Big Wave Golden Ale - Kona Brewing Co.

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.29/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Clear, golden pale yellow sunshine color. Nice two finger head after the pour. Strong film o' foam for all twelve ounces. Nice bubbling too.

Clean, yet faintly unmalted grain and water cracker aroma. Hints of grass and maybe lemon, plus a pilsner like musk.

Clean and astringent palate from start to finish. Clean hops then somewhat musky and earthy hops on the finish. Malts taste faintly toasted, raw, and crackery all at the same time.

This beer is easy to drink, maybe just a little too earthy/musky for me. Its a pilsner, let its an ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 15:30:39 | More by scruffwhor

Redrover

Illinois

3.64/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I had the Kona Big Wave on tap at Salt Life Grille in Jackson Beach. This is a great updated take on seafood shack. Check it out!

Served in a standard pint glass, the beer is a chill hazed gold with a skim of white foam.

There are apricots and grains in the nose. Blind folded I would have guessed Magic Hat #9.

Taste also leads with apricot. There is a nice floral undertone and some caramel malt. Everything hung together well with this beer.

Mouth is well calibrated for a hot weather beer.

Change of pace beer for sure. But I ended up drinking four over the course of a leisurely two hour eating and drinking session.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2013 17:24:29 | More by Redrover

sumpjh

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-24-2013 14:48:16 | More by sumpjh

jlee922

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-23-2013 19:31:28 | More by jlee922

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-23-2013 06:55:07 | More by JesseMurdock

Turbo

Minnesota

1.5/5  rDev -57.6%

05-23-2013 01:26:45 | More by Turbo

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Kona Big Wave Golden Ale has a fairly thick, rocky, off-white head, a clear, golden appearance, lots of streaming bubbles (etched glass), some lacing, and little white specks floating throughout. The aroma is of fruit (think pineapple), faint bread, and mild sweetness. Taste is all of those, with a strong tap water note. Bitterness is mellow and pleasant, but ho-hum, to an extent. Mouthfeel is between light and medium, and Kona Big Wave Golden Ale finishes dry, crisp, refreshing, lager-like, and drinkable. Overall, this is alright, and I suppose it’s worth checking out.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 15:43:17 | More by RonaldTheriot

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-21-2013 03:23:38 | More by morebeergood

Imperial_Sapient_Groat

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +20.1%

05-20-2013 07:59:29 | More by Imperial_Sapient_Groat

ItsBeer4Me

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

05-19-2013 20:40:18 | More by ItsBeer4Me

Budinetz

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -43.5%

05-19-2013 06:36:27 | More by Budinetz

Nihilistkid

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +27.1%

05-19-2013 06:34:03 | More by Nihilistkid

CMOrak

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-19-2013 01:08:59 | More by CMOrak

bzach

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-18-2013 23:02:18 | More by bzach

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.69/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- slightly hazed golden color with a thick whitehead. The foam shrinks down at a medium pace... Leaving some spots and swirls of lacing.

S- nicely hoppy and almost pilsner-like, but with more of an American west coast hop attitude. Very floral and brightly citrusy with notes of lemon, lilies, pineapple and cut grass. Pale malt background is barely crackerish and the overall aroma is mild with hops in the forefront.

T- interesting balance here.. Bitterness is low but hop flavor is high, seemingly due to the timid subtlety of the malt used. It provides almost no flavor, maybe some bready cracker or cooked flour, but for such a light beer I guess it works. Citrusy and almost tart hop flavor catches the big wave with what could be perceived as a tropical character. Lemon, pineapple and grass, apple skin and white grape. Maybe some star fruit and unripe guava idk. Finishes super dry with lingering tart fruitiness.

MF- light bodied and refreshing. Insanely dry and clean enhanced by zippy, well rounded carbonation.

D- not so bad, if you're a fan of the style. This one really falls somewhere in between a pils and a kolsch as it totally has traits of both. Malt seems to provide nothing but structure which is odd, but the hops are nice enough so yeah like hang ten bro.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 18:04:07 | More by hustlesworth

eheinz

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -29.4%

05-18-2013 00:54:18 | More by eheinz

raffy313

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-18-2013 00:18:11 | More by raffy313

dvanhandel

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%

05-16-2013 23:08:11 | More by dvanhandel

tgatort

Florida

4/5  rDev +13%

05-15-2013 05:37:07 | More by tgatort

KevinGordon

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-14-2013 15:50:18 | More by KevinGordon

BeastLU

Virginia

3/5  rDev -15.3%

05-14-2013 14:57:59 | More by BeastLU

gir02021

Illinois

3/5  rDev -15.3%

05-14-2013 02:02:52 | More by gir02021

jkball01

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-13-2013 16:40:31 | More by jkball01

Joelt123

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-12-2013 02:28:13 | More by Joelt123

bbapst

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-12-2013 02:07:04 | More by bbapst