Longboard Island Lager - Kona Brewing Co.

jcalabre

California

1.53/5  rDev -55%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I originally sampled this beer on 23 November 2002. I am writing this review from my notes.
Appeance: this is a cloudy yellow lager with a white head
Flavor: There isn't much flavor to speak of
Aroma: This beer isn't aware of what this means.
Well, if your goal is to have beers from all 50 states, this one covers Hawaii.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2003 03:58:01 | More by jcalabre

mithrascruor

California

1.63/5  rDev -52.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

12 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a clear yellow color with hints of gold. Minimal white head leaves slight bits of lacing and becomes a thin film. Hardly any carbonation.

Smell: Generic malty aroma; maybe a bit of grasses and honey in there too.

Taste: Malty character with... I'm not sure what. Grassy, but sprayed with pesticide? It's a really atrocious flavor that permeates the aftertaste too.

Mouthfeel: A bit more viscous than most lagers of this calibre. Still light-bodied, but there's something almost syrupy to it. Little to no carbonation.

Drinkability: Undrinkable.

Maybe (hopefully?) I just got a bad batch of this, but it tastes terrible. And what is there isn't enough to make me bother trying it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 17:32:03 | More by mithrascruor

salvo

Indiana

1.8/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours almost clear with soda-like carbonation. Fizzy, light. More towards a mass produced adjunct than the promised handcrafted beer. Says on the label brewed in New Hampshire by Kona Brewery NH rather than HI. Three sips; drain pour. Life if too short to choke this down.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 02:56:52 | More by salvo

theboozecruise

Louisiana

2/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A friend brought this one to me, I know it's available on the mainland but I haven't seen it locally.

It's a clear golden color with a small white head. Nothing special at all here.

There is a faint earthy malt aroma but it's hard to pick up. There's really nothing special here either.

More of the same on the flavor. It's a little grassy with a slight malt flavor but weak overall and unimpressive.

I've gotta say this one is very disappointing. Just "not impressed" all around.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 21:13:50 | More by theboozecruise

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.08/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Ah, my last beer on this US trip. Not a particularly auspicious ending, methinks, but hopefully the awesome brews I have in my luggage to carry back to Australia will make up for it.

Pours a very clear and very light golden colour, with an initially frothy head of marshmallow white. Lacing is large, but sticky and chaotic. Carbonation forms in oddly huge bubbles. Looks decent enough.

Nose is light and crisp, with a slight cornmeal character that drags it into the territory of bad generic US macro lagers. Slightly too sweet for the style, and something about it really puts me off.

Taste is similar. Light and crisp, ostensibly, but with a mealy sweet corn character that slithers in under all the crispness to lend an unpleasant resonance. Feel is slightly too flat and too thin—indeed, the carbonation is surprisingly absent from a beer of the genre.

Very bland, with characters that may well enough be deemed offensive. A rather poor effort from this brewery, and not genuinely any better than similar offerings from BMC. If I'm ever in Hawaii looking for craft brew, I'll stick to Maui.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 05:57:35 | More by lacqueredmouse

stephendr

California

2.13/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle- color of clear honey , with a thin stark white head - nose of hay , grass , grainy and slight bitterness – taste of soapy fishyness , grainy , slight hops , and sour milk - body is creamy but acidic , and with high carbonation – aftertaste of orange peel , slight hint of hoppy bitterness , and gummy – this beer sucks much better on tap in Hawaii

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2007 04:55:03 | More by stephendr

marcpal

New Jersey

2.13/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On tap- Court Jester, Freehold NJ

A: Dull with not much character

S: Smelled like a Bud- nothing more, nothing less

T: Nothing here, no character. It had the substance and character of the run of the mill lager.

M: Carbonation was there but didnt hang on

D: Boring. Dont waste your time on this one.

I was suckered in by the tap, my bad.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2007 05:36:29 | More by marcpal

champ103

Texas

2.17/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Pours a transparent yellow color. A minimal and bubbly white head forms, and recedes in a second. No lace.
S: The aroma is off corn and mineral water. Grainy malt and caramel lingers.
T: Corn, mineral, grain. Nothing lingers. The flavor vanishes before you even know it.
M/D: Light, watery, thin. High carbonation. Not the worst thing to drink.

Maybe one step above macro swill. Though a very small step. I will avoid this from now on.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2010 05:14:50 | More by champ103

chumba526

Oregon

2.2/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

It pours a strong yellow orange color. It smells like sweet malts and alfalfa. The taste is not particularly pleasant. A generic malty bite dominates other ingredients in the lager but there is also another almost artificial and sweet syrupy taste. The taste ends with an ever so slight bitter aftertaste. Simply this beer doesn't do anything for me; it does not seem creative; it seems generic.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 20:02:39 | More by chumba526

SubpoenaDeuces

California

2.2/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Longboard island lager

A very light pale gold color with a thin yellow pallor, open any mainstream lager, and well, there you go.

S almost nothing a slight lemon and a hint of bread, water is the overriding note.

T the taste is very fleeting and imparts a light honey and apple character. overall it is water and thin croissant notes. I would make up something flambuoyant or clever but there simply is nothing here but a mild initial taste with a crisp finish. It’s like biting into a malty piece of celery.

M there is almost nothing to comment on, it is exceptionally thin with no coating. The bubbles cascade the limited flavors up and about but, like most Drama club kids, it just doesn’t bring a lot to the table.

D this is great for manual labor or pushing nerds into trashcans. I can see its refreshing character as having some utility, but the fact is that there are more delicious ways to attain refreshment. Witnessing a high school sophmore deliver a book report on Island of the Blue Dolphins is refreshing, but hardly rewarding. Such is the case with this beer.

Narrative: Tatum’s parents got divorced at age 8, they said it wasn’t his fault. He never got those Streetsharks action figures that he always wanted, he knew it wasn’t his fault. He got placed as a second string nose guard when he was a Senior on the football team, he convinced himself it wasn’t his fault. Somehow, this lackluster individual carried on day by day. He worked diligently at Blockbuster Video, until Netflix arrived and, that really wasn’t his fault either. Ultimately, Ohio’s economy had too many Tatum’s, too many Skylers, too many Aidens, Braydens, Jaydens, Haydens, Maydens, Raidens; but I digress. His strength was his utter lack of individuality. These days, when you get your auto insurance claim handled just appropriately enough, that was the sweet work of Tatum. Update: his job will soon be outsourced.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 08:15:24 | More by SubpoenaDeuces

rtratzlaff

North Carolina

2.23/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Saw the tap handle and assumed it was a new microbrew added by a distributor here in NC. Asked about it and the distributor rep happened to be there and offered to buy me one. Free beer... no reason not to like it right?

Upon the smell, I could tell it was nothing special

Smell was a typical macro lager smell nothing else. My mind thought AB product (I was right).

Taste was exactly the same a typical macro lager with nothing really to make it stand out as different except it might have had a bit more malt flavor rather than clean rice flavor.

Pass this one up before it starts taking tap handles and shelf space from quality stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2008 17:34:45 | More by rtratzlaff

ThreeWiseMen

California

2.23/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottled April 9, 2010 at 11:19am. Three months old - that ain't bad at all. I love how they print the precise bottle dates clearly on every bottle.

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Poured out pale yellow, forming a thin, fizzy head. That head rapidly dissipated to a thin halo, and minutes later to nothing at all. No visible carbonation through the crystal clear body. No lacing. Not at all impressive for an American pale lager.

Smell: Sweet grains, particularly adjuncts, jump out immediately. Hops add a clean, leafy dryness. That's all there is to this one though. I think this may be an adjunct lager; otherwise, it's downright lousy for a plain old pale lager.

Taste: Bready malts and adjuncts (I'm thinking rice), followed by lemon rind and then gritty, grassy hops. A bit dirty - not necessarily in a bad way. Alcohol comes through lightly in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated - fizzy, very light-bodied, with a sour, even twangy, finish. High carb makes it harsh at times, and the odd finish certainly doesn't help.

Drinkability: I was not impresed by this at all. Even if it is miscategorized (I think it should be an adjunct lager), I'd rather have Bud original.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 07:07:10 | More by ThreeWiseMen

deaconoflove

Pennsylvania

2.23/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Ap. Crystal clear straw color. White head appears only if you pour aggressively or swirl the glass, then it disappears.
Sm. Clean! Fresh! Pine and grain.
Ta. A little malty at the beginning, and then goes to a mild grainy cheap beer flavor. Tiniest of bitter finishes.
Mf. Watery with teeny carbonation.
Dr. It is a non-offensive lager. It's actually pretty good compared to normal American lagers, but there's just not enough there to interest me.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 21:22:06 | More by deaconoflove

Pup

California

2.28/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I walk by this beer in my local Bevmo regularly, always curious what this brewery can do with a lager, having tried and liked their Coconut Stout...a lot. I was in a Wahoo's tonight waiting for my order and saw they had it on tap. I had 10 minutes, why not?

After the pour, I felt instant dissappointment. Poured a pale, thin yellow, with little froth that quickly disappeared.

Smell was almost non-existant, I was reminded of a Budweiser.

The taste followed what I expected from the sight and smell, thin and watery with barely a hint of hops, maybe a tiny twinge of pineapple?

Good carbonation, little aftertaste.

Well, you could probably beer bong this one...

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2008 04:35:37 | More by Pup

tlazaroff

Virginia

2.28/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours clear as day, a golden straw color with white head.

S: Grain. Thats about it. Grain. Typical lager scent.

T: Tastes of grain, again, thats about it.

M: Good mouthfeel, its crisp, refreshing, light bodied with moderately high carbonation.

D: Very high, this is a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 00:48:11 | More by tlazaroff

sacfly

Maryland

2.35/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Back from my trip to the islands with reviews, of course.

Served a very pale yellow color. Clear. Thick layer of medium bubbles on top. Aroma is musty… I’m not a huge fan of Saaz hops, and this seems to be the aroma hop. Taste is lacking. Very light malt/hop presence. Body was watery. Aftertaste is very slightly bitter and dry. This beer did nothing for me. There are much more interesting beers to be had in the islands to waste time with this one. It drinks like water… while drinking it and trying to perceive flavors it just plain disappeared. Probably drank it in no more than 10 minutes. Which was fine, because then I could move on to something more interesting. 5.5% ABV? Not sure about that one…

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2005 13:43:43 | More by sacfly

Thrasher

Oregon

2.38/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a pale gold with a high, persistent head, lots of lace. Aroma of cooked corn and lightly fragrant hops. The flavor itself is very similar to any number of cheap adjunct lagers. The absence of all metallic flavors and a light gummy hop quality are the only evidence that this was craft-brewed (by Widmer, I believe). It's a standard lager, subpar for Oregon (it's worse than Henry's), and not worth the craft beer price (over a buck a bottle at the supermarket). The sticking points for me are a raw corn-husk grainy quality that is not at all integrated into the beer, and a too-long aftertaste that resembles slightly spoiled vegetables. The flavor profile is dominated by a repellent brackish quality. The mouthfeel is okay, but not soft enough to resemble a really good lager. I will not buy this again. There are plenty of cheap lagers that aren't any worse than this, and are much more affordable. I suspect this beer might be less offensive if you drink it out of the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2005 01:12:47 | More by Thrasher

Vancer

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A rather odd tasting brew, and not one that I’d seek out again. The skunky, harsh, grainy cabbage was not an enjoyable experience. This after a enticing pour of clear straw yellow, foamy top and good sheet laces.

Aroma was the first clue that this was a plain jane lager – almost no smell, and what was detectable, the grassy veggies, was not inspiring.

No dating on the bottle – I hope this was just an old bottle, and not a fresh example. Oh well, they’re not all gonna be winners.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2007 14:10:27 | More by Vancer

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

2.4/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: clear straw gold, rapidly diminishing fizzy head.
S: some corny sweet graininess.
T: saa, finishes mostly crisp with a barely detectable hop bitterness.
M: light bodied, thin but not as thin as most of the style. Fizzy.
O: better than most apl's, unfortunately served in a large frosty schooner mug.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 23:59:43 | More by MrMcGibblets

slk22

Maryland

2.42/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden color with high carbonation observable, yet no head formation. Aroma is mild with notes of crystal malt and a bit of bread. Reminds me of natural light. Flavor is light as well with rice and corn detectable not unlike Budweiser. There is also a sourness that lingers into the finish along with a bit of a metallic taste. Body is medium and smooth, the most likable aspect of this beer to me. Overall, this is an easy beer to drink, maybe refreshing after mowing the lawn, but not very enticing.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2009 18:37:32 | More by slk22

atomicbeer

New Mexico

2.45/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a light clear gold with very little head into a straight glass. Light straw and grass aroma, maybe a hint of fruit. Thin entry, not much initial taste, then a bit of a malt bang, and then that hint of sour-ish fruit. Is it papaya? pear? lemon? Drying and carbonated, a bit of popsicle stick lingers. A low side of average lager. Not up to the usual Kona quality but might hit the spot as a lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 22:33:41 | More by atomicbeer

lampkins

Wisconsin

2.48/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Was luck enough to get a few bottlles of this from a friend who does the comapny's POS displays. Smell reminded me of a Pabst, and the golden colored lager did not produce much of a head. Did not taste like much of anything, rather bland with no noticeable tastes. Glad to try a beer from HI, just wish it would have been better.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2004 01:54:56 | More by lampkins

popery

California

2.48/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

An unimpressive, boring lager from Kona. This beer was just a half step above the big macro adjunct lagers. It almost tasted of adjunct grains, itself, but I'll just chalk that up to the general lackluster flavor. There's a little bit of spiciness but it's oppressed by the bland pale malt. There is little aroma, at least served cold from the tap. I had this at a fairly random bar and would have chalked some of the flavor problems up to freshness, but I saw other people ordering it and there was a weekly happy hour special on it (actually, I guess that could go either way on what it says about the keg's freshness. At any rate, it's certainly a lager. I kept writing boring after taking notes on this beer. There are certainly better lagers out there, and there are definitely worse ones. I just can't think of a reason to ever try this one again short of a convergence of great need and extremely limited selection.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2008 09:24:04 | More by popery

callmescraps

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Ventured out to the Beverage Warehouse in Mar Vista (or thereabouts) and brought home some goodies. Unfortunately, this beer was not one of them.

Appearance - Pretty beer-like. Can't really call it "golden" it's more like a dark orangish/yellow.

Smell - Easily the worst part of the beer. It smells like the catch basin in a crowded bar. Just terrible.

Taste - A little sweet upfront, but nothing serious going on. Maybe a tiny hint of malty-bread. Pretty bland, which after the smell is a blessing.

Mouthfeel - It's so watery it isn't even watery. It's just water.

Drinkability - As long as I don't have to smell it, it's as drinkable as any mediocre beer.

This beer was terribly disappointing. While cold it seemed fine enough, but the time it took to down a bowl of chili turned it into an only moderately drinkable bev. It's not like I'd never have it again, but it'd have to be ice-cold.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2008 03:57:39 | More by callmescraps

jbertsch

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

So as I was checking out at the register with this beer at Whole Foods, the girl working the register says, "oh I love this!" when she sees my beer. And proceeds to tell me "I don't really like beer, but I really liked this." A red flag went off in my head. This wasn't going to be good. And wouldn't you know...

Appearance is a very pale, clear, yellow. Almost looks like a cheep mass produced beer. Head dissipates quickly, but there's decent bubble action.

In terms of aroma, I smell a little malt, and some corn. The malt comes through on the taste enough. Kind of reminds me of corona. I feel like I should have a lime with it (and I don't like fruit served in my beer).

Mouthfeel is is medium bodied...a little greasy actually.

Drinkability is fair enough, however, since I don't love the taste, it's not tops.

Seems like a way for light beer lovers to take a step into the world of craft. And it's fitting that this is an "island" beer. Why do so many light lagers taste like corn? I wish it wasn't so.

I'll stomach through the 6-pack with some pizza, but I won't be buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 20:48:03 | More by jbertsch