Mar 16, 2011

Kona Brewing Koko Brown

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

I’m not what you would call a fan of coconut. In fact, just about the only things I can tolerate that has coconut as a primary ingredient are those damned tasty Girl Scout cookies, Somoas.

Oddly enough, the only character missing from Kona Brewing’s latest Aloha Series brew (the first on the mainland since 2007) is sweet caramel to ultimately match the delicious little treats peddled by gangs of uniform clad girls. As it stands, Koko Brown, which incorporates a healthy dose of toasted coconut in the brewing process, is a pretty damn tasty brew. It’s got just the right level of coconut for my liking.

Finally a nice day to enjoy a tasty ale.

Brewed with a combination of Premium2-Row, Victory, Carapils, Munich, and Chocolate malt the dark, nutty certainly has a solid malt profile through the drinking process. It’s also been hopped with Cascade, Willamette, Warrior and Millennium varieties to help balance out the malt character, though there’s only the lightest touch of bitterness in the finish.

Appearance

Koko Brown pours a deep chestnut brown with a light tan head that receded to thin ring.

Aroma

There’s a good bit of coconut character on the nose that is accompanied by bready, caramel malts, subtle vanilla and a light nuttiness.

Taste

This brown ale starts off with toasted bread and semi-sweet caramel malt before quickly transitioning to a moderate level of coconut and a light sweetness that lingers nicely. The coconut compliments the darker malts well and is neither dominating nor overwhelming on the palate. A medium body and mild slickness on the tongue make this brew an easy drinker, especially at 5.5% ABV.

Overall

Kona Brewing has something with this little brew. The coconut component within the beer is enough to give it that tropical/exotic vibe that I would expect from a place like Hawaii, but it’s not done in a cheesy, over-the-top fashion. The brewers that crafted this beer kept it well balanced and easy drinking. I don’t think I could drink it all the time, but when in the mood, this coconut infused brew hit the spot nicely.

Rating: 3.75/5

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