Beer Me: Noble Rot

At a tasting a couple weeks ago, John and I were presented with an interesting offering from Dogfish Head.

From their site: "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."

This was one of the strangest beers I've ever tried. In a good way. I like wine and beer so why not put them together? I wasn't expecting the effervescence but it was welcome. There was a nice sweetness to it with the grape flavor as well.

I know it was pricey but I can't remember the exact amount for the life of me. Definitely try it if you can find it in a tasting somewhere. It only comes in 750 mL bottles though.