Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware
Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Saison/Fruit Beer, 9.0%
Reported IBUs: 18
Dogfish Head and Sam Calagione have always included comparisons to spirits or wine for their beers. They compare their Palo Santo Marron to an oak-aged baernet, their 120 IPA to whisky, their Bitches Brew to a Bordeaux, etc. They also make a number of spirits, including rums, vodkas, and a jin. It's probably no surprise, then, that Dogfish Head would dabble with infected grape must, and then blend it with a Belgian Strong Ale-esque beer. About Dogfish Head:
I'm feeling a Light Light Divine Brew on this. This is a really solid, delicious beer. In fact, this goes beyond a beer...this is a beer + wine. Really nice stuff, with big bold grape presence, gooseberry, and white wine characters. There's a really nice Belgian base beer with big wheat, pils malt, light grain, it's fantastic. I could see pairing this beer with muscles, alfredo, white pasta sauce, various Italian foods, strong cheese, chicken, Greek/Mediterranean food...you name it.
Random Thought: This beer is surprisingly boozy at 9.0%, especially in the 750ml format. I know bigger beers have come in 750s, but this one sneaks up on you.
Reported IBUs: 18
Dogfish Head and Sam Calagione have always included comparisons to spirits or wine for their beers. They compare their Palo Santo Marron to an oak-aged baernet, their 120 IPA to whisky, their Bitches Brew to a Bordeaux, etc. They also make a number of spirits, including rums, vodkas, and a jin. It's probably no surprise, then, that Dogfish Head would dabble with infected grape must, and then blend it with a Belgian Strong Ale-esque beer. About Dogfish Head:
Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.
If you roll over to the Noble Rot page, you can get the breakdown on this. It looks like the Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. According to Dogfish Head, the yeast gets to ferment sugars from "two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash." The first addition of sugars comes from unfermented grape must from viognier grapes that have been infected with the fungus botrytis. The second source of sugars comes from pinot gris must that has been intensified by a process called "dropping fruit," where clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.
All-in-all, this beer is big at 9.0%, and features a lively Belgian yeast. The primary sources of sugar for this beer are grape juice, and should add some interesting complexity to the taste. Let's glass this up and see what this beer is about.
This one pours like a Pale Lager, at least upon first impression. The body is a light yellow color, the head is bright white, and there's a storm of carbonation visible in this transparent beer. As the finger of white head settles down, you're left with a Belgian/Saison-looking head. The body is reminiscent of a white wine, but there is a TON of carbonation in this. I wonder if this is bottle conditioned, and if so, how this would develop.
The aroma on this is really nice, I'm not going to lie. I'm getting grapes, gooseberry, white wine subtleties, a little bit of apple/apple skin, floral/perfume yeast frutiness, and some nice clove spice. There's a touch of grain and wheat as well.
If I said this tasted like a Duvel mixed with a white wine, I would hope it wouldn't be interpreted as me selling this beer short. There's a lot of wheat, pils malt, and some yeasty fruit/clove, and there's a huge grape presence, with white wine, and gooseberry. The beer is creamy from the wheat malt, but it also tastes fairly attenuated towards the back palate, where you are left with dry wine and dry grain. It's a really nice mouthfeel, with lots of subtle complexity.
This is quite nice at 9.0%, although there's definitely some warming on the back end of this and there's a hint of wine-esque booze. Basically, I would drink this like a wine. Problem solved. This is creamy and smooth, but also quite dry towards the back end...probably medium-light in terms of mouthfeel, with good supporting carbonation, and nice dryness. Palate depth is really nice, refined, and mature...and complexity is great too. I think an oak-aged version of this would be off the charts amazing, and I bet this would even take well to a Bourbon barrel. Just some food for thought....up front is clove, Belgian yeast fruitiness, and big gooseberry; middle is big white wine, grape, gooseberry, more Belgian yeast; back end is lingering grapes, lingering white wine, and dryness.
Rating: Divine Brew
All-in-all, this beer is big at 9.0%, and features a lively Belgian yeast. The primary sources of sugar for this beer are grape juice, and should add some interesting complexity to the taste. Let's glass this up and see what this beer is about.
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| Dogfish Head Noble Rot |
The aroma on this is really nice, I'm not going to lie. I'm getting grapes, gooseberry, white wine subtleties, a little bit of apple/apple skin, floral/perfume yeast frutiness, and some nice clove spice. There's a touch of grain and wheat as well.
If I said this tasted like a Duvel mixed with a white wine, I would hope it wouldn't be interpreted as me selling this beer short. There's a lot of wheat, pils malt, and some yeasty fruit/clove, and there's a huge grape presence, with white wine, and gooseberry. The beer is creamy from the wheat malt, but it also tastes fairly attenuated towards the back palate, where you are left with dry wine and dry grain. It's a really nice mouthfeel, with lots of subtle complexity.
This is quite nice at 9.0%, although there's definitely some warming on the back end of this and there's a hint of wine-esque booze. Basically, I would drink this like a wine. Problem solved. This is creamy and smooth, but also quite dry towards the back end...probably medium-light in terms of mouthfeel, with good supporting carbonation, and nice dryness. Palate depth is really nice, refined, and mature...and complexity is great too. I think an oak-aged version of this would be off the charts amazing, and I bet this would even take well to a Bourbon barrel. Just some food for thought....up front is clove, Belgian yeast fruitiness, and big gooseberry; middle is big white wine, grape, gooseberry, more Belgian yeast; back end is lingering grapes, lingering white wine, and dryness.
Rating: Divine Brew
I'm feeling a Light Light Divine Brew on this. This is a really solid, delicious beer. In fact, this goes beyond a beer...this is a beer + wine. Really nice stuff, with big bold grape presence, gooseberry, and white wine characters. There's a really nice Belgian base beer with big wheat, pils malt, light grain, it's fantastic. I could see pairing this beer with muscles, alfredo, white pasta sauce, various Italian foods, strong cheese, chicken, Greek/Mediterranean food...you name it.
Random Thought: This beer is surprisingly boozy at 9.0%, especially in the 750ml format. I know bigger beers have come in 750s, but this one sneaks up on you.
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