Noble Rot - Dogfish Head Brewery

snaotheus

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into large snifters

Pours very clear with lots of carbonation and no real head. Smell is sweet and fruity with some hay. But I have a cold right now.

Taste is sweet and juicy, it makes me think of cider but with more of a grapy flavor, nice mildly sour turn to it. Just a hint of breadiness to make it seem a little beerier.

Mouthfeel is light and airy and slightly gritty, very fresh and pleasant. Overall, I like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:45:37 | More by snaotheus

larryi86

Delaware

4.58/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Notes from 2/22/2012
750 mL, 2012, poured into a snifter

A- Clear light yellow with a two finger white head and lively carbonation.

S- Earthy spices, pepper, light funk, lemons, hint of white wine/grapes, but really smells like a normal Saison.

T- Sour grapes, white wine, light pepper and earthy notes. The sour grapes and wine really stand out again a nice saison base.

M- Light to medium body, smooth.

O- This is a great unique beer from DFH and I feel that they did a great job with this beer. I really hope that they make more of this, I will be buying more!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 22:54:56 | More by larryi86

BluBeers

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Noble Rot had a clear body with a white inch thick head. It had the smell of almost a white wine. Tasted of light grapes and and just like the smell almost of a white wine. The feel on the pallate was that of a light beer easy and smooth. Overall was a great beer and glad i got to have it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 22:00:44 | More by BluBeers

Arithmeticus

Maryland

2.78/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on draft at DFH restaurant in Gaithersburg

A: clear, light yellow; creamy thin head; nice lacing
S: malt, grapes; relatively thin smell
T: carbonated, dry chardonnay; sour and sharp; bold, abrasive; few hops, little body or complexity

The experiment is wild but not offensive; I won't return to this one, though

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 20:38:18 | More by Arithmeticus

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a pale gold with 3 fingers of fluffy white head and spotty lacing. Clarity is crystal clear with moderate carbonation.

N: Honey, coriander, white pepper, doughy bread, faint lemon and hints of clove. There are some potential white grape aromas lurking underneath. The nose is similar to DFH Midas Touch.

T: Sour lemon, Sweet Tarts, white grape and perhaps some tart cherry upfront. This continues through mid-palate picking of flavors of Lemonhead candy, cereal grains and honey. Finishes like a dry white wine spiked with Brett and sour dough bread. Subtle spices linger comprised of nutmeg, white pepper and coriander.

M: Lighter side of medium bodied, crisp, tart, clean and dry.

O: I wasn’t expecting this to be sour. Tastes like Jolly Pumpkin and Midas Touch had a baby. White grape, sour lemon, honey and Brett are the dominate flavors. The 9% abv is well hidden. Very unique but I'm rather indifferent on this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 18:37:32 | More by justintcoons

dtivp

West Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a bright clear light gold, very bubbly, small bright white head that faded quickly, no lacing.

Aroma was dominated by sweet white grapes and a hint of yeast.

Taste was initially sweet with white grapes, sugar and then a slight apple tartness, citrus and spice.

Mouth Feel was light body, high carbonation, very light, sweet with a tart ending, tinkly and refreshing.

Overall a you think your drinking a wine with beer characteristics. Its refreshing, very champagne like, maybe the Champagne of beers, oops...I think someone uses that one already.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 01:06:14 | More by dtivp

mdfb79

New York

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

From 02/18/12 notes. Has this on tap at The Ginger Man in NYC. Served in a 10 oz. snifter.

a - Pours a pale, murky bond color with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation eivdent.

s - Smells of sour grapes, white wine, pepper, spices, some yeast, light citrus, and light earthy/musty notes. Smells a lot like white wine, pretty nice.

t - Tastes of of white wine, sour grapes and fruity malts, yeast, spices, light pepper, and light citrus again. Taste is a little more sour then the nose, but still not super sour. Very nice and interesting.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Crisp.

o - Overall a pretty good and interesting beer. I remember having this on tap at EBF last year (2011) and not really caring for it, but a year later I liked it quite a bit. I think the nose smells a lot like a white wine, while the taste is a slightly sour white wine. My girlfriend, who drinks wine but normally doesn't like sours, liked the nose a lot, but wasn't a fan of the taste as she foudn it too sour; I didn't think it was overally sour though. Very nice experiment, might pick up a bottle now.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 21:50:09 | More by mdfb79

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

DaBubs

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've found these Dogfish Head one-offs to be pretty hit or miss, but this one was actually neither. I didn't love or hate this lab experiment of a beer, but I did appreciate the creative effort.

A - Deep golden color and a nice creamy head. Completely clear and obviously filtered.

S - This is where you notice the grapes. And boy do you notice the grapes. Green grapes, golden apples, and biscuits.

T - Not quite sour, and certainly not puckering, but it has an interesting sweet and sour characteristic. Too sweet for me, this strikes me as closer to Dogfish's take on berliner weisse than saison (a la Festina Peche), but those yeasty, Belgian clove and banana notes are there as well. I'd love to taste a little wood, or a little funk, or something else to make this beer more interesting.

M - Heavy carbonation and crisp, very champagne-like bubbles allow an otherwise viscous and somewhat syrupy brew go down easy.

O - As I said, I respect the effort. This is clearly a product of Dogfish Head's we'll-try-anything attitude, and lives somewhere between beer and wine. The problem is, it is neither a good beer nor a good wine. It is a fun experiment, but one bottle was plenty for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 06:19:08 | More by DaBubs

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Dogfish Head's introduction of Noble Rot is an exciting and refreshing choice that's ideally suited for hotter summer days. So why is this a dead-middle-of-winter release?

The beer pours as authentic Belgian Saisons should- bright yellow in color and carrying a mild hazed that allows for a diffused glow to emit. A fluffy white head caps the beer and retains well but eventually sucumbs to the acidity yet to come. The lighter color could suggest Berliner Weisse instead.

A spirited and tangy nose brings about the spicy fruity notes that make Saisons so wonderful. Crabapples, white grapes, under-rippened berries, and lemons offer a bright and refreshing scent with 0only a modest background note of light bread and yeast. The focused aromas are very direct and all about the grape.

Certainly lovers of white wines would appreciate this beer as the taste is simplistic and dedicated to chardonay flavor along with raw white grapes and must. Accented by the fermentation notes of tart apples, berries, lemons, and with the balance of white pepper and lactic acidity- the beer borrows Saison-like characteristics to add layers of complexity to the dominant grape flavor. Tartness boarders on sour notes and also make me think of Berliner Weissbiers as much as it does Saison. The supple support of pilsner malt comes across much more like wheat for a slightly elevated bread flavor and feel.

Bone-dry from start to finish, the beer's early and terse creaminess falls just as soon as the carbonation subsides. The dry-fruity, spicy character seems to disolve into the surfaces of the mouth and avoids feeling weighted in finish and aftertaste. Refreshing tartness allows a pleasant powdery tannic texture late and seems to dry the mouth.

Remarkably, the 9% alcohol is nowhere to be found. The alcohol warmth is surplanted by sharp acidity and making this beer much more drinkable than it should be. This is not a typical Saison. The brewers went and Dogfish Headed it up pretty well. Anyone seeking this beer should expect a lot of grape character and Berliner Weisse tartness to dominate.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 18:00:15 | More by BEERchitect

beerhan

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

To preface, this is one of the few dogfish beers I choose not to revisit. Simply not worth the price tag and fails to deliver in so many ways.

A-Pours a very thin gold color with lots of bubbles. 1 finger head and has a very champagne-esque look to it.

S-very strong grape notes with the stereotypical bubble gum/belgian yeast scent.

T-This is the part where I was really confused by. I felt like I was drinking a solid quad blended with sparkling white wine. Lots of grape and candied sugar with a very yeasty taste. I just felt like I was drinking an overcarbed quad.

M-Heavily carbonated with a fairly pleasant mouthfeel that just does not compliment the taste that well.

O-This beer is not worth it to me. I had high hopes for it as I do enjoy grape in beers when done correctly or if the wine notes are more subtle or if the beer was aged in barrels that once held wine. I feel if this was just made not as a saison but as even a stout it would have been so much better. The flavors do not mix right for my palette.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 07:22:41 | More by beerhan

homebrew311

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: bright pale gold, cascading bubbles, no head whatsoever, no lacing

S: nose is chock full of white grapes, tart notes, some Belgian yeast, notes of must

T: somewhat sweet with grape character at front, flashes of crisp tartness, well balanced, a bit of bubble gum

Mf: light body, effervescent, high carbonation

O: I think oak would really add a dimension to this beer that would increase the enjoyability. This is very champagne like and has nice flavors, abv is well integrated

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 03:04:50 | More by homebrew311

ferrari29

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into a stemmed Stella Artois tulip-shaped glass

A - Beer body pours with a very light, almost pilsener style looking yellow straw color; thick and heavy white foam about one finger in size; stringy level of lacing formed around the edge; well-carbonated and clear body

S - Champagne-esk; white wine; dry straw smell; yeasty and slightly cheesy smell

T - Champagne, Brut taste; sweet sparkling white wine flavor; straw malt; nothing more than that; unique

M - Flat and thin body; astringent alcohol aftertaste

D - Different, but I like this one; goes great with a light meal or a pasta dish; could definitely have again; crosses the fermentation line between a beer and wine

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 00:44:28 | More by ferrari29

peabody

Kentucky

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

Pours out a clear yellow with tons of suds. Very white creamy suds! Beautiful head and some retention.
Aroma is very spicy just as a farmhouse should be. Not much alcohol present in the nose. Some yeast burn though.
Taste is sour like a white wine with spices.
Mouthfeel is very clean and the alcohol only comes to light at the very end when you can feel the phenols come up the back of the throat.
Overall this is a really nice Farmhouse Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 06:19:50 | More by peabody

n2185

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a lovely clear yellow-gold with three fingers of white head that fades into a thin cap with good lacing.

S: Belgian spices, candy sugar, and bubblegum up front. White grape and pear aromas follow with a faint tart aroma.

T: Some Belgian spices and bubblegum flavors at first followed by tart and slightly sour white grape flavors. The finish is of tart fruit and sweet breads.

M: Light body with lively carbonation in the mouth, this beer is very light and refreshing despite being 9%.

O: I like this beer, overall. It's like a dry, sour white wine with a very light and refreshing body that makes its abv dangerous. Quite impressive.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:55:34 | More by n2185

davey101

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012B 750ml poured into a DFH signature glass. Uses a new bottle which is wider and shorter with 2 dogfish head logos molded into the glass.

A - Extremely clear. I held the bottle up to the light and could see right through it. Light amber body with rising carbonation. Initially the head had large frothy off-white bubbles which died down to a neat cap. Nice lacing and retention.

S - Wow. Very complex and interesting. I'm a total wine noob, but I'm picking up strong white wine notes. Intensely sweet and dry grapes followed by some Belgian yeast and biscuity malts. Crisp and lightly alcoholic finish. If I didn't know what this was I'd swear it wasn't beer.

T - I can actually tell its a beer now. Starts off with very wine like qualities. Dry and crisp grape which leads into some spice and yeast. Finish is dry with some lingering biscuity malts. Less complex than the nose, but still very interesting and unique. Mouthfeel is crisp, effervescent and super refreshing.

O - Ta Henket, Faithfull, and Hellhound made me question buying these large format limited DFH beers. Not since Bitches Brew have I felt that one of these beers is worth $15. This beer was. Its crazy how it has wine and beer notes. Very complex and unique while still remaining refreshing and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:44:45 | More by davey101

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

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright golden color with brilliant clarity. Interesting nose, very vinous. Some detectable malt. Light and fizzy body yet full feeling in the mouth. Lots of white wine like taste. Like a sauvigoin blanc even though its viognier grapes. Tart like finish with a white wine like aftertaste. Truly drinks more like a wine than anything else and a pretty good wine at that. Unfortunately the beer aspects are covered up by the powerful grape like qualities. Not bad though, I like it. Amazing what you can do with beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:06:36 | More by jtierney89

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: A hard pour raises a rocky inch of head; if it weren't for the lazy bubbles rising from the base of the tulip, I would say it looks like the Viognier that was mixed into the wort; quite a few strands of lacing, however

Smell: Interesting to pick out the wine and beer elements in the aroma; the pilsner malt is discernable but the grape aromatics from the Viognier grapes are more prominent - a bit of tart grape/lemon and a touch of honey

Taste: A touch of pilsner malt and then the tart grape flavors take over, adding a lemony bite by mid-palate; with the Botrytis I would have thought this might be sweeter though I do get a hint of it underneath; in the aftertaste, I would swear I was drinking a glass of white wine as the finish is primarily in a vinous direction

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation; the grapes add a puckery element

Overall: These Dogfish Head experiments are usually hit or miss for me; this one is a little different as I enjoyed it but would be unlikely to seek it out again

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 22:08:25 | More by brentk56

mcallister

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very light and clear hay or straw color. A large white head expectedly explodes up the glass leaving a thick lace behind.

Not getting much of the botrytis but the usual pepper, yeast and spice aromas you would expect from a saison. Very clean and vibrant with some citrusy fruit esters.

Ahh there we go much more acidity from the grapes and vibrant bitterness of hops, very spicy, and full of fruity flavors. A hint of honey suckle, nectarine, and lemon peel. Yeasty and delicious with pepper and some light phenolic notes.

Mouth shows great carbonation and is creamy in the middle. Long finish is fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 20:09:54 | More by mcallister

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

RuckusDu

Colorado

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

A - Not expecting this one. I mean I knew I could see through the brown bottle with beer inside, but this is light. Poured a big 3ish finger head of white foam. Body is dead clear and straw yellow - BMC light.

S - Very effervescent. Floral and a little sweet. Smells a lot like BMC.

T - Interesting. Definitely winey. Some white wine tartness. I only pick up the saison when I think about it. It is really a straight up mix between wine and beer. Even if you average a 5% saison with a 13% white wine, you get 9%. Not sure I'm all that impressed with it.

M - Strong carbonation and light body. Just as it looks.

O - There have been a lot of these wine beers coming out recently and I just can't really get into them. The wine kind of overpowers and is just not that good. I might try aging it for a bit, but right now it is not worth the $.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:42:38 | More by RuckusDu

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours a crystal clear, very light shade of yellow with a two finger white head. TONS of carbonation. It looks like a prototypical saison, but much lighter. Not a bad thing.

S- getting a lot of the grape aroma, and some spiciness from the yeast as well. Very nice

T- the grape flavor is in the forefront...getting a lot of the winey characteristics. Not overly sweet either....really good

M- very thin body...typical saison, as I'd expect

O- this is really, really good. A unique take on a saison

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:16:25 | More by bigfnjoe

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Light straw color with a thin white head. Very transparent and bubbles float to the top from the bottom.

S- Strong grape and spicy Belgian yeast notes dominate.

T- Tastes exactly like wine. Besides the head and the hint of Belgian yeast, it would be hard to discern from a white wine. Grapes come through with tiny hint of spicy Belgian yeast.

M- Very dry with some carbonation. Leaves some stickiness after each sip.

O- Completely different than anything I have had before. I though Midas Touch was close to a wine, but this one is very wine-like. Very unique, not a good choice if you are looking for malt and hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 22:59:01 | More by stephenjmoore

Kranders

Massachusetts

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

I really enjoyed this beer. Had this right after a big test. Poured a super clean, light golden color with minimal head. Very complex aroma, full of fruit and sour, with hints of wine in the backdrop. The taste falls somewhere between a sour and a white wine. Clean, oaky, with a bit of sour that rounds it all out into something fantastic. Lasts just a little bit on the tongue for an overall awesome beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 19:12:57 | More by Kranders