Not Kona’s best
Written: Aug 20 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Refreshing brew
Cons: A little too sweet, a little too dry
The Bottom Line: There’s a confusing balance of over-sweetness and over-dryness that seem to be an over-attempt at balance. Ardent beer fans should give it a try but not the best of Kona.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Kona Pacific Golden Ale |
The Hawaiian based Kona Brewing Company is one that has really taken me by surprise in recent weeks. The beers of the sunny Caribbean Islands are none too impressive, nor are most of those from Southern and Central America. Even though Hawaii is closer geographically to the lackluster brews of Asia, Kona’s brewing influence seems to learn much from the microbrew revolution of the US mainland west coast.
An enthusiastic recommendation followed my enjoyment of Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. My restaurant will be adding this on draft shortly, and although our bar manager gained most of his experience in Honolulu, he is not a beer drinker, and I like to think that I did impart some influence on this decision during our recent discussions.
Much as I recommended Fire Rock, I thought that Longboard Lager was even better. Not normally a bottom-fermented brew drinker, I do enjoy lagers that have character, and I did feel that Longboard seemed to have many of the characteristics that earn Anchor Steam so much praise among beer writers.
At the same time as my wife picked up the Longboard for me, she also grabbed a Pacific Golden Ale. The Longboard had got the strongest recommendation from the storeowner so it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I got around to trying this ‘other one’.
What the Brewers Say about Pacific Golden
“… a perfect introduction to the Kona Brewing Company's selection of hand crafted fresh Hawaiian ales. This medium hopped, medium bodied ale is brewed for ideal drinkability as well as a perfect celebration beer!“
Malt: Pale, Honey
Hops: Brewers Gold, Willamette, Hallertau
Bitterness: 20 IBU’s (very mild, more bitter than a US lager, slightly less than a Euro-pilsner)
Alcohol: 5% ABV (same as most US mainstream brews)
Tasting Notes
Pacific Golden pours to a hazy golden/brassy color, with a slight white foam that isn’t particularly enduring and very light signs of carbonation.
It carries a full malt nose, a caramel smoothness that is also slightly sugary, while the hop aroma is mild with a slight spice and fruitiness.
The palate is medium-bodied, a little on the light side for an ale with a tingling carbonation.
A sweetness is the initial impression on the taste buds; it’s sugary, toffee-like and fruity, pretty full and well-defined, while there’s also a little graininess mid-palate. It does seem as though things are about to get a little too sweet when a surprising dryness hits the back of the palate. The dryness is pretty impressive in the finish, a little bitter, a little citric, but not overwhelmingly so. The sweetness does linger a little biscuity into the aftertaste, while there’s also a slight reminder of the dryness.
Verdict
This was an adequately enjoyable ale, but at the same time a little confusing. I don’t know if I should say that the flavors strike a fine balance, or that it tries to go too far in separate directions. What seems to happen is that the sweetness is almost boisterous at first, so much so that the dryness has to shout even louder to even things out. It’s drinkable, but I would have to be pressed for choice to try it again. This is certainly not the best of the Kona range, and probably only worth recommending to ardent beer fans.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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