Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Specialty Grain
Newport, Oregon USA

This is...uhhh..different. Fluffiest head ever...looks like them viscoelastic memory cells Nasa and certain mattresses use...anyway....I got this Beer nailed. It’s a true 50/50 Hybrid...Half Hefeweisen and Half Pilsner...in THIS case, 2 mediocre styles came together to create an above average Beer...

On draught at Bar 101 in Charleston, WV. My choices were the spent keg bottom pour, or the first pull off of a fresh tap. I chose the latter. The pour was cloudy and muddy-amber in color. The head fully diminishes leaving no lace nor retention. Interesting mix of sour cream and sweetness in the bouquet. Flavors of unleavened bread and rice pudding (perhaps from the buckwheat). The pale malts might be a little underdone here, as the mix of former flavors with the unspectacular pale malts don’t add the good toast or biscuit I was hoping for. In fact, everything seems a bit too dry. The finish does seem decently dry-hopped, which adds crispness to the mouthfeel (that otherwise seems a bit thin). It’s smooth enough, I guess, with a light embodiment. Nothing really awesome. In fact, my thoughts are that this offering is not complex enough to be doubled as a "signature brew" (brewed under Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale). Maybe I should have taken the final pull from the spent keg.

Pours a clear yellow/amber with yellowish head. Malty, nutty aroma with some grainy notes. Flavors of sweet malt, wheat (I’m guessing buckwheat ;) ), and hints of nuts and caramel. Pretty nice easy to drink beer.

Bottled as Morimoto Soba Ale. I’ve never seen this beer as Buckwheat Ale. Thin head with clouds of yellow hues. Nose is chestnut and wheat. Very light and airy palate to this with tastes of (I thought rice, but could be the buckwheat), roasted nuts, and mild malt. Good carb and thin body. Decent.

Hazy orange, thin white film. Interesting aroma, roasty and nutty and some licorice. Flavor is more mild, balanced and a bit floral. A little thin and not much alcohol, slightly oily finish.

Bottle as Morimoto Soba Ale Hazy yellow pour with a thin creamy head. Interesting and surprising aroma, I guess it’s the buckwheat. Flavor also has that surprising flavor I’ve never had before. Definitely interesting brew. What the hell is soba?

650 mL bottle. Slightly hazy yellow with a creamy white head. Sweet grainy and roasty aroma. Creamy nutty taste with a vanilla flavor to the finish.

Morimoto Saba Ale was the name of it when I had it. Wow, yet again I’m not disappointed by Rogue. The aroma, amazing, flavor, just as dood as the aroma, overall, I’d get it again, great beer.