Commercial Description:

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....Read More

Brewbound Review:

So, is it beer? Wine? Both?!? Dogfish Head has blended the two cultures in one bottle with their Noble Rot offering. They’ve used a Belgian yeast with pils and wheat malts in conjunction with the juice of botrytis infected viognier grapes and pinot gris must. Put that all together in a Dogfish Head embossed bottle adorned with a funky looking label and you have Noble Rot. This concoction pours a very light , clear, yellow with a short white head that dissipates quickly. On the nose, Noble Rot smells similar to several of the light beers on the market today, but with a bit more funkiness and only a hint of Belgian yeast. Noticeably missing are any of the floral aromas one might expect from a viognier or pinot gris wine. The beer starts off crisp and clean on your palate, but that quickly gives way to a strong tart flavor before a long sweet finish. The sweetness (often associated with botrytis infected grapes) coats your mouth while flavors more typically associated with a wheat beer rest on the back of your palate. Needless to say, this beer is complex. That said, we’re left wanting more from this unique fusion of beer and wine. It’s a fun idea and might offer a crossover point for wine lovers to step into the craft beer world, but we wonder how the craft beer community will welcome Noble Rot.

Brewbound Rating: