192. Dogfish Head Noble Rot

I had no idea what to expect with this one as the label says it is ale brewed with grape must. It is classified as a saison but tastes nothing like the Elegans Saison from Sebago or the saisons from Oxbow. Pours a pale yellow with thick white head, looks like an American light beer. Smells of wine, grapes with a slight tinge of alcohol.  Taste is light beer at first followed by a burst of white grape and very sweet. Finish is tart like white grape juice. Overall not a bad "beer" if you want to consider it beer but not something I will buy again.
Pros: Wine like characteristics

Cons: Not a lot of beer qualities

Alcohol Content: 9% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 18
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Dogfish Head

Brewers Description: Hmmm. We wonder if anyone will buy a beer with the word "rot" in the name?
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.
Noble Rot first went on tap at our brewpub in February of 2011 and went into full 750ml bottle production in January 2012.