Morimoto Soba Ale
Poured from the bottle into a Tulip. I'm sitting in someone else's home as he completes something for work, sitting and sipping at the Morimoto Soba Ale as my car lies abandoned on I-70 Mile marker 92.0 in Missouri eastbound towards St. Louis. It's been an adventurous (to the say the least) couple of days. I came to Boonville, er rather attempted to, to see my girlfriend who is currently busy and my car died twenty-one miles from her home. My life has an impeccably timed narrator who is apt to lay on sarcastic malice in my weakest moments. He's vastly superior to the narrator of "Our Town." As my car lay dead on the side of the highway, as cars briskly past without changing lanes, I saw a brilliant flash and heard thunder that was close enough that counting was unnecessary. A storm quickly raged and only added to my satirically pathetic situation as she tried to find my car. Sitting in the rain in my passenger seat with the seat belt on, I laughed and decided I truly, truly needed a beer. Flash forward to now, I'm sitting with a Morimoto Soba Ale. I've decided to revisit old friends of mine, from noticing a gap in my reviews of beers I love and from visiting my buddy who's texting in front of me now as his brother plays drums in the room next door. Morimoto Soba Ale is an old buddy who I haven't seen in a year. Reminiscent and melancholy are the words of this review. My bottle may be a bit old, or maybe my memory was too strong. The pour is a very crisp gold, almost fine cider like. There's a great amount of head, three fingers from my pour and there's lacing as I drink. Other beers in this style seem to lack in this presentation (ignoring the color), this beer does not lack in looks. The smell is lackluster from what I'd imagine a beer with Morimoto's name on the label should be. The soba is dry, malty like you were smelling raw ingredients. It lacks refinement. It seems young, wild, ignorant of the world. There's a hint of citrus I want to say there, but it's shy. A good twirl only gives the impression that my ramen is finished. The taste is rather much better than what I expected given the lack of nose. However, it's still dry, something is missing. There's the soba and spice and a hint really watered down orange. Despite the lack of character, which becomes a since of a character, it's sort of enjoyable. In a strange way. It's like sitting on the side of the highway, in a thunderstorm, while images of cops and the news where cars sitting on the shoulder getting creamed play through your mind. There's a sense of enjoyment that can be found in not looking for enjoyment. If I was pairing this with food, Thai for example, it would simply be amazing. By it's self, it's just lacking. The mouthfeel is frothy, light and drying. The drinkability is aided by the great finish that this beer has. If anything should stand above the rest for this beers highlights, it's the finish. Would I revisit this old friend? I wouldn't drive to see it. If I was however enjoying a dinner and saw it and it seemed agreeable at the time, I would say hi.