As an avid wine drinker, and someone who can appreciate the distinct nuances of wine making, I was very excited to hear about this new brew from Sam Calagione and the brewhouse down in Delaware. As with most of their strange concoctions, you never really know what it will taste like until it hits your palate. Their creations are so unique, that there really is no baseline.
This particular choice was no exception. The label states, "Ale brewed with grape must and grape must added." Now, to the average beer drinker, that may not mean a whole lot, unless you know a little about what the name means. Noble rot refers to a fungus which infects grapes. Before you spit out your ale, the fungus is botrytis cinerea. This is the same little guy that is intentionally spread through vineyards in France to create the legendary sauternes wine. The fungus essentially concentrates the sugars and flavors in the grape while it still on the vine, meaning that at pressing, the residual sugars are higher than typical white wine grapes.
So, we poured. A bright white head, and crystal clear yellow appearance in the glass. The initial nose is musty, kind of like a wine bottle cork that has just been pulled. The flavor is slightly sweet, with a dry, almost champagne like crisp finish. It is boozy, and at 9%ABV, one big bottle is enough for several people, and the aroma of alcohol definitely lingers around the glass and follows the warming.
All in all, a nice and unique beer. I would follow the suggestion of sharing with some sort of seafood appetizer, and probably a flute would be better than a pint glass. However, after one glass, I was kind of done with it. I love the passionate creations from DFH, but sometimes it just doesn't fit my tastes. I do recommend trying this one, I think it is a nice marriage of ale and wine that could potentially grow on me.
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