The Big Kahona
Written: Aug 08 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: A smooth refreshing lager with a nice fruity character
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: For those who thought Hawaii was far from the USA, here’s a lager that borrows more from the American microbrew revolution, than the clean/flavorless Japanese versions. Definitely worth 6-pack.
|
|
|
| andaryl's Full Review: Kona Longboard Lager |
If I mention the word Kona, many will picture images of Hawaii, good coffee, volcanoes and surfing. The only mention of Kona in the dictionary speaks of a strong southwesterly winter wind that also brings rain. To me, Kona signifies a fine range of handcrafted ales and lagers, brewed at the best brewery on the Hawaiian islands.
For those not familiar, Kona is a district of Kailua, on the island of Oahu, which is also the location of Honolulu, and commonly referred to as “The Big Island”. Established in 1994, Kona Brewing Company was the first brewpub on the island, although Gordon Biersch has also since found a home there.
According to the brewers:
Longboard Lager is aged for a full month at cool temperatures to create a very refreshing and smooth beer. Its malty sweetness balances beautifully with the hop aroma, which evokes a slightly spicy note, making this the perfect thirst quencher.
Specifics
Malt: Pale, Munich
Hops: Tettanger, Mt. Hood
Bitterness: 24 IBU’s
Alcohol Strength: 5.5% ABV
Tasting Notes
Longboard Lager pours to a pale apricot amber color. It’s pretty cloudy and I did read somewhere that there is wheat in the beer, something I have not seen confirmed elsewhere, while there’s a nice delicate white foam. At first glances this is a very intriguing and interesting lager, suggesting something along the lines of Anchor Steam.
The nose is virtually all malt, showing a mild passion-like fruitiness, while there is also a flowery hoppiness that comes through showing spicy notes.
This beer carries a nice firm palate, with a slight tingly carbonation but a wonderful smoothness. It also carries a little weight for a lager, somewhat medium in body.
There’s a predominant malty sweetness that defines the flavor of this brew. It has a nice fruity feel, probably best described as a mild peach with some underlying fresh crisp apple, and maybe a little hidden raspberry, but then maybe that’s just me trying to suggest too much. The fruity malt carries through very well into the aftertaste, while the back of the palate adds a nice delicate subtle dryness, and a slightly sour finish.
Verdict
This is a wonderful, characterful lager that also manages to carry a nice refreshing quality. I’m not sure if there is any hybrid in the brewing style but it does remind me very much of Anchor Steam or Flying Dog Old Scratch Lager, not only in looks but also in terms of what it achieves.
It’s a very interesting beer indeed carrying both the character sought by beer aficionados and the subtle unchallenging drinkability sought by many mainstream drinkers and newcomers.
Food
It’s an ideal summertime beer, making me think instantly of beaches, picnics or just backyard barbecues. I drank mine with paella last night, although the spiciness did mask the fruitiness a little and I had to hold off on evaluating the beer until I’d finished eating. Try this with grilled gammon steaks and pineapple, or just call Pizza Hut for a Hawaiian Pizza. A hotdog with a sweet mustard and relish would also work fine (thanks for your approval on that one Tom).
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
|
 in Music, Movies |
 in Movies |
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Andrew Smith
Location: California via Yorkshire
Reviews written: 567
Trusted by: 373 members
About Me:September saw The Beatles rereleases. Need help? Checkout my guide here
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.