Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale

(22 oz bottle) Spicier than I was expecting, this beer gives a nice little zing to the palate. The lightly sweet malts are bready but not doughy and hops is fairly light, but given the dust on my bottle, I’ve probably had this long enough that surely the signature Rogue hoppiness has faded a bit. I’m also getting a mildly sweet spiciness that is reminding me a bit of cinnamon, though it comes and goes depending on the sip (in other words, I might be imagining it). The nose is bready with only a hint of spiciness. The medium-full body provides a wonderful coating on the palate, and the gentle carbonation doesn’t upset that mouthfeel. Golden-amber in color and fairly cloudy from sediment. The off-white head is quite thin, providing no more than a filmy covering for the beer. Retention and lacing obviously have little to offer in the way of esthetics, so this beer is strictly relying on the pleasant, spicy flavor to pique my interest.

Morimoto Soba Ale. Dark gold, slightly hazy, with a smal white head. Sweet, nutty aroma. Unique toasty-nutty-biscuity flavor. Medium-bodied. Overall really good, and definitely unique.

Had a somewhat strong aroma.color amber.Head was good.light lacing.Tasted somewhat bland.Balanced,but more of a typical beer.This says Morimoto soba ale on label,but it is aligned with this beer.Not a whole lot of flavor.so i guess it would compliment almost any meal.Might taste better with a lime.slightly sour and bitter.slight yeasty.Better than the average beers.Probably won’y buy again.

My review is for Morimoto Soba Ale, which is listed under the Buckwheat title, even though the listed ingredients appear slightly different: Roasted Soba, Harrington, Metcalf, Munich & C-15 Malts; Crystal Hps, and Pacman Yeast. These all may be the same as what’s listed on the Buckwheat ale, mutatis mutandis, but why make any changes at all? Is it just a marketing ploy, or what? Rating: roasted lemon with toffee aftertaste; nice effervescence for a lager; has a dullness to the flavor I can’t pinpoint, but I think it’s associated with the so-called "roasted soba." All-in-all, it’s not my cup of tea but definitely drinkable. I could see it paired with miso soup. They have a similar aftertaste.

Bottle. Pours a dark gold with a thick fizzy head that quickly dissipates. The carbonation keeps bubbling away after the head goes dissapears. The aroma has a nice citrusy hop smell. The flavor is pretty mild. A little bit of hops, but it is quickly balanced out by the malts. A very even flavor, just a hint of nuttiness. Nothing seems to stand out in this one.

Very mellow brew. At first it seemed like the hops, citrus, and florals were going to come on strong, but it becomes rather tame. Some malty sweetness is present, but there werent any spices that stood out. My first dissapointment from Rogue.

Bottle, courtesy BitBucket Junior (who’s really ready for his own account by now). Not much going on here; it’s very mild. The nose is yeasty; it looks nice with a medium straw color and a white head. The palate’s not quite vacant but doesn’t really stake its own claim, either. I’d love to find this on draft next to some sushi or some mild asian fare, but as a quaffer/sipper, it doesn’t make enough of a name for itself to get excited about. Good but not a thrill.

Bottle under the Morimoto Soba label. Pours a lightly hazy golden amber with a bubbly/foamy off white head. Aroma of caramel, toffee, grains, and a spice I can’t quite pinpoint. Flavors of the same with not much hops but a sweet maltiness. It was light an refreshing with an interesting spice.