Noble Rot
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Noble RotNoble Rot
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From:
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
 
Delaware, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
9%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 12.99%
Reviews:
344
Ratings:
1,585
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 15, 2022
Added:
Feb 20, 2011
Wants:
  123
Gots:
  241
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.

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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jadjunk:
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
"We brew this unique, sorta-saison with a little help from our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars using botrytis-infected Viognier grape must. This "noble rot" magnifies its complexity and long finish." Brewed in the style of a Saison with grape must added. Available in 750 ml. bottles and on seasonal draft.

Poured from a 750 ml. bottle to a Dogfish Head signature glass. Served above 56 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a crisp, fizzy ecru white head over a pale straw amber body with ample, lively carbonation and high clarity. Retention is poor and there is no visible lacing. 2.5

(Smell) Aromas of fermented white grape juices, cracker malt, a touch of peppery spice and a moderate acidity. Some delicate sweetness from the malt and fruit profiles combined although the overall aroma is fairly dry. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) Sweet fermented grape juices, lightly vinous with a light alcohol presence, sweet pale and cracker malt body, clean with light yeast character. Finish is moderately dry. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, residual, silky and medium dry. Carbonation is high, generating a moderate frothiness and a full crisp finish. Body is shy of medium for the style, medium overall. Balance is moderately sweet over dry and acidic. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 3.5

(Overall) I was hoping that the use of grape must would not be singled out in this beer, but unfortunately Noble Rot suffers from a considerable limitation on flavor profile. The grape must generates a full juicy white grape profile with little accenting from the malt body nor from the yeast character, which is very mild for a saison, creating little to no perceived spiciness, barnyard or funk character. Arguably a halfway decent crossover beer to and from wine, notably for the very limited crowd who favors sweet dessert wines with little to no fermented character nor acidity. I found that Dogfish Head did a better job of utilizing grape must in their Sixty-One Ale. 3.5

Dogfish Head Brewery's
Noble Rot Ale
3.5/5.00
Jun 14, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.86 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 15, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottle, from Costco, Sacramento. Golden color, white head. Aroma and flavour of American hops, saison yeast and grape must - an unusual combination, more interesting than really great. Not a bad beer though.
Apr 30, 2021
Photo of imnodoctorbut
Reviewed by imnodoctorbut from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
"saison-esque" is certainly right.
very musty, no doubt thanks to the copious amounts of wine grapes added.
I absolutely loved the addition of Belgian yeast, which added to the already Paradigm-level of funk.
the brew was also quite spritzy and citric, layers of mellow tart upon the funk.
This was all gathered from my notes; I absolutely loved this phase of Dogfish where they went full blast with experimentation and digging up old and forgotten styles.
Jun 11, 2020
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle into a tulip. Bottled on date has worn away, but this is several years old at least.

Clear yellow body with a small white head leaving a little lacing. Decent carbonation.

A very faint light malty aroma.

Initial bitey on the tongue, this quickly fades away to reveal a slightly dry and somewhat sweet grapiness. The Saison base is merely a suggestion.

Mouth between medium and full. Finish a grapey wash.

Overall, and I freely admit to not being a big fan of grape must in beer, the grape factor dominates, and I got tired of this beer pretty quickly.
Jun 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.51 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Feb 20, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by petrusek23 from Ohio

Nov 05, 2018
 
Rated: 1.32 by justindavis2001 from Texas

Aug 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.74 by Quafftastic from Virginia

May 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by GreenBayBA from Wisconsin

Oct 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.58 by wjbent from Florida

Sep 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by rpjterp from Virginia

Sep 24, 2017
Photo of BillRoth
Rated by BillRoth from Maryland

4.02/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Had on tap at DFH Rehoboth Tap House
Aug 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by DMcGirr from Massachusetts

May 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4.43 by Comander_Shepard from Georgia

May 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by PaleAleWalt from New York

May 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by themegamancave from Illinois

May 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.3 by Erikshegda1994 from Pennsylvania

Apr 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by nwhittin from Indiana

Apr 02, 2017
Noble Rot from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 1585 ratings