Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale

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

Golden straw color with a small swirly head. Unique soba flavor similar to bitter rhubarb. Watery and slightly bitter. Nothing to write home about, but interesting.

Straw colored ale, misty appearance. Aromas of dense wheat pancakes, red onion and toasted sesame seeds. Tastes of sourdough typical of lager, including a gritty multigrain crustiness and brazil nuts. Light, somewhat sour palate. Satiating and kind of interesting.

12 oz. bottle with a painted orange and gray label, purchased for $1.99 pre-tax at Blue Max in Burnsville, MN. Floral, bitter-hoppy but weak aroma. Pours a hazy, effervescent blonde/gold with a moderate amount of near-white head. Produces surprisingly extensive lacing. Sharp, sour, acidic, metallic flavor. Tastes of bitter grass, inedible plants, tree bark, and dirt. Suffice it to say that I’m not used to these flavors in a beer. Sour and bitter aftertaste. Light to medium body. Lively in the palate. This would be easy to drink if the taste weren’t so bad. Rogue Buckwheat Ale is simply an odd beer. If this is what a buckwheat beer is supposed to taste like, then I submit that perhaps buckwheat isn’t a suitable grain for brewing. That said, I applaud Rogue for trying something different, even if the result constitutes a failed experiment.

The color was a light, brassy orange, and foggy. The head was creamy, off white, and it laced the glass well. The aroma was fermented fruit, and a slight soured milk smell. The flavor was grainy and more bland than the aroma. It was lacking complexity. The palate was smooth. The finish was clean but somewhat abrupt. This was the first rogue beer that I was a little dissapointed with. It was still good but not up to par with other rogue products.

[Sampled at Beermouth’s Rogue tasting at Vinens Verden.] Bottle. Very nice aroma and it comes agian in the tast good balance.

[Sampled at Beermouth’s Rogue tasting at Vinens Verden.]
Hazy dark golden look with no head. Aroma of soba = buckwheat, fruit, walnut, sweet butterscotch. Flavor is similar. Like an ESB, very special, but not that bad. I have to get used to this brew and it will be better next time.

Pours a pale gold brew with some hazy texture. The head is medium, off white, creamy, and leaves a decent lace. The aroma is gross. Smells sour (like rotten sour), has a weird corn smell, it reminds me of Joseph Hewes Revolutionary Ale. The flavor is the same, has the sour/rotten taste and probably the mildest hops possible while remaining detectable. The palate and finish are there but so undeserving of description that they will get none from me. Overall, my least favorite Rogue.

Bottle. Golden color with a white head. Light caramel aroma. Malty taste, but not that powerfull.