Name of beer: Koko Brown
Brewing Company: Kona Brewing Company
Brewing Location: Kona, HI
Type of Beer: American Brown Ale – ABV: 5.5% – IBU: 28
Beer Description: From website: “A Nut Brown Worth Cracking” – Is there anything more iconic of the lush tropics than the coconut? The delicious heart of this island treasure has a nutty, toffee flavor and aroma that sends you straight to the beaches of Paradise. Kick back with a Koko Brown, brewed with real toasted coconut, and savor the mahogany color and smooth, roasty malt taste. Available in winter/spring, Koko Brown pairs well with coconut and caramel flavors, such as Thai curries, BBQ meats and carne asada. Its refreshing nutty aroma makes for the perfect beer after a day on the water.
The Beer Guy Review: If you read my review of the Lost Coast Raspberry Brown, you’ll know the Beer Guy is not a fan of brown ales. So, what the heck am I doing reviewing another? Well, the Koko Brown is a seasonal beer, it’s in season, and it just happened to be included in the Kona Brewing Company Big Kahuna 24-pack I picked up from Costco the other day. The variety pack includes 6 bottles each of Kona’s Longboard Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, Big Wave Golden Ale and Koko Brown. Didn’t think Hawaii produced great beer? Think again.
The beer has a smooth pour with no fizz, very little foam and a rich, caramel color. As the name might suggest, this American Brown Ale adds a little extra. On its own, this style beer may have nuts or coffee added. In the case of the Koko Brown, it’s an ale brewed with toasted coconut and other natural flavors. The coconut flavor and aroma overpowers this beer, for sure, but the taste and smell of nuts and toffee were detected as well. This is an incredibly smooth beer.
I’ll say this again because it’s important: the smell and taste of coconut overpower this beer. If you don’t like coconut, move on to the Fire Rock Pale Ale (a Beer Guy favorite, among pale ales). Tasting this is almost as if you were tasting Malibu coconut-flavored Caribbean rum, but in beer form. Give me a sunny, warm beach, a little umbrella to put in my drink and I will truly be enjoying my little bit of “Liquid Aloha.” As for the Beer Guy rating, I give this a:
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the taste of coconut and I enjoyed this beer. It was just a bit too much coconut for me. Stay tuned on this, but the Beer Guy has something up his sleeve. In the coming days, I’m going to revisit this beer, but combined with the Big Wave Golden Ale. The Big Wave has a lot of tropical essence to it. Combine beers you ask? You’ve got to be crazy, right? Maybe…but this is America. It’s a free country. I can do whatever the hell I want. As for not liking brown ales, I just have to cite the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” This is the second brown ale I’ve enjoyed during my short tenure as beer reviewer for Life of Dad, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised yet again.
So, what do you think? Have you had this beer? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Send me a note at The Beer Guy’s mailbag, TheBeerGuy@lifeofdad.com. You can follow me on Twitter (@TheBeerGuyLOD) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheBeerGuyLOD) as well. Take care, happy (and safe) drinking, and enjoy your weekend.
About The Beer Guy – A dad, husband, friend and drinker of beer. I review & blog about it all on LifeOfDad.com, the premiere social networking website for Dads. The Beer Guy enjoys IPA’s and Pilsner’s, but will really try any kind of beer. You may disagree on some of his opinions. Let The Beer Guy know. Reviews are published on Thursdays. The mailbag is open on Tuesdays. Read more here to learn about The Beer Guy, who he is and his beer rating methodology.
The Beer Guy, and Life of Dad, promote responsible drinking. Never drink and drive.