Big Wave Golden Ale - Kona Brewing Co.

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this a few times on Maui in lieu of the lager and found it a simple refreshing ale that hits the spot when it is warm or you are getting the grill going on the Lanai. The hops are there but this not the focus of this beer. I got bored after a couple in that I wanted more complexity but still worth drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2012 23:53:44 | More by canucklehead

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

Overlord

California

2.38/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours yellow, large white head. Smell: pure macro lager. Ugh. Taste slight skunk, overly sweet, unpalatable, sickle, and there's little to nothing "blond" about it.

Just not a good brew, and I never would have guessed that I was drinking an ale. Watery, not very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 02:08:02 | More by Overlord

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

StJamesGate

New York

3.29/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Honey blonde with loose silvery white froth like sparkling wine.
Clean fresh cut grain with hints of white sugar, waxy rind and flowers.
Honey and melon, some husky grain in the middle, and faint floral hops. Lemon peel as it warms.
Grassy finish and sour linger.
Thin, flaccid, tinny, some stick.

Neither the malty depth of an English blonde nor the hop bit of an American. Throws lager shapes, but even ice cold it's hard to picture this one as a quencher.

Actively unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:28:06 | More by StJamesGate

Haybeerman

Colorado

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear yellow/gold color. Poured a 2 finger creamy white head that slowly gave way to an even skim. Decanted lightly. Laced in spots.

S: Light-colored fruit. Slightly sweet bready malt. Faint peppery hop charachter.

T: Just like the nose. Low, even bitter in the finish lets the mildly sweet malt flavor linger.

M: Light to medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Smooth and slightly creamy.

D: Very easy to drink. Very good representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 19:39:35 | More by Haybeerman

ElGordo

Oregon

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bright golden color with a quick flourish of white head. Aroma of very light pale malt with a mild biscuity sweetness and a hint of tropical fruit. Palate is rather, um, neutral. Pale malt with a touch of sweetness and an underlying note of tropical fruit. The sweetness fades on the finish, yielding to a mildly chalky flavor and texture. Body is watery and, again, mildly chalky at the finish. You could do worse than this on a hot day, but it is pretty uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 05:32:05 | More by ElGordo

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a lighter golden color with a two finger white head. The head has a decent retention but eventually fades to give a nice amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is light overall with some bready and malty notes as well as a lighter citrus hop aroma. Mixed with these aromas is a lighter floral hop aroma as well.

Taste – The taste begins with a lighter biscuit and wheat flavor. Some citrus hop then comes to the tongue. It is slightly sweeter and mainly of an orange flavor with some hints of lemon. These flavors take the taste to the end where they combined with some light floral and herbal hop flavors.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer s very light with a carbonation level that is on the average to above average side. Both are quite good for making a very crisp and drinkable beer.

Overall – Rather refreshing and easy drinking. While it is not huge on the flavor profile, it does make for a decent session style brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:09:33 | More by Darkmagus82

brdc

Wisconsin

2.63/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

From notes. On tap in Hawaii.

Poured into a pint, it is light yellow in color, and it came with a minimal head, but that could just be the pour, as this is not exactly a beer bar.
Aroma is faint, grains, some fruity notes, no vanilla as others found.
Thin, it was refreshing for the situation, but it lacks flavors in a major way, so descriptions here are limited.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2011 02:26:10 | More by brdc

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass. Grabbed in a mix a six.

Pours golden clear with fluffy white foam. good head. Pilsy smell. Clean uncomplicated. Light line of hop woven throughout. Smooth. Just a mellow, run of the mill blonde ale. Nothing remarkable or offensive.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 10:12:45 | More by KTCamm

PorterLambic

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, golden color with an off-white head. Decent, in fact, pretty good head retention. Some scattered lacing is left behind.
Smell is a little malt, wheat, hops and citrus blended well together. It gets better as it warms, though.
Taste is pretty much the same. Notes of malt, citrus & evergreen from the hops, slight caramel. Again, the flavor gets better as it warms. In fact, I would suggest waiting 10-15 minutes before starting.
Medium body, carbonation is tart at the start but fades fairly quickly. It's a pretty innocuous beer, a good step in the correct direction away from mega-lagers. Nothing special but at least some flavor and a more restrained hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 22:38:46 | More by PorterLambic

hosehead83

Ohio

4.36/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Light copper/gold in color,with a decent cap of white foam.
Aroma-Subtle citus hops, tropical fruit notes
Taste-Fruity citrus hops, soft pineapple note, underlying citrus rind. Well-balanced, smooth, fresh and tasty. Fish tacos would fit the bill nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 22:46:23 | More by hosehead83

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

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A-golden yellow with a slightly sticky white head

S-bitter grains and cooked vegetables. Smells pretty good actually. Strong scent. 

T-comes in with a very crisp and smooth taste of slightly bitter grains. Theres also a taste of cooked vegetables added. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's good! There's a matching after-taste. It's a solid flavor.

M-medium creamy carbonation with a slightly dry finish

O-this is a pretty decent beer. It's very mild yet the flavors are actually quite bold. I could put a lot of this down for sure, though it wouldn't be my beer of choice. It's just an interesting try really. 

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 01:33:56 | More by AdamBear

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

imported to china by ACBP www.realbeer.com.cn

stamped on neck with 1/18/2008. importer's label also has bottling date

poured into tulip

deep golden honey color with orange and copper hues. relatively clear, though the second half of the bottle brings some haze and yeast sediment. some head, but quickly fades to a few wisps and a ring. no lacing.

faint aroma of citrus peel, with malt note underneath. some other fruity nuances (peach), then some phenols. whiff of grassy hop. hint of bread and yeast.

taste is too dominated by medicinal phenols, throughout and especially in the finish. underneath, some malt and fruity subtleties, plus a snappy hop bitterness, but it all gets lost and distracted by the medicinal character.

not too thin. moderate carbonation.

that's three strikes for kona. sorry to say. although i guess maybe i'll give them another chance, since american blonde ale is such a crap style anyway.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 12:37:44 | More by tai4ji2x

shand

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big Wave pours a bubbly golden color with a small head. The aroma is quite nice, it's got fruity hops, citrus, and a bit of grains and sweet malt. The taste brings the grainy malt up front, but it's not too sweet. The citrus and fruit hop flavors, although rather mellow, do a pretty solid job at balancing things out. The grains and a bit of citrus ride out the finish. The mouthfeel is crisp and light, and the drinkability is great. Overall, a tasty thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 01:50:18 | More by shand

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub in a shaker pint. Glowing gold with a bright white frothy head. Good retention, scattered wet and drippy lacing.

OK, so blonde ales don't exactly command a ton of respect, but for the style this one's pretty damned good. Aromas of orange and lemon zest mix and mingle with a healthy dose of lightly toasted grains. The crisp and refreshing mouthfeel is not a surprise, but the hearty flavor is, and a pleasant one at that. Plenty of citrus midswallow, with grassy notions here and there. These fade away toward the finish, which is quite clean. Pleasantly toasty from beginning to end, with just a touch of sweetness to the malts.

Overall impression: Nicely constructed brew here. Easy recommendation.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2010 12:22:27 | More by PDXHops

BeerManDan

California

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

While watching the sunset and having dinner here in Kauai, this Golden Ale tasted fantastic.

First when I got it at my table, the color was of a hazy golden yellow with very little foam.

The smell of fruit,spice and citrus along with a hint of malt, filled the nose with a very plesant aroma the whole time. There was times that everytime I would take a sniff or a sip the flavor just kept me intrigued.

The taste of all the above just kept coming back. I really like this Golden Ale from Kona Brewing. I've had it in bottle and now in draft and I'll tell you that their is a difference in flavor and aroma between the two. I would rate the draft Golden Ale far above the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2007 04:47:53 | More by BeerManDan

secondtooth

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden yellow when poured into my pint glass. Superb fine white head of foam. Lace is small, but loopy and somehow appropriate for the "surf" theme.

Nose brings some curious tropical fruit aromas -- I get pineapple and mango. Very appealing!

Taste also echoes some of these tropical fruits, especially citrus, alongside the rich malty backbone. I get a bit of citrus hoppiness at the finish, too, making this a very enjoyable and easy to drink session ale. Perhaps my favorite of Kona's mainland bottled brews, so far.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 21:11:46 | More by secondtooth

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.18/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on June 2, 2010 at 6:45am (early!), making this beer only a month and a half old. Nice!

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Standard pour yielded a small, loose, white head that completely fizzled away in seconds. Body is clear and pale gold with no visible carbonation. A quick swirl reinvigorates the head, but only temporarily. This beer has zero head retention. No lacing to speak of either, but that's not too surprising for a blonde ale.

Smell: Sweet, clean grains and lemon rind are the first aromas I get. Following further inspection, I get leafy vegetation and faint alcohol. A little boring, but certainly suits the style.

Taste: Grainy and toasty, with grassy hops forming a surprisingly bitter finish, for the style anyway. Whole grain cracker (like whole grain bread, but with a touch of salt) is the most distinct flavor component. Not as sweet as I had hoped or expected, though the hoppy bitterness sort of makes up for it; I'd rather have a more balanced blonde though.

Mouthfeel: Actively carbonated, chewy, and light-bodied. Sturdy bitterness adds to the mix, and lends to a fairly pleasant, long-lasting aftertaste. Lots of good stimulation for such a light ale! Carbonation could be toned down just a bit, but I dig this mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Easy-going and inoffensive. Actually got better toward the end of the bottle, but it was still forgettable. This is a good purchase for a summer barbecue or similar outdoor gathering.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 05:49:12 | More by ThreeWiseMen

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

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

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

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

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