Koko Brown - Kona Brewing Co.

Cbus_Brew_Master

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Along with another beer this was my first keg tapped on my new dual kegerator.

Very smooth beer for being a dark brown ale. Strong hints of coconut and vanilla. If you are only looking to have a couple beers this is a good choice. Anything more than that the coconut starts to become overwhelming in my opinion.

I actually had my first Koko Brown when my wife and I were on vacation in Waikiki so I had to make it one of my first kegs. Kona had just started to distribute to Ohio.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2013 21:53:36 | More by Cbus_Brew_Master

SteveTheDog

California

3.64/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A nice production from the island. Poured into a pint glass, at first I thought it was a dark brown but it has more red tints in the light. Great smell of vanilla and coconut and not overbearing. The taste really brought out more of a toasted coconut and reminded me of an unsweetened macaroon - I mean that as a good thing too. It didn't have the sticky aftertaste I was expecting and that was refreshing. I'd gladly have another one.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 20:58:36 | More by SteveTheDog

LambicPentameter

Kansas

3.66/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 12 oz brown bottle into a 16 oz nonic glass. Date printed on the label reads APR 10 13, but I can't tell if that's a bottling date or a freshness date, so this bottle is a couple months past its prime at worst.

Appearance - Aggressive pour yields a khaki one-finger head of small bubbles that dissipates to a rim of foam and a film of bubbles after about 60 seconds. Body is translucent brown resembling varnish, and when held up to the light, a rich jewel-tone red shines through. Lacing is spotty

Smell - Nutty earthiness is the base, perhaps some hazelnut. Toasted coconut is also easily recognizable as well as some notes of vanilla.

Taste - I was afraid this would be just another brown ale, but the coconut really shines through and in a pleasant way. Malty base works well with the burnt/charred characteristics reminiscent of toffee. Perhaps a hint of hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness.

Mouthfeel - Light-bodied and with a slightly cloying nature gives it a lingering aftertaste. Carbonation is present, but not overbearing.

Overall, I'm fairly impressed by this beer. Not something I'd drink all the time, but a solid change up from the types of beers that tend to be so popular these days. Surprisingly refreshing for a brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 03:36:34 | More by LambicPentameter

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

I am almost finished with the last batch of beer that my local, in-person trader, tone77, dropped off for me. It has been an interesting go, with lots of styles that I would otherwise eschew, but which allow me to keep my hand in.

From the bottle: "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!"; "Since 1994, Kona Brewing Co. has been committed to making handcrafted ales and lagers of uncompromising quality. We invite you to visit our brewery and pubs whenever you visit Hawaii. Mahalo!"; "Ale Brewed with Toasted Coconut and Natural Flavor Added".

My pour was creating a good bit of head so I backed off to allow it to settle a little before proceeding. I started with close to two fingers of foamy, light-tan head, but the intense carbonation caused it to bubble and burp its way out of existence. Truth in advertising strikes again! It was, indeed, a mahogany-brown with NE-plus quality clarity, enabling me to see through walls. The neighbors need to let the dog out, apparently. Nose was rich with caramel and coconut and I was reminded of a "Peanuts" strip in which Linus or Lucy had a box of chocolates and inadvertently chose a coconut and then made a face. I remember thinking that I liked coconut as a kid and especially my grandmother's pound cake with coconut frosting. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was initially rich with coconut, but then the caramel and chocolate of the malt began to kick in and it was like liquid candy! Finish was decidedly sweet and you had best like coconut going into it because that was the lingering flavor. I can promise you that this type of thing is not usually my bag, but as an occasional step away from intense hops, I liked it. You have to decide for yourself as to whether it would be to your taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 14:35:53 | More by woodychandler

taez555

Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a brown body with a off-white head.

Nose is dominated by toasted malts and coconut. You can really smell the coconut in this beer.

Taste is light to medium bodied with, again, lots of nicely toasted malt and a toasted coconut flavor. Very nice and malty and really runs that nice fine line of malty brown ale, with maybe even hints of german bock. Not really much in the way of hops other than to add a mild bitter background. This beer is all about the perfect balance of rich session brown ale with toasted coconut.

I was really not expecting to like this beer at all, but man. Homerun. The toasted coconut flavors and the toasted brown malt go together like peanut butter and chocolate. A perfect match. A great session beer, but could also go really well with dessert. (I'd vote for chocolate ice cream on a warm day) ;-)

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2013 19:17:14 | More by taez555

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

A- slightly hazed rusty reddish brown with a nicely creamy beige head. Ample swirly lace.

S- warm and nutty with definite coconut aromas. Notes of wood, chocolate and citric herbs as well.

T- toasty and nicely sweet with a mild balancing bitterness in the finish. Coconut flavor is soft but artificial tasting. Touches of chocolate, wood and hazelnut.

MF- soft bodied and vigorously carbonated. Powdery chocolate feeling on the cheeks.

D- not so bad, but the "natural flavor added" never works for me. Strangely refreshing however (if you're thirsty) and unoffensive.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:17:13 | More by hustlesworth

HBBJ

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Creamy tan head, with lacing from the top of the glass to the bottom. Reddish brown and clear.

Smell: Complex aroma, with notes of caramel malt, sweet tropical fruit, perfumy tropical flowers, and toasted coconut.

Taste: Malty, with subtle, toasted coconut and tropical fruit (pineapple?) flavors. Just enough hop bitterness to balance it out. Long, lingering malty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and smooth.

Overall: A well-made brew, but I would have liked more coconut character. The toasting seemed to have diminished the coconut flavor, and the tropical fruit aroma/flavor masked it as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:29:29 | More by HBBJ

Minkybut

Virginia

3.91/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I poured this nice beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was a nice mahogany color and poured a really pretty nice tan head. The smell was yummy tasty and complex. The taste was yummylishious with coconut mounds bar type thing going on. A really interesting beer. I will buy this again foe sure. A really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 15:34:53 | More by Minkybut

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

The beer pours a mahogany brown with a head of medium sized soap bubbles on top that bubble and fizzle into a scrim over the beer. The beer’s body is clean and clear, though dark from the malts. On the nose, the beer smells chocolaty, almost to a syrupy level. There is a nice gentle roast that reminds the nose of coffee, caramel, and just a light hint of coconut nuttiness, but chocolate seems to be the big player in the nose. On the tongue, the beer tastes sweet and slightly savory with a lot of “synthetic-like” flavors coming through. In flavor the beer begins as light chocolate and moves into a slight coconut flavor that gives slightly plasticy flavors. These flavors crescendo into a short finish of mediocre chocolate, caramel, plastic-coconut, and slight biscuity malts. The aftertaste is light and slightly roasty with hints of chocolate. To me, the flavors suggest a watered-down English Brown Ale with very slight hints of coconut. In the mouth the beer feels on the light side of medium in body with a weak carbonation that simply peppers the tongue and then washes away. The mouth is left slightly dry with a touch of wet saliva. Overall, I am underwhelmed by this beer. I want more coconut flavor, and I want a thicker beer. The flavors are not disgusting, but just come off as “meh.”

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 00:59:35 | More by Maxwell

chilidog

Ohio

3.49/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Hawaii beer in Ohio, ok, bought a couple of each I found. I've heard of kona from folks as they've been to the islands, I was interested to try some.

Started with this coconut, not a big brown ale guy.
It poured a tea like reddish brown. Small tan head that faded fast to nothing. No lace at all. Carbonation starts out active but too fades to no glass activity.

The aroma is the best part of this brew. At first open or pour, take a wif, toasted coconut gets to the point of this beer.

Taste you get toasted coconut, toffee, dark baking coco and roasty malts. A mild hop is a balance and actually aids the mouthfeel.

The mouth starts out sweet but ends on a hop dry note.

Drink ability is tough for me, it is but I'm not one for more than one brown at a time. In this case, the coconut helps me.

Overall a great try for me, as I'm not gonna get to the islands any time soon to get one on draft.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 15:03:07 | More by chilidog

Nugganooch

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle from the Kona Brewing variety pack - served in an Imperial nonic glass
Dated 07-FEB-13

A: Auburn brown body with a semitransparent look. Thick half finger of some choppy oatmeal colored suds. Low to retain leaving only a few streaks and dots of stick behind.

S: Smells of nutty malts with a light roast toffee sweetness. There is a root-like earthiness overall and a trailer of coconut crème mixed with coffee. Nice aroma and lighter than expected on the coconut.

T: Tastes like a vanilla cream soda. Leads with the nutty caramelized malts and segues to the vanilla and coconut crème sweetness with a bit of hazelnut coffee mixed in. There is some understated milk chocolate and a root-like earthiness throughout. I get some slight artificial flavorings but not in a real offensive way. Low to moderate bitterness perceived and no alcohol flavors coming through. Lightly sweet and tasty with a definite unique twist to the Brown ale.

M: Very light and a bit watery thin. Nice frothy consistency from the carbonation. A touch of drying but relatively wet on the finish.

D: Somewhat unique and lighter on the coconut than I was expecting. Still still tasty and sessionable. A little gimmicky but still pretty fun to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 21:59:45 | More by Nugganooch

alexgash

Connecticut

3.79/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle.

Golden maple syrup brown. Clear. Small, wispy, light beige head. Not much lacing. Toffee, brown sugar, figs, and toasted coconut on the nose. Not bad--definitely plays up the whole coconut thing.

Toasted malt. A little nutty. Toffee and dark fruit sweetness fill in. Nutty, toasted coconut flavor develops and gets pretty strong toward the finish. Hints of vanilla and licorice. Lingering coconut and toffee sweetness in the finish. Medium to moderate body with a somewhat slick feel. Not bad, but not one I would want more than one of in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 22:57:06 | More by alexgash

bnes09

Illinois

3.21/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Beautiful amber color and semi-transparent. Cream colored head is thick on the pour and retains well. Good lacing.

Tangy tropical plants, grass and wheat toast in the aroma.

Wheat flavor. Coconut. Mild toast character. Hops are grassy and leafy. Has a sour off taste.

Medium bodied. Grainy texture. Dry finish. Solid carbonation.

Eh. Not the best brown ale out there. I appreciate the creativity but this one was a flop in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 05:05:03 | More by bnes09

neenerzig

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into one of my pint glasses, this beer pours a clear, deep amber medium brown color with ruby highlights when held up to the light. The slightly off white head is about a inch thick when first poured before eventually settling to a big tick ring lining the inside of the glass and nice swirls of foam on the beer's surface. Pretty decent lacing. Aromas of caramel and molasses malts along with nice hints of coconut, chocolate, and nut. Flavor wise it has a nice sweet caramel and molasses malt sweetness upfront followed by the aforementioned hints of coconut, chocolate, and nut. The slight taste of oak is also present, and it is all rounded out with a slight hop presence of the back of the tongue. Very nice blending of all the various flavors going on here. Has a crisp, smooth, medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation and a nice clean finish. Easy to drink in the way a well crafted beer should be.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:16:41 | More by neenerzig

Mdog

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Dark amber/light brown, good head.

Smell: Sweet roast malt, coconut oil, vanilla.

Taste: Artificial vanilla, coconut come through strong. Mild roasted flavor and very light coffee. Kind of weird tasting.

Overall: Kona recently showed up in MN so I picked up a single of this. The coconut flavor does come through but there's an artificial vanilla flavor that just takes over too much of the palate. Having a little more roast or coffee base with the coconut could be very good. Just missed the mark here.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 13:12:47 | More by Mdog

donteatpoop

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured a light coppery brown, like a top shelf whiskey. Nice little cap of white foam that quickly dissipates save for a ring around the perimeter.

The smell was light notes of grain and toast and a good whiff of coconut.

Taste was excellent. The coconut was subtle, which is good because it could easily overpower a brew. Nice and smooth to drink, if a bit thin for the style. Great beer, easy to drink. Definitely worth repurchasing. Glad to see it finally available here, I'd been wanting to try this.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 05:24:19 | More by donteatpoop

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer pours a slightly dense but clear brown body with a thin film of light tan that soon is gone and a gentle carbonation gliding to the surface.

S- The buttery coconut aroma has a syrup quality that grows as it opens. There is a mellow kona coffee brown malt aroma that grows just a bit as it warms.

T- The kona coffee note and buttery coconut is a bit artificial tasting and the soda pop finish has cola and brown malt flavors that are a bit sweet.

M- The light mouthfeel has a tight full soda pop fizz in the finish.

O- I was really looking forward to a good commercial coconut brown ale and this was not it. Lots of artificial flavors and more like a soda pop than a beer made it a bit hard to finish the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 15:19:28 | More by rhoadsrage

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.28/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Took a chance on this because I friggin love coconut.

Served in a Port City shaped glass.

A: Dark, dark reddish brown, with a sticky off-white head.

S: Definitely buttery coconut. Think coconut cream pie with WAAAAYY too much dairy.

T: OMG. This was totally not what I was expecting. Coconut Extractz R' Us. This sort of had a vomit aftertaste to it.

M: Carbonation was fine. Pretty thin stuff. Lots of lacing.

O: This was basically toasted coconut butter in a glass. If that's your thing, knock yourself out. I'm not a vegan, so I only sample the stuff from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:35:55 | More by Chaney

sam_bliss

Washington

4.01/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

This one is deep dark brown but super clear for the style. Smells like toasted coconut, blackstrap molasses, and sweet, nutty malts. The taste does bring a slight pine and resinous hop flavor to balance the roast and caramel malts. The coconut seems almost burnt in the mouth, which is pleasant, surprisingly. The mouthfeel is far less full than the typical brown ale. There is a distinct flavor that I have trouble pinpointing.

After about eight of the twelve ounces poured from this bottle have been consumed, I finally got it. It smells like whiskey! Jack Daniels and brown sugar. This is not a note that I have before experienced in a brown ale, but it works in this one. Whiskey and toasted kokonut make this a unique brew--and unlike many sweet ales it tastes as if it is stronger rather than weaker than the actual alcohol content. It tastes like hard alcohol--whiskey--but instead it's only...wait it does not say what percent on the bottle. BeerAdvocate says it's 5.5% but the spot on the bottle where the ABV was listed on other Kona brews is just empty space on the Koko Brown label. I guess I should be ready if I start feeling hammered, since it did taste just like JD.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 06:43:36 | More by sam_bliss

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Red-brown. Short lip of head. Some visible bubbles.

Toasted barley, toffee malts, whiff of coconut, and some sort of berry. A little oaky, a little chocolaty.

Toasted coconut, unsweetened chocolate, oakiness, toffee, roasted grains, and herbal hops. Nice cold spring day warmer.

Simple in body. Active carbonation. Dextrins present. Not burly, but a little chewy.

A solid brown ale with an island twist. Great toasty flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 22:18:48 | More by thecheapies

Murrhey

Montana

2.94/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured from a standard pressure-cap bomber into a shaker pint glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. Reviewed live. Bottled Dec. 20, 2012.

A- Finger and a half thick off-white head. Auburn color body with high clarity. The retention is substantial, about five minutes and leaves thick white lacing. Looks pretty good.

S- Toffee, caramel malts and coconut. Sweet, chocolatey and warm. Not cloying. Pretty fair smelling brew.

T- Chocolate and coconut, like a Mounds bar. Sweet, perhaps too much so.

M- Feels thick on the tongue, but the body is light. It's odd.

O- I rather enjoyed this beer. It's maybe a bit too sweet and has sort of a strange, syrupy feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:47:10 | More by Murrhey

FlyingBull

California

4.09/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I picked this up as part of a variety pack at F4L on sale for $13.

A- This beer pours a nice deep clear brown with a persistent tan 1" head with nice lacing down the glass.

S- Strong caramel malt with toasted coconut. I really didn't pick up much hops...

T- If you like toasted coconut - this is your beer! It has a delicious toasted coconut flavor with strong caramel malts.

M- This was a medium heavy beer with a very nice full mouth feel.

D- This beer was delicious ...but I LOVE coconut so... I found it to be somewhat on the sweeter side with nice malt and toasted coconut dominating. I honestly didn't find any hop bitterness, aroma, or flavor. But I don't care - I LOVE coconut!

I really enjoyed this beer and would get it separately or on tap. Yum! Desert beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:11:45 | More by FlyingBull

Bills453

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - nice dark brown cola like color. Bubbly head that lasted for a short while.

Smell - the roasty toasty of the beer is the most prevalent scent here. Smells really good actually. A great cool weather beer.

Taste - I actually really like this beer. It is unlike anything I have ever had before. I can really taste the toasted coconut.

Mouthfeel - good

Overall - greater I am going to have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:15:56 | More by Bills453

Brenden

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Koko brown is a standard color for the style, pretty much a straight-up medium brown. It's crowned by a head that rises to very close to three fingers. It settles to a drinkable height but remains large; retention is excellent. The thick foam that remains leaves good patching on the glass as the beer falls.
The smell offers malts with both a bit of bread and some sweetness, though not as strongly as I'd expect. The coconut is implemented exactly as I would have hoped. Overall I'd expect just a little bit more strength. Otherwise, it integrates well, it's malt-forward with a gentle sweetness, the coconut has the strength I've want without overpowering everything else, and there's a nice nutty character coming out as well.
Moving into the flavor, it's easy to appreciate the balance in this beer and the fact that it isn't too sweet. Coconut is integrated as well as it could be: it offers plenty of its flavor without being too much. It's difficult to hit that place where it's not too subtle but not too overdone on the other hand. Koko Brown gets that.
While I think it might have slightly too much bite, it's a well-rounded mouthfeel with a good creaminess and ample carbonation is a body hefty enough to hold it together without being too thick or heavy.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 13:46:54 | More by Brenden

Bucciamarcia

Florida

4.26/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

What a nice surprise this beer is. I didn't expect much since I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but this was good.

The appearance is dark with amber reflextions, a thick light brown head that disappears in a few seconds.

The smell is nice but weak. The tastes is obviously sweet, with vanilla, chocolate and coconuts. But not too sweet, the malts compensate very well. After a couple of seconds the roasted coconuts overwhelm the other flavors (in a good way), leaving you craving for more.

Considering this is not a heavy beer, I finished the bottle way faster than usual.

Medium body and medium-high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 21:20:00 | More by Bucciamarcia