level, and around halfway through drops down to a fairly low amount. Rather low levels for a saison.

O: This tasted like a mix between Midas Touch and champagne, which is not surprising, considering it is 49% wine. I thought the taste could have been more complex, especially as there were no detectable flavors from the yeast, and the carbonation was a bit low for the style. Having a sweet tooth, I did not enjoy this as much as the two other ancient Dogfish beers which use grapes, but if you have always yearned for a more tart Midas Touch, then you'll probably like Noble Rot a lot. A beer worth trying, and certainly more successful than most of DFH's newly bottled brews.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 20:15:10 | More by WorldWideStout

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

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

I had this on draft at Dogfish Head in Rehoboth, DE. It came in a snifter.
Appearance: The head is a white color, with small sized bubbles, no lacing, and no retention. The body is a bright golden straw color.
Smell: The aromas are yeasty, tart, and wine.
Taste: The flavors are tart, berry, and yeasty.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is crisp with a dry finish.
Drinkability: This beer is darn good.
Don't drink and review.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 20:11:02 | More by treehugger02010

Spider889

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this at the brewpub about a month ago now.

Served crystal clear with no head on it. The beer is a pale chardonnay color.

Smells a bit like a funky saison. Yeast brings both fruity and spicy esters. Mild horse blanket type of stuff and some grassy aromas underwrite the mildly sweet white grapes.

Actually, I just noticed that this is listed as a saison... not sure that this was ever mentioned at the brewery itself. Makes sense though.

The taste is certainly made up of wine grapes. Mild sweetness, but tartness is much more prominent. I was thinking of a really dry Riesling - a style that is bound to carry a certain degree of sweetness over others, but with the dry complexity that ensures the grapes are showcased for what they are - never masked by extreme sweetness or unfermented sugars. This beer was never proclaimed as a sour or wild ale, and I knew that ultimately that is not what this beer was going to be about. However, I was still disappointed that this beer wasn't more sour or tart than it was. There's lots of clean lighter malts underlying it all along with a lasting bitterness.

The mouthfeel is bitter and dry. Is this beer dry-hopped? The hops seem to grow in prominence with each sip. The carbonation is low, but very tight and fine.

Overall I did like this; a very interesting brew. However, I would appreciate the brewers taking this idea even further and make the beer more extreme. As a saison, it loses much semblance for the style beyond the aroma.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 07:41:23 | More by Spider889

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a fairly-clear golden color with a nice white head that sticks around before falling and leaving a good amount of lacing. The nose brings forward some nice saison yeast along with white wine and grapes. Also there is a bit of light citrus character. The flavor melds spice and white-wine character fairly well, adding in a bit of acidity. The mouthfeel is fairly light and has a lightly-acidic finish that is nice and dry. Experimental for sure, but certainly well made.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 11:12:48 | More by Thorpe429

THECPJ

Delaware

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

Reviewed from notes had on draft at the DFH Brewpub:

appearance: golden yellow with a 1 finger white head

smell: sweet, sour, grapes, spices

taste: grapes, sweet, spices

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: very interesting beer. such a smooth drinkable beer. amazing that it's abv is 8.3%

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2011 15:53:59 | More by THECPJ

mdaschaf

Washington

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

Review from notes:

A: Served in a goblet, the beer was a golden/yellow with a small, white head that left spotty lacing down the sides.

S: Definite grape sweetness as well as some Belgian spices. There is a slight tartness and some light citrus.

T: The grape flavor returns in a big way, but its not over the top like other DFH beers (Raison Detre). These grapes are more green than red, but gives a nice flavor and imparts a crispness. Some light spice, but not has heavy as others in the style.

Medium bodied with prickly carbonation. Crisp with a slightly dry finish.

O: An interesting twist on a saison, lighter on the Belgian spices and heavier on grapes. Deceptively high in ABV as well, drinks very easy.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 20:01:41 | More by mdaschaf

Gavage

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: light golden yellow in color with a wispy white surface covering.

Smell: wine grapes and some earthiness is very pleasant on the nose.

Taste: mildly fruity as pinot gris grapes are very noticeable, along with a hint of lemon, and some earthiness. Bitterness is mild and alcohol is slightly noticable.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp from the start, crisp and dry at the finish. Aftertaste is long as the grape flavors linger softly on the tongue.

Overall: this was a very interesting take on a saison that has wine-like qualities. Enjoyable slow drinking beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2011 11:26:23 | More by Gavage

jmfc8237

Delaware

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

Had at the pub in Rehoboth. Poured a hazy straw color with nearly no head retention which looks alot like a glass of wine in my snifter. The aromas are very intense ranging from malty to phenolic and spicy,sweet. No lacing but good carbonation which I'm sure is due to the wine grape additions. The saison yeast is awesome and has a lovely spice character that balances out the maltiness. Sweetness hits the back of your palate and lingers. Tart fruit and some citrus are very present as it warms up a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2011 16:34:27 | More by jmfc8237

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I had this on tap at the brewpub on 4/30/2011.

Served in a snifter glass it was a hazy golden color with a creamy off-white head. The retention was poor but that might have been from a dirty glass, and it didn't leave much lacing behind at all.

The aroma was stunning. It was bright and full, and fruity and sweet and somewhat tart. It's made with Botrytis- infected Viognier and Pinot Gris grapes, and I could really smell the Viognier.

In the mouth it was medium bodied with a smooth, fine-bubbled median carbonation that gave a gentle caress to the tongue. The slight tartness accentuated that a bit, leaving you with a gentle zest.

The flavor was very much as the aroma suggested it would be, but fuller and richer. It was sweetish with a somewhat tart zing and some slight funk within a golden and lightly-bready "Pilsen" malt base. It was mineralish, like crushed granite dust; and along with a bit of grassiness, a mild underlying bitterness, and a spritz of alcohol it balanced the very grape-like fruitiness nicely. It finished with a note of sweet fruit, funk and tart dryness (like wet-straw and chalk-dust), leaving behind a mild astringency.

Overall it was unique, refreshing, and interesting. Well worth seeking out!!!

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2011 13:59:41 | More by NeroFiddled

tbrown4

Maryland

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

Had this on tap at the Rehoboth brew pub. Draft -> Snifter

A - Cloudy bright orange, little to no head or lacing.

S - Slight sour citrus, hints of grape

T - Huge bright flavors up front that include the pinot gris grapes, some spice and a hint of sour funk. Tastes very much like wine. The beer settles in exactly as it arrived, bold crisp and sweet. It finishes clean and sour.

M - Thing to medium thin

O - I'm very glad that this was a snifter pour. Not counting the relatively high abv, it has a big smack to the palate of flavor. It's very good in my opinion as it blends the good qualities of a saison with a pinot gris wine.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2011 10:15:35 | More by tbrown4

nukem5

Pennsylvania

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

A: Great golden color with a nice head which dissapates rapidly.

S: Sweet and fruity with a little hop fruity background.

T: The taste is that of a sweet dry pinot gris with a farmhouse saison mixed in.

M: Medium bodied and well balanced with a good amount of carbonation.

O: Great taste and very drinkable even with the higher ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2011 01:43:20 | More by nukem5

jester5120

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Served from the tap into a brandy snifter.

A- light golden color with a cloudy haze.

S- strong sweet citrusy smell. smelled like a cross between a pale ale and a white wine.

T- sour flavor similar to a lambic. sweet wine like taste with very little hop presence.

M- average medium bodied beer

O- great take on a saison style beer. a hazy golden beer with sweet citrusy smell. Had a very unique sour flavor that had hints of white wine and lemongrass.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 17:18:20 | More by jester5120

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

quine

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub, poured into a snifter.

A: Poured a hazy golden yellow with a decent white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Not much lacing here.

S: A fair amount of malts and grapiness in the aroma, along with some hops as well. Quite enticing.

T: A lot of sweet malts up front, followed by a taste of grapes, reminiscent of white wine. Citrusy and surprisingly tart, but not unpleasantly so. Finishes with a slight hop bitterness.

M: Fairly high in carbonation and a little tangy, this is not a particularly smooth beer. Finishes somewhat dry.

D: This brew was well balanced, especially given the flavors involved. The tartness of the grape flavors complemented the sweetness of the malts nicely, and the hoppy bitterness also added depth. Although there was a slight alcoholic bite, ABV was well hidden.

An interesting offering from the Dogfish brewpub. Unusual for the style, but definitely worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 13:50:53 | More by quine

paulozanello

Brazil

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

Here is the DFH description for this beer: "A sort of Saison, fermented with Botrytis-infected Viognier and Pinot Gris grapes. This beer is brewed with Pils malt, organic Hard Red Winter Wheat malt, Warrior hops, Willamette hops, Liberty hops, Saison yeast and Botrytis wine must"

It pours a pale and hazy light yellow color with a faint white head and not much retention on the glass.

Aroma is lemon tartness, grapes and spicy/earthy hops.

Taste begins with a mild grain/bready kick followed by lots of tart green grape notes as well as some orange and lemon citrus. Light spicy bitter finish, either due to spices, yeast and/or aromatic hops.

Mildly sour and astringet mouthfeel. Body is medium to low with high carbonation.

Very interesting beer with lots of grape presence and some sourness to it. Since the Saison style is so diverse I guess this would fit right in.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 20:45:27 | More by paulozanello