Koko Brown - Kona Brewing Co.

AmitC

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A delicious beer.

Pours brown in color. Clear. Some tan colored head.

Nice coconut smell, slight caramel.

Very perfect coconut and malty blend of a taste. Tilts towards sweetness, but not really.

Mouth feel: Light to slightly medium bodied brew. Decent carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 00:45:24 | More by AmitC

DrinkingWithCruthers

Alaska

2.9/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

To play upon a cliché, appearances can be somewhat disappointing. It’s like when one encounters a great looking woman/man but their personality is bland despite their exotic linage or propensity to color their hair. Fun to look at and pleasant to share times with but ultimately unsatisfying. Thus the Koko Brown with its playful spelling and attractive labeling lays fallen by its timid taste and ultimate forgettabilty.

Upon first looks, my excitement rose eyeballing this bourbon brown colored ale with the small tan head to match. Clear and effervescent looking, I was confused as to the almost complete lack of aroma to be had while chilled. I was especially confused do to the nature of the added coconuts to the brewing process, that while present throughout a tasting, are largely minimal to non-existent in aroma. As the beer rose to room temperature, the coconut was more detectable, but a bit too little too late to quote another cliché.

The one true surprise of this Hawaiian brew is its surprising dryness, on par with most chardonnays I’ve had and definitely one of the driest beers I've ever had. Not sure what to account this too expect perhaps an odd uncalculated quality of the coconuts added to the brewing process. In any regards, this plus the moderate alcohol tinge throughout leads me to believe that perhaps an imperial version of this brew with a heavier emphasis on the coconut and heavier tones could be very interesting indeed.

I definitely like the idea of this brew more than Kona Brewing Company’s iteration, and ultimately wouldn't recommend it to a friend, but it sure is pretty from a distance.

Label - 4
I include this with each bottle/can review because I feel that for the average consumer to even approach an unknown beer, it's the packaging that entices rather than the actual end product. Points and half points are given for Style, Readability, Tasting Note, Brewers Notes and Ease of Bottle Reuse.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 10:27:08 | More by DrinkingWithCruthers

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A 355ml bottle with a bottled-on date of April 2012. Picked up some time back from Trembling Madness in York. The label describes it as part of the Aloha series; a brown ale brewed with toasted coconut and flavourings. Coconut in beer will be a first for me.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear, deep reddish-brown hue with light carbonation. Forms a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a few minutes before settling as a thin surface layer. Aroma of sweet chocolate malt with notes of coconut, roasted malt, chocolate syrup, nuttiness, brown sugar and a hint of dried fruit. Smells a bit like a Bounty bar. A faint artificial sourness lurks in the background.

Tastes of sweet roasted malt and coconut, with a dry finish. Notes of nutty brown malt, toasted coconut, mild chocolate, a hint of brown sugar and stewed hops. Mildly earthy, with a faint acrid flavour in the background. Dry, with little bitterness to speak of. Mouthfeel is tingly with a thin, watery body that doesn't do the flavours justice. Rather astringent - dries the palate. Aftertaste of sweet malt with hints of coconut and chocolate.

An interesting idea with some good flavour combinations, but the execution is flawed. It smells pretty good, even if some of the flavours seem artificial (added perhaps?). The taste is lacking - some nice malt and coconut flavours up front but these vanish like shadows in the light, leaving a faint lingering sweetness. No depth. The body is poor - watery and insubstantial when the flavour demands a thick, smooth unctuousness. It's drinkable enough but could use improvement. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 00:52:43 | More by jazzyjeff13

portia99

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (March 28, 2012 date...not sure if bottled date or best by...) poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours a thin looking, very clear dark brown color with mahogany aspects to it. No head forms at all, just a thin collar of white foam. No lacing.

S - Very nutty in aroma...hints of toasted coconut, mildly vanilla-ish, touch of caramel, touch of roasted malts.

T - Surprisingly bold coconut flavor, which is quite nice. Toasted coconut abounds here. Roasted malts, hints of vanilla, , nutty-almonds?, more than a touch of coffee, slight grainy-ness and very mild astringency.

M - Body is on the thin side. Carbonation is a lowish medium level and just a touch tingly. Coconut is found throughout...almost a liquid Almond Joy. A touch more body would really seal the deal on this being a liquid dessert.

O - A so-so appearance and a lackluster aroma diminish expectations, but the flavor really makes up for the initial shortcomings. This really has a great coconut and nutty flavor, making this a veritable liquid candy bar. Glad to find this random bottle kicking around a seldom visited store today. Not the freshest, but this is holding up nicely. Glad I was able to find this.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 22:59:16 | More by portia99

dfillius

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.
A: Moderate pour yields 1/2 finger tan head with good retention. Reddish brown clear liquid.
S: Coconut is a tad too intense to be naturally occurring. Slight citrus hop. lactose?
T: Generally sweet caramelly malt with notes of coconut and macadamia nut. Tasty, but artificial/natural flavors overwhelm actual ones and seem a but forced. Not heavy-handed by any means, but it makes for a bit of 1-dimensionality. Tasty. Slight earthiness - from coconut?
M: Rich and creamy. Full. Sweet open, dry finish.
O: Tasty. I would have another, but probably not buy 6. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 21:35:11 | More by dfillius

Dave1999

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured very dark brown with A tan head which quickly disappeared.

The smell is dark malts and a little sweetness from the coconut.

The taste is sweet and malty with the toasted coconut coming through.

The mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Didn't really taste like a brown ale but was still very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2012 23:33:23 | More by Dave1999

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours dark brown with medium fizzy head that dissapears quickly leaving nearly no head or lace.

S- ripe coconut, nutty, caramel candy bar, not much malt or hops.

T- Toasted coconut start, followed by a grainy husk, notes of coffee and caramel, prune juice, finishes dry with a faint hop linger.

M- medium body and carbonation, goes down quite slick.

O- a refreshing beer, especially when sampled in Hawaii. It lacks the malty character expected in a brown ale but is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:01:14 | More by Treyliff

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger khaki head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Very dark brown color. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Coconut nose. Flavor is a funky sweet coconut. Not your usual brown. $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT. Bottled Mar 28, 12.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 22:21:06 | More by jdhilt

MadScientist

New York

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: An amber-brown with ruby highlights and excellent clarity. The light-tan head of creamy bubbles dissipates to a cap after a minute.

S: A moderate malt and moderate toasted coconut dominate the aroma. The malt has a moderate chocolate and low caramel, toasty and nutty notes. There is a low citrus hops note as well. There is a slight unpleasantness about the mix of coconut and low diacetyl but it goes away and on the whole still a good smelling beer.

T: A moderate malty flavor that is toasty with chocolate notes balanced with a medium-high bitterness. There are moderately-low citrus hops and coconut flavors and a low fruitiness. The there is a low sweetess in the middle giving way to moderately off-dry finish with a bitter, slightly malty and coconut finish.

M: This beer has medium-full body, a moderate level of carbonation and a very light astringency.

O: A dry than average version of an American Brown with a light touch of coconut. The base brown style is better than average with some great toasty malt aromas of chocolate and caramel that is complimented with the addition of toasted coconut.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 01:24:57 | More by MadScientist

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a chestnut colored body that was semi-clear...two fingers worth of bubbly white head formed and stayed pretty full...nice lacing

S - The nose was very nutty with toasted notes standing out...it had a semi-sweetness to it with burnt caramel leading the way

T - Sweeter flavors start things off before the toastiness kicks in...the toasted flavors are coconuts and other nuts...there is an earthy hop presence towards the finish...the caramel comes back to add more sweetness and take the edge off the toastiness...the finish tastes like cream soda

M - Medium bodied...sweet and toasty, soft carbonation

O - I was looking forward to this coconut beer, but I was left with a little disappointment...a little too sweet and overly toasted...I prefer the other coconut flavored beer from Hawaii...MAUI!

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 20:27:44 | More by thain709

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not being a big fan of either brown ales in general, or coconut as a flavour, I saved his one for a thirsty night after a hot day. Dark brown colour, with slightly sweet aroma (not as sweet malt as many other browns I have tried). The result: a pretty drinkable brown ale, toasty with some complexity. A bit assertive carbonation. Sweetish with a tad of bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 02:29:53 | More by northyorksammy

davebray

2.98/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The appearance of a label can get my attention and this one did. Poured into a glass, it had a short-lived head. The color is brown and appears attractive. I never was into coconut, and the taste is, without a doubt, dominated by coconut. So, I didn't go much farther than a few tastes.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 23:07:35 | More by davebray

Jadjunk

Georgia

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

One of Kona Brewing Company's newest Seasonal offerings (the "Aloha Series"), Koko Brown is an American Brown Ale brewed with toasted coconut. According to the label: "Koko Brown's distinctive, nutty aroma and flavor comes from real toasted coconut blended into each brew, one sip of this roasty, smooth mahogany colored ale and you will feel like you are on a warm, sun-drenched beach in Hawaii. Aloha!" This sample was bottled on April 03 2012.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my Kona pint glass. Served at 44º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a fizzy cream white head that retains poorly. Body color is a mahogany-light brown. Carbonation is light and relaxed. Appearance is not impressive. 2

(Smell) The coconut and toffee is most certainly up front, dominating the majority of the nose. Lesser includes a medium caramel malt, a grassy and spicy hop arrangement and a slight whiff of alcohol. Should one enjoy coconut in their beer, this is certainly an appropriate option, with plenty of coconut up front. 3.5

(Taste) Toffee and coconut again make up most of the flavor, with a much darker caramel than the nose suggests, imparting mild bitter and burnt flavors in the finish. Coconut itself doesn't come off as being toasted, instead imparting a bitter and raw flavor to the beer. Overall the beer finishes dry with coconut bitterness. The beer is likely a hit-or-miss, depending on the consumer's preference of flavors, but overall it settles very average for me. 3

(Mouthfeel) Slick with too little air. Could benefit from a creamier texture. Body is medium, alcohol presence is light/medium. My biggest criticism for the flavor is the overall flatness which doesn't match or pair well with the flavors, accentuating the flaws even more. It's an off pairing. 2.5

(Overall) The intentions of this beer are good, and there aren't too many other coconut brown ales around to compete. The flavors of this beer are a bit harsh on the bitterness and a touch too dry. A creamier texture would do well at balancing the more roasted sweet coconut flavors while masking some off-flavors, of which a few thrive in this specific beer. As is common with many major-brand craft beers, the head quality is lacking and the body is light, indicating that there is room to expand on the body. With some tweaks to the recipe, this could do much better. 3

Kona Brewing Company's
Koko Brown Ale
/5.00

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 23:32:26 | More by Jadjunk

PENISBEER

4.33/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

KONA KOKO BROWN IS THE MOUNTAIN DEW OF BEERS. You know, like when you want something to drink, but you don't really know what you want but you know you want a soda, and you see the Mountain Dew and you're like "Fuck Yeah! Mountain Dew!!!" Thats what its like when I want beer and I see it sitting in the beer fridge.

A: Wtf, are they paddle boarding? It's hawaii, hit up some waves, fags. Greg Noll up in this mother

S- my first thought is port-o-potties. This beer makes me really happy, but ive never smelled it until this review, and it doesnt smell very good! Damn you BeerAdvocate, you ruined this beer for me by making me sniff it.

T_ Sooo sweet and rich. Think like BBQ'd coconut. Minus the BBQ sauce. Plus beer.

M= cant feel my mouth right now. must have drank too manies

O# i fucking love this beer. never let it go. stay in my life forever. but not like married. like one of serveral girlfriends that i can call upon antime.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:31:36 | More by PENISBEER

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from ABC store in Honolulu.

Appearance- Pours a light mahogany with a half finger width of bubbly head.

Smell- Nutty aromas, hint of toasted coconut, caramel, and toasted grains.

Taste- Starts with nutty and caramel flavours. There is a hint of citrus in there. Finishes with toasted grains.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with light carbonation. A tad thin.

Overall- A nice twist on the brown ale by Kona Brewing. I would have preferred more coconut in the beer, but otherwise it has some nice warm flavours.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 20:23:20 | More by leaddog

raznug

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: This beer pours a crystal clear deep garnet color and is topped with a ½” of off white head that leaves faster than it appeared.
Smell I was not expecting a typical brown ale when I got this beer and by the first whiff it doesn’t seem to be. I get coconut and some roasted notes not much else.
Taste: The taste is not something that I am really enjoying it just seems just a bit off. There isn’t much to the flavor as I would expect out of a brown, it is just kind of blah.
Mouthfeel: This appear to pour on the thin side and my palate agrees with the pour rather thin and weak.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 22:56:00 | More by raznug

DavidST

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into pint glass, bottled on April 03, 2012. This pours a clear light brown color with a short lived off white head. The smells are of coconut, nuts, other malts. The feel is medium to light. The taste is pretty sweet and not too bad, lots of sweet coconut, it overpower everything else.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:25:23 | More by DavidST

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a becker.

This is a brown mohagany colored brew with hints of amber along the edges, topped off with a tan colored, one finger thick head that fades to a thin layer.

Smells of sweet, toasted caramel malts, vanilla, coconut and a hint of chocolate.

Tastes of sweet roasted malts, coffee, toasted coconut with a nice subtle hop finish.

Mouthfeel is light and clean, nice carbonation.

A different twist on a American brown ale. Definitely worth a try in my opinion. I have been having some brews from Kona lately and for the most part, they do a good job, which holds true here as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:31:21 | More by ujsplace

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear deep amber to dark brown in color with hints of garnet red (this basically looks just like a coke). The beer has a half finger tall fizzy light beige head that reduces to a large patch of thick film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of sweet toasted coconut, toffee malts, and nuts.

T: This beer tastes very similar to it smells, with strong flavors of toasted sweetened coconut. Additionally there is a solid toffee malt body with some sweetness and nuts. Also, there is a light hint of vanilla.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: This beer is very interesting and I think that the addition of the toasted sweetened coconut makes this example of American Brown Ale a little different. A little too sweet too be sessionable but definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:38:17 | More by dbrauneis

vfgccp

New York

4.28/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - White head with ok retention and low lace. Beautiful mahogany maple brown.

S - Soft, shaved, lightly toasted coconut and brazil nuts. Touch of brown sugar.

T - Super smooth. Soft coconut, hazelnut, and brazil nut. Just a hint of herbal hop in the center. Light caramel finish.

M - Medium body to style. Nice smoothness.

O - Very drinkable. Great coconut flavor without overpowering the brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:04:46 | More by vfgccp

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. Brown to amber color and transparent. It had a finger of head, but it was quickly gone to surface covering.

A slight nutty smell and then dominated by coconut and a little cocoa. It smells like dessert.

Sweet, sweet and then some sweet coconut.

Lighter body, low carbonation.

I really liked the smell, but the coconut just overpowered everything in the taste. Too bad. About a third to half the coconut would make this a really winner and let the rest of the ale show through.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 05:03:36 | More by Fatehunter

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a thin pint glass, color is more amber than brown, witha a thinner head but it laces nicely.

Smell is heaviery on the cocunut, but some light malt sweetness comes through.

Taste is pretty clean, nice toasted coconut flavor, with solid malt sweetness and backone, toasted nutty and some light toffee as well. Hops are there, but just compliementary.

Mouthfeel is pretty well balanced, some nice lingering malt and coconut flavors.

Overall, I like this beer, I think the malt backbone is balanced and a nice complimentary coconut note.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 00:20:55 | More by mvanaskie13

mattsdenney

Tennessee

2.98/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into NB Globe.

This beer pours with a relatively thin off-white head. Translucent, deep brown in color.

Smells include light nuttiness, general syrupy sweetness and maybe a hint of coconut.

Taste is underwhelming; toasted malts, light grains, some sweet coconut essence. Tastes to me like a weak brown ale, nothing really standing out.

Highly carbonated and thin. Not mellow or smooth as one would hope to get from a brown ale.

The thought of coconut in a beer was very enticing but overall pretty disappointing effort. Won't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:53:54 | More by mattsdenney

Fadefury

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Red/brown color with tall white head. Retention is average

S- Lots of malts and hazelnut. Can't really pick out the coconut

T- Very nutty. Slight hints of toffee and coconut

M- Medium body, with mild carbonation. I'd like it to have been smoother, but overall, it works.

O- I wish the coconut was stronger in this beer, as it's advertised up in front on the package. However, it's a nice change up to the standard light summer ales I normally drink. Would buy again

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 01:56:08 | More by Fadefury

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The palate just melts as the beer engulfs the mouth and seduces the taste buds with terms that are best reserved for romantic encounters. Succulents, sweet, rich, and fortified are just a few of the G-rated words that come to mind.

Pouring a deep mohogany hue, the lable describes it accurately as the brilliant clarity really shows off the masculine color. The beer builds a creamy light tan head that reluctantly settles to an intermittent sheet that skirts the surface with islands of lace left behind. The beer does all that a brown ale asks.

Aromas cause the senses to step back as the powerfully rich aromas of toffee, toasted nuts, chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla, and the most subtle of coffee undertones push through with strength and determination but without becoming a bully.

The flavors can't possible deliver the delight that was found by the nose. But it does! Strong but hearty sweetness of maple syrups are backed by the strong and succulent flavor of hazelnut, coconut, chocolate, light coffee, and medium toast in such a way that conveys the sense of becoming Nutella in an alcoholically induced glass. Vanilla, butter cream frosting, and savory starchy flavors offer the perfect delicately placed pillow to support the regal and masculine taste that leap off the page with confidence and artistry. Any bitterness is broad, earthy, and takes the shape of walnut oils and tannin.

Creamy with the starch creaminess of malt, but also with the right touch of carbonation that provides structure and roundness to the otherwise cloyingly sweet ale. The beer takes its own sweet time developing into the semi-sweet, semi-dry finish of woody hop dryness, medium alcohol warmth, and slowly fading malt richness.

Amazingly savory and deliciously smooth, this is one of those beers that you take shorter sips in order to let the beer last longer in the glass. But then there's the greedy part that wants to devour it all way too quickly. With only 12 ounces in my glass, I have quite a quandary!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 05:40:57 | More by BEERchitect