Longboard Island Lager - Kona Brewing Co.

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: Straw yellow. No foam or lacing. A bit watery, but the carbonation is very active.

Smell: Quite pleasant. Fairly floral, with a soapy herbal background. Subdued, but very summery. Would love to actually smell this in Hawai'i.

Taste/Mouthfeel: One of the most neutral beers flavorwise I've ever tried. Tastes pretty bland, with a hint of straw and a very slight hint of lemon and caramel. Good thing it's not skunked, those flavors would have nowhere to hide. Mouthfeel is a bit sticky. Very thin and watery.

Overall: Promising start, but the flavor says "boogie board" more than "longboard."

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 19:54:35 | More by tjsdomer2

Nugganooch

California

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle from the variety pack – dated Feb. 15 2013
*Imperial nonic glass

A: Straw yellow-gold body that is mostly clear in appearance. Pure white loose retaining froth with a multitude of varying sized bubbles. A combination of faint strings and rows of lace decorate the glass.

S: Smells grainy like corn husks with some crusty bread and a touch of caramel malt sweetness. There is a nice little herbal hop presence in the aroma as well. Has a tart yeasty character noted which seems a bit forward for a Lager strain. Nothing ground breaking although still pleasant.

T: Tastes of bready malts with a significant grainy character. Less perceived caramel sweetness than the nose. Low bitterness factor with a bit of earthy minerals, dry grass, and garden herb hop flavors developing. Alcohol is insignificant here with not much aftertaste noted. Definitely a Lager. Decent and pleasant flavors but pretty mild all together.

M: Light and crisp with a nice drying effort. Upper amount of carbonation provides a nice smooth feel. A touch wet overall and leaves the palate rather clean after the finish.

D: Decent Lager that is crisp and refreshing. Slightly above average I would say. Not something I would drink regularly but would not turn down if offered.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 18:49:45 | More by Nugganooch

ppvora

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Appearance: Poured from a bottle has a light golden color. Beer was clear. Poured it into a tall glass....half an inch of head...that disappeared rapidly (in under a minute).

Smell: A clean and crisp smell. Light. Narrow -- as in not complex.

Taste: Very smooth, very narrow (again, not complex). Mild flavors. No hoppy taste at all.

Mouthfeel: The later sips were more flavorful and "refreshing". Exposure to air made it taste better.

Overall: A straight and narrow lager. Not complex. Mild flavor -- no hoppy taste at all. Light golden color.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 20:03:01 | More by ppvora

ZAP

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A-Bright golden color...a lot of carbonation bubbles

S-Grassy aroma with some light noble hop spiciness..

T-Nice maltiness for a lager...slightly sweet with some vanilla notes...grassy hops on the finish.

M-Clean looking and clean tasting...body is about right...ample carbonation but not excessive..

O-Overall this is a quality lager a step up from the macro's but a tep down from the German's...

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:12:28 | More by ZAP

StJamesGate

New York

3.71/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Champagne blonde and thin white film that's gone in a flash but trails a bit.
Fresh grain sack and lemongrass nose.
Sour, cut hay up front then big grassy noble hop bite.
Lemon rind finish and tight dry linger.
Light, crisp, thin.

It doesn't look like much, and the malts are fusty when they could be more bready, but the body and the bite are right on point. Warm weather quencher. Superior version of a macro lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 19:07:21 | More by StJamesGate

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Date on bottle of Feb 8th, 2013. Not sure if it's a bottled on or enjoy by date.

Appearance: Neon yellow hue with superb clarity (basically water at this point) and a substantial amount of effervescence ascending towards a thin white head.

Aroma: Similar to BMC but with an edge of real malt in there. Although, that may be hard to notice under the corn water aroma. Nothing really offensive in there though which is a good sign.

Taste: Clean and crisp throughout. The flavor consists of corn water and a slight bitterness. The description states 18 IBUs but it feels like that might be a bit of an inflated number since there really isn't any hop character. Which such a plain taste I'd expect any hop flavor to stick out but none does. Crisp finish and not much of an aftertaste besides the corn. At 4.6% ABV it's not too shabby for what it delivers.

Mouthfeel: Just below medium in body but has a certain thickness to it that is uncommon in this type of lager. Lots of effervescence but somehow remains smooth and easy drinking.

Final Thoughts: Even though the flavor is nothing to get excited about, Longboard Island Lager isn't bad. It's just another example of brewing prowess being used for the wrong ends. Because the flavor is so naked there is nowhere for off-flavors to hide. And there are no off-flavors in this beer which is quite the accomplishment in my opinion. Would I drink it again? I suppose if I was looking for a beer to session and was boycotting BMC.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:57:13 | More by JamesMN

neenerzig

Ohio

3.51/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my pokal glass. This beer pours a mainly clear, light to medium pale golden color with lots of little bubbles rising up to the top of the glass. White head is about 2/3 inch thick when first poured before settling to a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass and some clusters of foam here and there on the beer's surface. Decent lacing. Mild aromas of sweet malt and a hint of citrus hops along with a bit of a grassy herbal smell as well. Tastewise it is pretty much the same, A mildly sweet malt flavor upfront followed with hints of citrus hops and a bit of an herbal quality. Spot on for this style of beer I suppose, this is just not my favorite style of beer or a style I'll go out of my way to drink very often. The flavors just seem a bit bland overall, I wish they were stronger all around and more in your face. Has a fairly crisp, yet smooth, light to medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate to heavy carbonation. I would enjoy drinking this outside on a hot summer day, but otherwise it is not something I'd go out of my way to drink again.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:36:13 | More by neenerzig

kismet

Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

thanks to my friend neal for this sample. pours extremely pale yellow with a rocky head that hangs around for nearly the entire glass. smell is sweet and "beery" with lots of malt and a bit of lemon. taste is extremely smooth...tasty sourdough bread with a hint of lemon hops. this beer practically drinks itself. i had it with a bag of barbeque chips, and it was a great midnight snack. mouthfeel is on the thick side, and i totally enjoyed this beer. could not find a freshness date, but it was well-made and made me want to find it in my area this summer....excellent grillin and chillin beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:12:36 | More by kismet

FlyingBull

California

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Purchased this beer in a variety 12 pack. I started with this one, had the pale ale next, and finished with the Koko Brown. I've had their Pipeline porter and I really enjoyed it.

Into a Pilsner glass, this brew poured a nice clear golden color with a 1/2" white head that held to some degree for the whole serving. There was nice lacing down the glass as I enjoyed. The aroma was sweet malt with mild hops that were a little fruity and herbal. The initial taste was sweet malt, followed by herbal hops and some bitterness. This beer seemed on the full body side and was balanced nicely by the carbonation. All in all, I enjoyed this beer and wish more American lagers were like it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:34:09 | More by FlyingBull

midnitesun11

Illinois

3.59/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Golden straw like in color with a one finger white head. It also has plenty of fizzy carbonation bubbles and very little lace.

Smells of malts and a hint of citrus. Nothing too special smell wise.

Tastes smooth with citrus like hops to start and finishes with a malty flavor. Better than but comparable to a bud light or miller lite.

Mouth wise it wasn't anything special, a bit of carbonation but a watery like feel.

Overall id say its a better than average American lager but nothing that special. Would be great for the summer.

Served in a Pabst Blue Ribbon pint glass.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:05:52 | More by midnitesun11

hdf561

Virginia

3.56/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Originally saw this beer at Disney World in January on tap during Marathon Weekend did nto try it there but they described it as an Island Lager which is how Landshark is described and I love that, so picked up a 6 pack when I saw it at home

This is nothing like Landshark but it is still pretty good. It was darker and heavier than I usually prefer but had a great taste and a good mouth feel, and no heavy after taste.

Overall this was a solid beer and I will drink and purchase it again especially when we head back to Disney in June. I would not recommend it for tailgating, or anything where your goign to drink alot of beer (parties etc) but if you grilling out, or just want a few good beers then this is right up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 18:16:30 | More by hdf561

mactrail

California

3.44/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale golden color in the Duvel tulip. Starts out with a nice slosh of foam, though it doesn't last as long as average. There is a nice spritziness in the mouthfeel. Faint but pleasant hint of resiny hops in the nose.

This seems to have a more substantial mouthfeel than some lagers. Not much in the way of malty flavors, but there is a nice lemony flavor. Hints of cereal and minerals. Very slight bitterness, some herbaceous taste, and not much aftertaste.

This seems like a better than average light lager though it's not what you'd call crisp. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Ralph's Supermarket in San Clemente.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:36:16 | More by mactrail

RyanTeeter

New York

2.51/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

a: This straw colored Lager was lacking on most aspects. Head disappeared in disappointment. Crystal clear.

s: Aroma very much reminded me of what I drank in college (Bud Light, Coors Light, Natural Light, etc). Very faint, light grassy malt with even lighter citrus notes.

t: Taste was a slight sign of improvement...slight. Very light taste. Grassy maltness with an ever slight bitter taste.

m: Watery with a last minute cliff hanger on the back of your tongue. Certainly the highlight of this product.

o: overall this was a huge letdown. This beer brought me back to a time when I drank beer for one purpose...and it wasn't the taste. Everything was lacking, in all categories. Summertime drinking would not lend itself to this flat beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:49:10 | More by RyanTeeter

im4beer

Utah

4.36/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A= Poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass. Apple cider color with little head.

S= smell of sweet citrus

T= light, crisp refreshing and sweet. Starts with a orange and lemon tones and finishing with sweet malt. Little to no hops.

M= light, lighly carbonated feel

O= Very delicious beer. I normally like heavier beers. But this is a great American lager full of flavor and quite refreshing. I will drink another when I get the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:19:38 | More by im4beer

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.94/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured this Pale Lager from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a clear yellow color, produced an average white head and retention and lacing were average. The aroma consisted of malted grain and pears. Light in body,a foundation of malted grain, white pepper spice and herbal hop bitterness. Smooth. Well balanced, impressive session beer, high marks within the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 20:34:50 | More by GossageBrewery

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.44/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I poured this beer into my tulip glass. There was almost no foam on the lager. The coloring was really light yellow (like the BMC stuff).

Off the top I smell a pretty decent amount of funkiness. This definitely smells like cat pee.

The flavor was pretty bland. There wasn't much going on there. I could see drinking this in Hawaii... actually I could see myself drinking any beer in Hawaii.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:45:53 | More by ummswimmin

hosehead83

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear, pale gold in color, with a rather short head of bright white foam.
Aroma-Pale malt
Taste-Pale malts, grain, faint apple skin. Very crisp and refreshing. A nice lager that would appeal to the masses at a backyard barbecue.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 22:40:18 | More by hosehead83

OneLowChevy

California

4.23/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I had seen this beer around quite a bit but being on a budget i never bought it. I had a yard sale and someone gave me cash and a case of Longboard as a payment. I figured it was a fair trade! I was very happy with the taste right away. I poured it into a pint glass and the color and smell were very good. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 21:11:51 | More by OneLowChevy

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.74/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Kona Longboard Island Lager.
kona Brewing Company, Kona, HI, Portland, OR, Woodinville, WA, Portsmouth, NH. Fresh. Responsible. Always Aloha.

Clear, golden, slim white head.

Clean, cereal malt nose. Lightly hoppy, and dry.

Taste: Clean comes to mind, once more. Light bodied, lean, classic malt profile. Crisp, dry, with a short finish, that leaves the palate, and urges another drink. A well-put-together lager if there ever was one.

Let's read the label: "Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is the birth place of longboard surfing. Kona brewing pays tribute to this iconic place with our longboard island lager, a spirited, crisp and refreshing brew. Longboard is a smooth ride all the way in. Thirst's up!"

If you're looking for a lager, don't pass this one by.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:29:14 | More by feloniousmonk

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.34/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

This pours a clear, pale goldenrod color with a slight, off-white head. The scent is of cheap, grassy grains. The taste and texture are rather thin, after all Hawaii is a warm climate year round. But what’s nice is this beer also delivers a decent taste while being lighter on the palette. Tastes a little like a German Pilsner. It’s easy drinking while delivering some good wheat and malt flavors, a pretty good beer for its style.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 04:51:27 | More by Lemke10

morimech

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very pale straw color with one finger of head that quickly settled to a thin film of suds. Just a few specks of lacing is left down the glass.

Sweet malt aroma with a touch of grassy and spicy hops.

On the sweeter side of pale lagers. Clean malt and hop flavors. Hops add some grassy tones.

Not much going on in the mouthfeel. Very light and I would say undercarbonated.

A good beer for the beach but for even a pale lager, not much going on. Far better pale lagers around.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 18:26:58 | More by morimech

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Label bottling date of Nov 13, 2012.

Appearance: Pours a clear pale yellowish golden orange. Lots of rising bubbles and a big four finger white head with good retention. Leaves a good amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A grainy, biscuity, Pilsner like aroma. Sweet pale malts with hints of wheat grains, biscuit, yeast, and straw. Some hints of citrus orange and lemon zest. Light presence of spicy earthy hops lingering around. Fairly grassy. A very malt and grain driven smell that is solid.

Taste: Like the aroma hints, a grainy malt driven taste with nice notes of biscuit. Sweet pale malts upfront with notes of biscuit, wheat, yeast, cereal grains, and a little straw. Nice undertones of citrus orange and lemon. Subtle presence of earthy hops that are fairly spicy and grassy. Light taste, but a solid lager taste for the style.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very crisp and smooth with a nice little bite.

Overall: A pretty nice take on the lighter lager style. Nice taste of biscuit and light citrus.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 08:04:24 | More by MattyG85

dnmyrick

3.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Nose-a little grainy

Mouthfeel-refreshing and light, but not too light.

Taste-the best way I can describe this is that it tastes somewhat like Michelob did back in the late 70s and early 80s (and that is a real compliment) before the ingredients and recipe got altered in the late 90s. That means smooth with a light to medium weight.

Bottom line: It's an all-around damn good session beer on a friday night after a hard week!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 00:20:07 | More by dnmyrick

sammy1185

Missouri

4.8/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle into Sam Adams Perfect Pint

A: Gorgeous dark straw, bright white head

S: Yeast, malt and a hint of hop

T: WHOA! This is in the same category as Bud LIght? Absolutely no comparison. So much flavor and richness out of a lager. The best lager I've had, by a long shot. A bit of yeast, a bit of pale malt, super crisp with a nice hint of floral sweet. I could drink this for breakfast.

M: Nice, crisp carb, with a smooth finish

O: I'm so glad this made it to Missouri. Definitely a go-to poolside beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 23:17:45 | More by sammy1185

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Bottle into dimpled mug.

Very clear golden yellow body with a fizzy white head of 2 fingers. Weak lacing, but respectable retention.

Smells grainy and sweet with a big spicy hop note. The flavor is much more bold and assertive than the average pale lager, but the profile isn't very impressive-- it's like listening to a crappy record but hoping it will be better if you turn the volume up a lot. This beer didn't start out with a good flavor, it simply turned up the volume and made the mediocrity louder.

A few points are awarded for the effort-- there aren't many pale lagers with this much flavor... But that grainy malt melds with the spicy floral bitterness to create a very unpleasant off-taste as I swallow. Fortunately, the beer has a dry crisp finish.

Light, well-carbonated body is easy drinking.

Overall-- this might serve as an "intro to craft" for some, but does not impress me as some one drinking 'better beer' for several years.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 17:51:19 | More by AleWatcher