Big Wave Golden Ale - Kona Brewing Co.

riversider76

New York

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden orange with a thin white head. Not much retention, and just a hint of laceing. Aroma is of fruit, and grassy hops. Body is light,and crisp with mild carbonation. Taste is sweetart, with a hint of bready malt. Smooth and refreshing. Liked it.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:18:12 | More by riversider76

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this in Maui on my first anniversary of my marriage. Kona brewing is pretty much the only craft beer that is found in the Ka'anapalli/Lahaina area of Maui. The color is a nice golden body with a light airy head on it. The aroma has a nice fresh grainy kick to it with a mild hop standout. The taste is clean and refreshing with a heavier taste than I expected. Not a world-class beer, but a nice little beer to add to my collection.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2005 02:01:15 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 11-13-09
Cold from a bottle to a glass

A - Cloudy golden yellow, fair amount of carbonation, less than half of a finger of foam

S - Sweet malt smell reminds me of a citrus smell. Little hop smell

T - light bodied, malt aftertaste, not to overpowering on the malt, pretty smooth going down

M/D - To me a light bodied brew, sweet malt taste with little malt aftertaste. Finished pretty smooth though, not bad from Kona, not my favorite from Kona but for sure it's worth trying. I could enjoy a couple in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 18:29:44 | More by FreshmanPour77

ZAP

Minnesota

3.84/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A-Mostly clear but a slight haze to a light golden colored ale. Nice creamy white head...

S-Very citrus forward...sweet citrus....oranges...tangerines....apricots....peaches...yes a lot of peaches the more I smell...

T-Not full flavored but has a nice citrus component....peaches and oranges....lighter than on the aroma...could use a little more malt backing.

M-I know this was meant to be a session ale but it is too light in the shorts for me. The very watery body takes away from the flavor some actually as your attention is drawn to that instead.

O-I really like the aroma and the flavor to a lesser regard...the body is very light...I guess in the heat and sun a low ABV tasty ale like this would drink nicely but I wonder how much better this could be with a little more malt at say a still sessionable 5%?

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:00:03 | More by ZAP

Hibernator

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale
12 oz brown bottle
Served in a 20 oz tulip pint glass

Pours a golden haze blend of orange and yellow.

Whiffs of light hops and ripe fruit. A rather modest nose that doesn't overpower the senses, yet very pleasant.

Fruity with hints of pear and apples. Snappy moderate hop finish. The mouthfeel is smooth with a nice body. A rather nice and enjoyable blonde ale with a pleasing drinkability level.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2006 23:16:02 | More by Hibernator

stephens101

Oklahoma

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Didn't think Hawaii would have good beer, but they do, and this stuff is made to take you through long lazy days fucking around at the beach. This one poured a golden orange. Smelled a bit of orange peel and malts. Light bodied and drinkable yet had some tastiness so didn't become boring. Tasted of malts and maybe some slight fruitiness and hops coming through and finished smooth and satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 23:27:36 | More by stephens101

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Taking a break from the fall and pumpkin beers I opted for the Big Wave Golden Ale.
Pretty much what I expected. A light golden colored ale. It has a very nice aroma of citrus fruits and hops. This is a mild beer with good flavor. Sweet up front and finishes with a very mild dry bitterness. It is lightly carbonated. It has a light but not watery mouthfeel.
Extremely easy to drink.

This would be a great beer for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:36:16 | More by JohnFatAss

tdm168

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A - bright, clear, gold with a soft, thin, white head

S - herbal hop aroma and some faint cereal grains

T - cereal grains, herbal hop character

M - light to medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a rather refreshing, light, very easy to drink, session beer. This would be great on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:47:44 | More by tdm168

r0nyn

New York

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina, Hawaii. Served in a pint glass.

Looks just like your typical lager, straw-colored and clear with little to no carbonation. Not very much lacing either. Some maltiness in the smell, along with very faint traces of citrus and fruitiness. Not bad.

Maltiness carries over into the taste, along with a very slight twinge of bready flavoring. Just a light bit of bitterness, which suits me just fine. The finish has some fruity nuances, including banana and pineapple. They become more evident as the beer warms up a bit, and were definitely a pleasant surprise. Not too much of an aftertaste. Mouthfeel is a bit heavier than expected, but still pretty light with some decent carbonation.

I could easily have knocked back a few more of these, thanks to the pleasant taste. Very nice complement to the stellar burgers served at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2010 07:52:38 | More by r0nyn

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Label bottling date of Nov 15, 2012.

Appearance: Pours a pale yellowish golden orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Solid three fingers of white head with good retention. Leaves a decent amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A laid back aroma of citrus fruit and soft malt. Soft pale malts with hints of wheat, grain, cracker, and biscuit. Decent hints of citrus orange, lemon, and a little mango. Hop scents are very faint. A very light smell but the citrus hint is nice.

Taste: Like the smell hints, a pretty light taste with citrus being the dominate flavor coming out. Pale malts with some notes of wheat, cracker, grains, and biscuit. A nice taste of citrus orange, lemon, mango, and pineapple. Light earthy hops and grass towards the finish. A decent taste for the style.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Crisp, clean, and somewhat juicy. Goes down very easy.

Overall: A decent version of the Blonde ale style. Light and crisp with a nice citrus fruit taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 07:03:34 | More by MattyG85

GregBlatz

Ohio

3.79/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A - Golden, small white head. Clear but with a tiny bit of haze.

S - Sweet grain and lemon.

T - Big hop taste. Dragonfruit or mango. Interesting hop flavor that I can't put my finger on. It is a welcome hop aggressiveness that I was not expecting.

M - Somewhat thin as expected for the stye. Medium carbonation.

O - Wow, now this could be very refreshing on a hot day but you still get some hop flavor. I would like to buy this in 6 packs if available in OH.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 21:29:06 | More by GregBlatz

Floydster

California

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pint at Moose McGillicudy's in Kihei and Lahaina while I was in Maui a couple weeks ago, reviewed from notes, think I also had a bottle of this earlier that week

A-Light golden orange color, 1 1/4 inch creamy white head, nice retention, not much lacing
S-Sweetness, caramel, toffee, and bready malts, some orange peel, mild hoppiness, and a hint of fruit juice
T-Starts off with a bit of sweet fruits, malt is also on the sweeter side in the middle, then some very light hops in the finish, gets more flavorful as it warms and juicy fruit becomes more prominent, could have used more dryness to balance it out, still different from any blonde I have ever tried and quite surprising
M-Sweet, chewy, and a little dry mouthfeel, needs more carbonation and was a little on the syrupy side, medium body that was impressive thickness for a blonde, taste lasts pretty long
D-ABV seems low, light on the stomach except for the occasional heaviness from the sweet accents, nice session beer, goes down pretty easy

This is the one beer that Kona bottles and does not send over to California, so that explains why I had never seen it, not bad for three dollars during happy hour at the Moose, that place reminded me of the old one in Redondo Beach, would drink again, recommended

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2008 04:34:08 | More by Floydster

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I poured this from a bit above the glass giving it a big white head that dies into a thin lacing above a clear golden colored beer.

Light sour citrus hops with some light grains aroma.

Big citrus hops taste, but not just lemon, a nice variety it seems. Also adding to the citrus taste is an added light grain malt that gives this beer a nice balance.

A light bodied beer with a light dry aftertaste that brings with it a slight citrus bitterness.

I usually don't care to much for the so called golden ales but this one is quite good for that style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 21:32:06 | More by LXIXME

SkunkWorks

New York

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden yellow color, light aroma, reasonably carbed, and overall generally seems like a BMC with a little extra flavor. Its fairly boring to be honest, but that's the style. Worth drinking if you're looking for something light and has a lot of flavor considering that its a blonde.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 06:35:36 | More by SkunkWorks

magnj

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From my mind notes. I asked if it was an IPA, waitress said yes...she was obviously wrong.

A - Light golden body, not terribly clear, low head retention and lacing.

S - Really mild aroma, pretty neutral but tilted toward malt. Reading the ingredients now, I would say the honey is detectable. Hops are low as per style, however at the time I was surprised.

T - Again a pretty neutral body, hops were detectable but grassy. Body was somewhat bready, grainy and a little sweet.

M/D - Light body despite the honey or maybe because of the honey. Easy to drink, pretty tasty. Obviously brewed to appease the non beeradvocate tourists who want a taste of the local brew, not a bad thing, not a bad beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 23:11:46 | More by magnj

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured out with as a really nice clean and clear looking yellowish gold. The head is white a fizzy looking. The retention and lacing are minimal. The smell of the beer has a grainy malt sweetness that it relatively inviting. Some honey-like aromas are coming in there as well. The taste of the beer has the same type of sweetness with a bit of a corn-like flavor. There is minimal bitterness throughout. The mouthfeel of the beer is light bodied, nicely carbonated and slightly creamy. Overall this beer is very drinkable and refreshing too.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:48:23 | More by Knapp85

pkalix

California

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

straw color pour. hope that isnt a bad sign. 4.4% that is a bad sign.... no head to speak of.
smell is pine-y, floral, grapefruit.
taste is . . . . pine-y, floral, grapefruit. eh, nothing special. drinkable, i guess. wouldnt be interested in having more than two of these in a row. maybe 1 and a half.
mouthfeel.... is good.
overall, not my style. it's a hop-py version of a landshark. not much more to say than that. this was beer #6 to fill out my mix-a-six at whole foods this afternoon... i think i had to use the restroom or something and didnt put a whole lot of presence into the decision... but that's why i have the side of Woodford Reserve bourbon. and the LAkers game....

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:32:48 | More by pkalix

therica

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found on-tap at LuLu's Surf Club in Waikiki (see my separate review for that establishment which I added). I was with my sons, we had 3 on-tap Hawaii beers brought to us (Fire Rock Pale Ale, Kona Big Wave Ale and Longboard Lager). We each seemed to prefer a different one-- my older son preferred this one, and my least-choice. I had it again on-tap later at another establishment, and I liked it better that time.

A= modest head that dissipated quickly, lighter pale-golden with a slight bit of a cloudy haze.

S= light honey-malt nose with something like candy-apple.

T= modest hops-bite and the same honey-malt taste with some candy-apple. Slight smoky taste.

M= fine, nothing obtrusive unless you just plain don't like a slight hops-bite.

D= very drinkable if you like the first one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2007 04:59:49 | More by therica

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.69/5  rDev +3.9%
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

Minkybut

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer poured a fair head but it went away really fast, Not very pretty. The beer had a nice golden color to it though and looked pretty normal. I could not believe how bad this beer smelled, YUK! I'm glad it did not taste like it smelled. It smelled like a guys underarms that had been dressed in black all day riding a camel across the dessert. However the taste was really good, very refreshing and had a good grainy corny taste I like. I will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:30:50 | More by Minkybut

Sixpoint

New York

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is definitely a volume beer. The sample I poured was brought back from Hawaii, thanks to Nancy and Joe for this one.

My sample poured with absolutely no head at all. I MEAN NO HEAD AT ALL, not even at trace.

The aroma was neutral, maybe just a whiff of hops in the background.

Suprisingly, the beer was almost perfectly balanced and clear of off-flavors.

The mouthfeel was light to medium, with little carbonation.

Overall, a very drinkable beer in terms of quantity, but not enough flavor to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2005 20:11:38 | More by Sixpoint

snogglethorpe

Japan

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A medium straw color, with a small, fizzy, short-lived head.

Smell is "beery" with a whiff of fruit.

Taste is similar, but more fruity, sweet, malty. Hops are there, but very subdued; still, I'd say it's reasonably well-balanced.

The best part is the mouthfeel, which has a slight thickness/oiliness, and is crisp/fresh at the same time. Very satisfying to drink (even though the taste is slightly bland), with a kind of "snap" when you take a sip. Nice, goes down well.

Not my favorite style (I bought it because the store didn't have anything more to my taste), and I think Kona's "Fire Rock Pale Ale" is better (more hoppy/fruity/full), but Big Wave is a decent beer, especially considering its style (most of the "golden ales" I've had have been much blander).

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 13:23:10 | More by snogglethorpe

confer

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Gold in color with a white head that disappears quickly.
The dominant smell is vanilla, couldn't figure that out.
This turned out to be a very plain malt dominant ale. A little watery in the feel and definitely not Kona's best offering, but for drinking in an open air bar somewhere in the islands it works pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 00:25:55 | More by confer

MadScientist

New York

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A pale golden beer with good clarity. The white head is made of rocky bubble having a fiar head retention.

S: moderate malt sweetness that has fresh baked bread character along with a light peach fruitiness. It has a moderately-light citrus and pineapple hops aroma.

T: There is an initial malt sweetness with a very-light bready malt flavor. It has a moderately-light hops bitterness and light citrus and tropical fruit hops flavor. There is a light bit of fruitiness. The balance is somewhat bitter with a medium-dry finish. There is a light citrus aftertaste.

M: The is a medium-light bodied beer with moderately-strong carbonation.

O: An easy drinking, light bodied beer that would be nice and refreshing on a hot day. Would pair with seafood, chicken and lighter food.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 23:56:56 | More by MadScientist

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap after a round at Luanna Hills Country Club. Pretty clear, and golden in color. Thin white head disappeared pretty quick.

A bit grainy in the aroma. Pretty pale. Reminded me of a pale wheat. A bit of fruit as it warms, but not much.

Seemed a bit tart, with some astringent-like notes. A bit of fruit and grainy.

Light body, with ample carbonation. Not a whole lot here, but oddly enough, I found this to be rather refreshing, (maybe it was the dozen balls I lost on the course). Not very exciting, but decent.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2007 17:14:40 | More by Bierguy5