Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale - Rogue Ales

tdm168

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Hoyt for sharing this bomber with me.

A - brown with ruby edges; soft, white head that has good retention

S - nutty, caramel; similar to a brown ale

T - nutty, caramel, faint roastiness, earthy, mildly bitter

M - crisp, overcarbonated, medium bodied

This beer was a bit off for me. It had a nice flavor, similar to a brown ale, but it wasn't full flavored enough for me. I wish it had been a bit more assertive. It may be worth a try, but I won't be trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 01:41:04 | More by tdm168

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.66/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Picked this one up the other day. No idea how old it is.

Well, it's a black ale alright. Black pour, dark brown when held up to the light. Thick, creamy white head. Darn it, that looks good. Soft foam, thick lacing. Guinness like.

Aroma is roasted malt. Again, this is akin to Guinness. A bit brighter with some citrus hops and green pine.

Flavor is Guinness like too. Good gah, what the....
The hops are present, but seem a bit faded. Probably an old bottle, but how can I know? Wouldn't review it if I knew it was old...oh well. Roasted malt, but still is fairly light. Hope flavors are just about gone in the end and the beer seems watery in the finish While this is a nice beer and good flavor, it misses the style.

Good pairing with grilled flesh.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:38:14 | More by Mebuzzard

chinchill

South Carolina

3.76/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bomber served in a snifter.

A: Pours dark mahogany with a small, light tan head. Leaves a small spots of lacing. More or less clear.

S: Sweet aroma featuring mixed grains with fruity overtones, toffee and a hint of red wine barrel. Improved with warming.

T: A more complex and unusual flavor than expected even given the rather unusual and rather complex aroma. Diverse tasted malt aspects, presumably including buckwheat. [Actually, there is a somewhat clear note of buckwheat in the finish,] Hints of toffee, dark fruits and hops. Low bitterness,

M: very good body with medium carbonation. Fairly clean and semi-dry finish.

O: quite distinct, very interesting and well-crafted, with a good sweet/bitter balance, However, neither the aroma nor the flavor profiles were entirely to my liking. As intended, I guess, excellent with Asian cuisine. From memory, more interesting but not quite as enjoyable as Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale. Not a fruit/vegetable beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 23:41:36 | More by chinchill

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-11-2013 03:24:07 | More by orangesol

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.74/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Chilled 22 oz. bomber into a 12 oz. snifter. Not really sure if the use of buckwheat really makes this a fruit/vegetable beer (as per category), but what the heck.

Look- Ruby brown with a two fingers of dense off-white head. Excellent retention, dense lacing.

Smell- Assertively malty; comes across as dark LME with a hint of developed nuttiness and molasses. For some reason, it's making me think of Founder's Dirty Bastard.

Taste- Roastier than expected, significant char leaning well over into stout territory. Buckwheat is distinct and brings to mind gritty (but oh so healthy) pancakes. As it warms, there are lighter notes including vanilla, shortbread, light treacle, and a hint of banana. This clashes a bit with the aroma, which a few degrees warmer becomes overly buckwheat (ahem, soba)-y.

Mouthfeel- Light- Medium body, crisp, clean feel. Exceptionally clean finish. Easy drinking, even for 4.5-5%. I could have finished the bomber myself, no problem.

Overall- Well, I haven't had the other Rogue Soba ales, but this is making me think I should have. Pricey, but worth trying, particularly if one is interested by beers that are whole or in part brewed with gluten-free grains.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:38:32 | More by Lawl3ss

zestd

Idaho

4/5  rDev +9.3%

03-29-2013 20:46:29 | More by zestd

Dat

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

03-19-2013 23:03:47 | More by Dat

BoRaeCho

California

4/5  rDev +9.3%

03-19-2013 10:31:32 | More by BoRaeCho

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I thought rogue was through making these, so I was super excited to see this on the shelf. the pour is jet black, inky and thicker, with a hard to control rising off white head that has a mind of its own. it smells like burnt toast and a really weird malt profile. had to google it to learn soba is Japanese buckwheat, which definitely provides some interesting smells and tastes here. its sort of like rye in terms of smell, bold and fully rich, but the flavor is much more mild, without the spice and with a starchy sort of feel. with the other black roasty malts and bittering hops, I think it works great in this beer. there is also a new yeast going on that's foreign to my palate, or maybe its just the buckwheat again, hard to tell, but its pasty in texture and bitterly bland in a good way of that's possible. a complex brew with an exceptional mouthfeel. huge body and plenty of carbonation, it really shocks the palate as something different and well done. I like this better than the imperial pils, and fully support anything involving chef morimoto, his work in the kitchen is unrivaled.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 18:13:20 | More by StonedTrippin

kkmiller76

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

03-16-2013 03:36:42 | More by kkmiller76

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -18%

03-13-2013 17:22:31 | More by alysmith4

Mullinger1980

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

03-09-2013 21:10:59 | More by Mullinger1980

Axnjxn

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

03-04-2013 22:04:58 | More by Axnjxn

SmashPants

Australia

3.09/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle: tall brown 650mL bottle, transluscent craft beer label. Nice!

Appearance: mid dark brown with plenty of red highlights. A decent beige head, approximately 2-cemtimetres, thick and somewhat creamy-looking.

Aroma: a fairly demure aroma but pleasant enough, with molasses, pitted fruits and something vegetal or herbal.

Taste: some smokiness comes across, with plenty of wood, roasted malts and something I still can't put my finger on that makes the whole process a little less desirable.

Aftertaste: I think I picked up the culprit in the aftertaste - it's an astringent alcohol and currant fug that sits across the entire profile. Not awful but not all that pleasant either.

Mouth feel: medium in body with a moderate carbonation - pretty standard feel.

Overall: an interestingly different but ultimately disappointing beer, especially considering it came at a cost of AU$15 a bottle (2013). I simply can't justify the cost for a beer that is alright.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 04:21:25 | More by SmashPants

jacothom

Indiana

4/5  rDev +9.3%

02-22-2013 05:19:27 | More by jacothom

chugamugofsud

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

02-21-2013 16:55:00 | More by chugamugofsud

Hanzo

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

02-04-2013 04:23:19 | More by Hanzo

gigawatts

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

01-28-2013 01:21:53 | More by gigawatts

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Beer poured out from the bottle a dense, reddish brown colour. Slightly cloudy with a ruby tint when held to the light. Ale had a clean, sweet molasses aroma to it. Tasted roasty and malty, yet had a light body and a clean finish to it.

Would I buy this beer again? Maybe.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:08:03 | More by NilocRellim

thehead92

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

01-24-2013 04:42:42 | More by thehead92

CanisMajor

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

01-23-2013 01:35:57 | More by CanisMajor

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

12-26-2012 00:52:06 | More by t0rin0

mattporter2

California

4/5  rDev +9.3%

12-24-2012 15:26:13 | More by mattporter2

ELECTRONICAnonymous

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

11-28-2012 00:42:29 | More by ELECTRONICAnonymous

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale version. Poured a dark brown with an averaged sized tan head. Aromas of light roast, nuts, and caramel. Tastes of nuts, some dark fruits, and caramel. Nutty. Malty sweet with a very light bitter finish. Tastes and aromas were both on the subtle side. Body on the thinner side. Some lacing left on the glass.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 09:38:10 | More by Serge