Morimoto Soba Ale - Rogue Ales

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one ws rather intresting. Poured a nice, buttad hazy light brown with a touch of amber to it. Nice two finger head of creamy off white lace formed on top and this was quickly settled down and replaced by a thin layer of lace ontop and adequate side glass lace. A very nice carbonation profile was visible. Smell was light. I picked up some rice, and what almost seemed like a blueberry aroma, although I could not really place exactly what it was. The tase was kinda odd to in that it was trying to be a light lager but came of a little sweet with a big rice flavor. Overall this was intresting although not my favorite roge I have tried it definitly wasnt bad. I would pick one up again in a pinch but wouldnt really seek one out.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 14:17:36 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a clear golden copper color with a large white head on it.

S: Smells interesting. Very heavy on the biscuity malts with a touch of corn, perhaps. Nice floral hop notes. Very intense floral notes, actually which give the beer a somewhat perfumey nose. A little bit of spice is present, too.

T: Big time floral flavor. A bit honey-like, in a sense. Good sweetness to the beer with a biscuit and toast malt profile. A light nuttiness on the background (I guess that's what the soba provides?).

M: On the lighter end of medium in body with a fairly high level of carbonation.

O: I've had this one a few times over the years and have consistently liked it. It's a good beer, but like many Rogue products, not something I would frequently purchase.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 18:58:51 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

2.95/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a murky light yellow-orange with a super foamy off-white head that settles to a thick cap on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, and a fruity note. Taste is much the same with a grainy flavor on the finish. There is a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a very high level of carbonation with an extremely crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer with a carbonation level that is not helping the aromas or flavors at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:21:31 | More by UCLABrewN84

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bomber - $4.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazed copper body with a frothy, foamy, white head.

Smell: Fragrant, delicate nose of fresh flowers, honey-dipped biscuits, fruit, as well as nuts and spice.

Taste: Lightly sweet clover honey stirred up with some crumbled dry biscuits. Curious touch of berry-like fruitiness amidst hints of dried lemon peel and coriander. Small hint of nuts. Floral, spicy hop character with a modest amount of imparted bitterness present. Finishes dry with some lasting honeyish and floral qualities.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Worth at least one try, I'd say. A subtle, pleasant brew simply eager to be paired with a meal of some sorts, say, a plate of trout almondine.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2009 04:43:01 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Anybody know what soba is? Apparently it's good roasted and paired with harrington and metcalf (whatever the hell those are too). The lable tells me this much. And you can throw it in a beer.

The aromas sweet, spicy, pungent, fruity, and earthy. Notes of ginger, fresh tobacco, root beer, and weak colas are abundant. Maltiness takes the form of caramel while the yeast provide the classic Rogue fruitiness.

Flavors of the malt take the foreground with the expected caramel maltiness and raw barley taste. Fruitiness and shortbread tastes persist and provide a good springboard for the spicy ginger and raw tobacco taste. A lingering flat cola taste comes into the aftertaste and makes the beer less than clean.

An unusually dirty straw color shows moderate haze. Good head formaiton leads to good retention and a fair amount of lacing.

The malty character leads to a clean attenuation in the body- creamy and dry at the same time. Low on hop bitterness, the sweetness takes hold in the mouthfeel and later leaves a light residual sweetness on the tongue. A peppery sensation accompanies the earthy and spicy notes- typical of ginger.

It's interesting that this beer was chosen to distribute along side of other Rogue beers. The unique ginger and tobacco taste is odd and intriguing, but too unusual to be a 'go to' beer. All this is wrapped in that classic Rogue yeastiness. ...and what the hell is soba?

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 02:51:07 | More by BEERchitect

WesWes

New York

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a lots of suspended floaties. It has a pretty white head that lasts. The aroma is decent. It has a light, pale malt scent along with a nutty, roasted soba aroma. The taste is decent as well. It's light, with a nice pale malt flavor. It goes down easy and finishes bitter with a mild hop element. I'm not sure what soba tastes like, but there is a slight nuttiness to the palate as well as a zing that I can't describe. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinker, although I'll probably not pick it up again. All in all, it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2008 22:03:59 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

A - Poured out an golden orange color with a tan, foamy, two-finger head. It left some nice lace.

S - It smelled very floral and citrusy. Also, some wheat aromas.

T - This was fairly sweet and fruity. Some lemon and corriander flavors. The wheat taste was also noticeable.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is an okay beer. I expected more with the fancy labeling. But it certainly is drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2008 22:07:02 | More by zeff80

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this one the same night I had the dark version of it. I found this one to be better but not by much. The beer poured out as a typical golden color. The head was decent and left some lacing. The smell of the beer had some herbal notes to it but not enough to overpower the malts and hops. The taste of the beer was a little strange to me but it wasn't as wierd as the Black one. Some different things going on in this brew, not sure how to describe. The mouhfeel of this beer is on the lighter side and is fairly drinkable. Overall I'm not missing this beer much since I had it. I can't probably pass this one up from now on.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:31:01 | More by Knapp85

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle. Japan via the west coast to lovely central Texas...

This beer pours a light hazy golden colour, with a few fingers of thin wispy white head, which leaves some sparse random streaks of lace around the glass for its effort. It smells of buttery wheat cracker malt, with a rice grain sweetness, and some mild west coast bitter hoppiness. The taste is sweet cereal grain, rice husk, and weirdly herbal spice. It has a medium body, with a moderate carbonation, and a fairly clean finish.

Decent enough, but the strange spicy buckwheat grain would limit me to sharing the one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 05:27:14 | More by biboergosum

Gavage

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a cloudy orange color with a 1" head. Some light lacing develops.

Smell: buckwheat and grass are most dominant. Slight fruit in the background.

Taste: buckwheat, malt, grass, hint of lemon zest, a touch of spiciness, and mild bitterness makes up a mellow ale that is easy to drink.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp throughout. Dry at the finish. Aftertaste is dry and brief. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: easy to quaff this one. Light on the tastebuds. Worth giving this a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2008 23:20:51 | More by Gavage

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a pint at Rogue's Portland bar. Wow, this beer smells just like buckwheat pancakes. Interesting. The flavor is more subtle, and that's probably a good thing. The beer still focuses on the malt flavors with sort of a wheaty, cracker taste. I'm not sure I'd order this beer often, but it's tasty, different and drinkable. Totally worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 20:01:09 | More by tempest

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Rogue, Portland, OR

Poured a slightly hazy orange-yellow with a wispy white head; minimal lacing. Aroma of grains, grass, light citrus, green tea. The green tea profile really followed through in the taste and in the texture. I really liked this. Also tastes of light herbal hops, grass, and lemony zest. Body was on the lighter side of medium, but man, for the style, this beer sure went down smooth and easy. Very enjoyable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 20:54:37 | More by Rifugium

lacqueredmouse

Australia

1.53/5  rDev -57%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I can get Rogue in Australia, but this one never really gripped me enough to buy it for the exorbitant import price. But I was always curious so thought while in America, it was worth trying it out.

Pours a very clear light golden colour, with a fine-bubbled head of white. Lacing is extremely good, even if it sticks in obviously large bubbles around the glass. Looks decent enough.

Nose is really rather sweet, with an almost sickly malted grain cloyingness and a whiff of overripe apples. Nothing much of anything else, except a lingering butteriness that affixes itself to the sweetness and makes it seem worse.

Taste is weird, and confronting. Big welling of slightly corny sweetness, more of that faint apple aroma and a hint of something that could be spicy. Oh, it's such an unpleasant flavour - something that just rankles me, rubs me in completely the wrong way. Maybe I just really despite Soba, but in the beer, it's horrid. Feel is light enough, but doesn't do anything to protect against the rank flavours on the palate.

Oh, horrible, horrible. I can see that this is a beer that's likely to polarise opinion, but it has me firmly on the side of despising it. The sweetness is cloying and unpleasant, almost like the juice from a garbage bin. Maybe some people like this flavour. I think it's repugnant.

I'm so pleased I only spent the US price on this and not the AU price. It doesn't work for me at all - indeed I find it truly offensive - be warned that there is the rank possibility that you will hate this.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 03:00:46 | More by lacqueredmouse

DoubleJ

California

4.13/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Yardhouse in Brea, on to the beer:

This beer is lighter copper in color, clear, filtered, and a good tight head. Lace rings are all over the glass as the beer is consumed. The aroma is made up of toasted malt, caramel, and a whisp of hops. The balance in this beer is very good, making this one a very easy drinker. Similar taste as exists in the nose, and somewhat clean. It's grainy upfront with a hint of peach, then it tastes like an APA. I had no idea this was suppose to be a fruit beer, so the style this is listed under was a surprise to me. Oh wait, it's brewed with buckwheat...that's a fruit?!?

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2008 01:08:09 | More by DoubleJ

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a bright sunset orange with a fluffy white head. Visible carbonation was very high.

S: citrus and tart oranges.

T: For flavor there was a dry fruitiness, orange citrus, and pale malt.

M: fizzy with dry oranges and citrus with a slight creaminess.

D: Overall a fair drinking ale, kinda strange and unique which makes you await the next sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2008 17:32:56 | More by beerthulhu

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's fair to say of Japanese culture that it emphasizes conformity; while this ale is designed to be widely approachable and easily quaffed, it doesn't exactly look like most mainstream marketed beers. For one, it has way more colour (a fair papaya flesh tone) and its head retention suggests that they haven't skimped out on any malts.

Soba sounds exotic but it's just the Japanese word for buckwheat. In fact, soba is extremely common in Japanese cuisine and chances are if you've ever ordered an Asian noodle soup or gotten some fast stir-fry to go, you've tried it already.

The aroma comes across without much fireworks. It is a plain-ish, rather ordinary smelling ale, free of fruity esters or much graininess. The buckwheat is identifiable, however, to those who would know to recognize it. Likewise a light drizzle of pungent Pacific North-West hops, which lie delicately over the bouquet like an early morning mist over the seaside.

Whether it's all in my head, who knows, but I'm finding this beer to have a very definite "Asian-y" quality to it. It has the same kind of texture (a kind of cardboard starchiness?) as the soba (and udon, for that matter) noodles that I so frequently get for take-out. The flavour of buckwheat is also very perceivable, as if we were chewing on the seeds themselves, and tasting ever so slightly like dried green peas.

The soba has a very definite earthiness and, while others have termed it as being 'nutty', my lasting impression of it is more zesty, much like fresh-grated ginger. However you describe it - and, honestly, try to, it's quite difficult - the ale is certainly a highly approachable one, with its slightly fruity hops going out way more quietly than I ever thought possible in a Rogue beer.

Morimoto Soba is an excellent offering for the squeamish lite-lager crowd to cut their teeth on. It's a unique and well-crafted beer that at the same time won't come across as too unfamiliar. Snobs may snivel about it being average beer, but I think pretty much everyone else is able to recognize it instead for being something both agreeable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 16:56:58 | More by biegaman

Brad007

Vermont

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Color: Pours a light amber/yellow color with a decent head of foam and a bit of lacing. I like the color.

Aroma: Smooth and malty upfront. Not much else to detect.

Taste: Malty and a bit sweet with a lot of breadiness. Smooth. A bit dry in the mouth. Faint hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Aftertaste is somewhat dry/sour. Not unusual though.

Verdict: Drinkable but at the same time, average. I don't see anything that stands out in an otherwise drinkable ale. I don't understand the soba part but regardless, it's a very drinkable ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 01:38:54 | More by Brad007

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy light golden with a fairly short head. Very strange and interesting beer. Smells and tastes like pancake batter. Doughy, slightly sweet, nutty, grassy, hint of citrus, and lots of creamy tanginess. Definitely buckwheat notes and unbelievably creamy. Highly unusual, and not something I'd drink all the time, but I can see this being quite food friendly, especially with asian foods, either clean and simple like sushi, or more robust like a spicy stir fry.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 01:36:41 | More by Georgiabeer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber. A nice straw yellow appearance with a bone white head. Fizzy carbonation bubbles to the top.
Smells of grain, husk, spice and malted barley. Faint menthol like aroma.
The taste follows the nose, with a slight roasted edge on some hay, sweet malt and grain. Just a hint of nutty malt/grain flavor and grassy citrus. Medium bodied and well carbonated. Good and different.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 02:06:56 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: When poured from a bottle to a pint glass, this one had a lightish amber color and a cloudy consistency. Had a decent-sized, long-lasting head.

S: The aroma was very subtle. Some hops, malt and the titular soba. Doesn't blow you away, but is pleasant.

T: A bit on the thin side in this department. While you get a little bit of hops, malt and soba, it's mainly pretty watery. Very uneven at best.

M: This is a beer that could've used a shot of carbonation. It's just a little on the flat side.

D: This is a fairly average beer. It never really commits itself to its style. The taste is just too thin to love.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2008 15:11:09 | More by avalon07

Tone

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +11%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, golden/copper color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Slight retention and poor lacing. Smells of sweet grass, herbs, hops, slight spice, and slight sweet malt. Fits the style of a Fruit / Vegetable beer. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp with a high carbonation level. Tastes of hops, herbs, sweet grass, and slight spice. Overall, a crisp and refreshing beer. The herbal flavors are not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 17:55:22 | More by Tone

Bitterbill

Wyoming

2.8/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

$5.99 for the bottle.

24K gold colour, 1 finger head of foam, a bit of lacing.

Fruity aromas, some roasted smell(from Soba?), also weird bitter notes. Smells interesting.

The taste, I guess, translates what I smelled. Bitter almost burnt grain flavour, no hints, for me, of any malty goodness. Oh...soba=buckwheat. Well, this little rascal isn't doing much for me but is far from being a drain pour.

Thinnish body with medium carbonation, it's a good thing Soba's on the lower end of the abv scale or I probably would chuck it down the drain. One and done. For good.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:15:06 | More by Bitterbill

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a golden orange color with about an inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both average. Aroma is bready malt, nuts, grain and orange/other citrus. However, the aroma is on the weak side. It tastes the same way it smells, but the taste is stronger than the aroma. The beer does have a nice orange and bitter hop finish. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium with above average carbonation. Drinkability is good, it goes down easy and it's refreshing. I think this is a decent beer. It's not great, but it's not bad either. I wouldn't make it a point to seek it out, but I would try it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 00:57:09 | More by bluejacket74

flagmantho

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: light golden color; somewhat cloudy with a solid finger of compact ivory head. Not too bad.

Smell: the tart/grainy aroma is interesting, but it doesn't really appeal to me. It has hints of something that reminds of a macro lager, but I can't put my finger on it; perhaps the over-arching graininess.

Taste: sweet and cerealy. It's an interesting flavor, I'll tell you what. Not having really tasted soba in such a central position before, I can't say whether it's well-represented here. I will say that it's not a flavor I strongly associate with beer. It has a slight sweetness; in fact, as I drink it, it's slowly growing on me. It is not bad, but it's definitely outside my beer comfort zone.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body; a nice level of carbonation. It's as smooth as you please.

Drinkability: this is not an everyday beer for me. Once every year or two would be fine. That said, I'm kind of enjoying the one that's in front of me now; really, what else can you ask?

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 04:28:47 | More by flagmantho

mynie

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from John's groceries, where they usually do a good job of rotating stock. I mention the rotation because this tastes like it might be a tiny bit stale. But when your beer is expensive and you don't put a date on it, you can't complain if the product being reviewed isn't the product at its peak.

Then again, maybe that staleness is just the soba aroma. Maybe. Because it's got that not-unpleasant-but-not-great thick, sweet caramel that you get in overaged medium-stength ales. But it tastes fine, like one of their spiced ales, the caramel is gone, replaced with a nuttier malt profile, and there's some medium hops and, as always, a very nice yeast profile.

So take that for what you will. It's either a got a little bit of an off aroma but it otherwise a very nice session ale, or else it's a beer that ages pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 04:14:45 | More by mynie