Kona Brewing Co.
There were some offerings I was really interested to try from Kona Brewing Co. at the Hilo Brewfest. These are made in Hawaii, special series in the keg only brews. I started off with the Steam Vent Lager because I so much want to like something from Kona in a lager. I don’t like their flagship beer Longboard. I have to say that this one too was not a favorite. There is still that bread yeast taste lingering in there somewhere. This is a steam beer touted as the only true American style. As you can read on the card, it was fermented warm since there was no refrigeration at that time. This beer had a very nice color and I was hoping I would like it. Oh well, the next one I did like.
The Lemongrass Luau was just as advertised, crisp with a nice flavor of lemongrass. It is blonde ale with Maui turbinado sugar and real ginger, although I don’t remember tasting ginger in the flavor. It was 5/8% abv and had a nice balance and interesting taste.
I would like to try it again without the overloaded palate I had with all the fine beers I had consumed before and after. I wish it were available without the drive to Kona to get it on tap.
You may be wondering why all those ladies are smiling at me. I was wondering the same thing and immediately checked my fly, nope, good there, must have been my amazing smile.
Wela is one of the series they are doing in Kona they call Makana. It has barley roasted over Kiawe coals to get that nice, smoky taste and amber color. It is pretty strong at 7% abv and the color was beautiful. It is red ale and supposedly a Scotch Ale type. I really wanted to love this…….can’t say it wowed me. This is another one I want to give another chance though. Red ale and Scotch ale are two of my favorite categories but are very hard to do well. I may get to Kona before they are not offered anymore and give them a true taste test. Until then, the one that stood out was the Lemongrass Luau. Not the one I would have thought but that’s what taste testing is all about.
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