Koko Brown - Kona Brewing Co.

seano107

California

3.96/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up the Aloha Series variety pack from Walmart of all places. Price was good, didnt realize it had a brown ale until I popped it open..I have been looking for a brown ale to replace the discontinued one at my bar I tend at.

light appearance, carmel color, light carbonation. appeares less than it is.

smell, same fairly light, carmel and coconut rule, but not bold or bursting

At first sip, I was like whoa that's pretty good. A light to medium body, not overwhelming in flavor (mostly coconut, maple, hazelnut and toffee/coffee but light) it sits fairly flat, but when you take a nice sip it opens up and is very creamy and burst in your mouth, and fully opens up washes down clean and refreshing, and leaves your mouth wet and ready for more. Not overly swee or filling and is very drinkable. I'll have another..

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 05:12:32 | More by seano107

BB1313

Ohio

3.16/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear, but dark auburn with ruby hues shining through. There's a nice off-white head that sticks around and leaves really nice lacing. The aromas aren't impressive at all. It's not that it smells bad, it basically just smells like nothing. I'm picking up some caramel malts and subtle hints of maple and hazelnut. The coconut is noticable in the nose, but not really in the flavors. Tastes much better than it smells. More maple in the flavors. I'm picking up some hazelnut and expresso notes in the flavors as well. Mouthfeel is very nice, it's light, but creamy and smooth. This is a very easy drinking beer. Alcohol obviously goes unnoticed.

Kona just recently started distributing to Ohio, so I'm confused why we'd get bottles born in November 2012. I'm assuming this isn't the freshest, but it's still solid. The potential is there to be something unique for the style. I'd like to try this fresher because I'm assuming the coconut would be more prevelant. This could be awesome when fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 21:29:21 | More by BB1313

FlatRabbitRed

Arizona

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

If I ever go back to Hawaii this will be the beer I drink.

This is not my personal taste preference in a beer, however it does capture the Hawaiian feel very well. This is definitely the kind of beer you have try for yourself to see what you think, I know my taste but not yours, and I can see why this one would be very good to some people.

Dark like a porter, coconut, brown sugar, toasted malt.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 15:04:18 | More by FlatRabbitRed

sweetmaltman

Pennsylvania

4.99/5  rDev +37.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, I wasn't expecting this. Every time I sample a brown ale I am disapointed. They tend to look like they will have good flavor but are generally bland and mostly flavorless. However I found this wonderfully expressive brew on tap while attending the EIWA Wrestling Championships in a small local tavern in Piscataway, NJ. I almost didn't try it, but it looked like the only beer on tap that looked at all palatable.

Boy was I pleasantly surprised. The color looked like any other Brown Ale. I didn't take the time to spend time with the smell as I was with some people I hadn't seen in a long time and I did not have a lot of extra time and like I said I wasn't expecting it to be anything special. I took a sip not expecting much but I was wonderfully surprised! The taste was rich, sweetish and complex.

I am a malt man as my name implies not caring for most bitter hoppy brews. Maybe it was the surprise of not expecting anything really good as brown ales although far better than lagers, generally are non descript to me. But this brew not only got my attention, but ignited my taste buds to wanting more.

Generally I only have one brew at a sitting because what I like generally has a high alcohol content, but this is only 5.5%, so I FORCED myself to have a second one. It did not disapoint.

Since McEwan's Scotch Ale is not available in the US anymore I have been slowly sipping the case of Founders Backwoods Bastard Ale I was lucky to get when it was released in November. Now when that is gone I have found another beer to drink. Luckily upon doing a little research, there is a distributor only about 1.5 miles from my house that carries it.

KOKO Brown Ale is a real treat. Give it a try. It is not for those who drink so much commercial beer that their taste buds have rotted away or those who just want to get a buzz. It is for those who appreciate real flavor.

Who would have thought a coconut beer would be sooo good? And I just stumbled onto it at a little corner tavern. Go figure.

Stay thirsty my friends!

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 14:27:38 | More by sweetmaltman

zeff80

Missouri

3.54/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, mahogany color with a one-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of toasty coconut. Lots of coconut aroma.

T - The toasted coconut is less strong in the taste. Nice toffee and caramel flavors. Slightly bitter.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a unique brew. I'm not a huge fan of coconut but it works.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:52:06 | More by zeff80

matjack85

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I picked this up as part of a build-your-own six pack for $9.99 at the Binny's store in Bloomingdale, IL. 12oz brown bottle with a bottled on date of 1/20/13 stamped on the bottom of the front label, making this bottle about 50 days old.

The beer poured a clear brown color with a 1-finger tan head that dissipated in under 30 seconds and left only small amounts of spotty lacing.

You certainly can smell the coconut along with small amounts of chocolate and malt.

While coconut is the main flavor here, it isn't overpowering. It blends well with a malty caramel sweetness and small amount of chocolate. Not exactly a melted candy bar, but close. There's also a mild hop bitterness and a touch of alcohol to balance out the sweetness.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation.

I never had a beer with coconut in it before, but then again before I started drinking craft beers, I never would have thought adding chocolate to a beer was a good idea either. I enjoyed this one, probably because they didn't over do it. Gonna try another one next time I have coconut shrimp and see how it pairs with that.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 11:22:36 | More by matjack85

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.44/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served in the bar at the Polynesian resort in WDW. Pours dark chocolate brown in glass. Little head retention and minimal lacing.

Lots of toasted malt and coconut in aroma.

Taste is toasted malt, nuts and coconut. Coconut flavor is present throughout. Mild bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied.

Overall this was good. Enjoyed the coconut very much.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:28:57 | More by TrappistJohnMD

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

Different, I'll say that.
Koko brown looks reddish amber and almost no head.
Smells bready with malt husky.
Coconut is quiet apparent on first sip, but tastes out of sorts. There is malty notes as well as vinilla too. A bit harsh feeling.
Perhaps the coconut flavor is a little too strong for me. I'll leave it.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 12:31:47 | More by micromaniac129

silverking

Florida

3.83/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It pours a clear reddish brown. It has an off white head with nice lacing and decent retention. The aroma is filled with toasted coconut and hints of caramel. The coconut transfers over the the taste very well, but It's not overpowering like I feared it would be. Instead it collaborates with malt and bitter cocoa for a very nice, very well rounded taste. The finish is very mild with a kiss of bitterness. It's medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:43:41 | More by silverking

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Good to see an old Friend has made it to Mizzou (Kona!) Bottled/Brewed in Oregon or Washington I'm guessing. Bottled on date ( I think ) of 1-29-13

Pours a scarlet tinged brown with a thumb of tan colored head. Stellar lacing, above average head retention

S: Toasty coconut & hazelnut

T: Toasty coconut, walnut shell dryness, a touch of hazelnut up front. Some general toasty malt as this warms, along with hazelnut & coconut. Finishes toasty, dry with coconut sweetness

MF: Medium bodied with firm carbonation, thins out a touch once warm

Very drinkable, found this an enjoyable brown with decent flavor. I could see me buying this again

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:50:56 | More by russpowell

secondtooth

Indiana

4.14/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a deep ruby brown, with a nice head of fine, off-white suds. lovely and attractive lace.

Nose is full of toasty coconut. A hint of cocoa or chocolate in there as well. I really like this -- unique and distinctive.

Taste is very coconutty-- with more of the chocolate hint featuring alongside. Very enjoyable. There's also a slight hint of hops late in the finish, bringing this around full circle. I dig this brew and will be revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 20:30:05 | More by secondtooth

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

The toasted coconut gives this brown ale a nice flare. The beer pours a clear brown with very thin white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The smell includes spice and a touch of cocnut. The taste definitely has toasted coconut which also provides a bit of roastyness. In addition, there is definitely some bread/biscuit flavor...and also decent balancing hops. The mouthfeel is medium in body with smooth carbonation. Overall it is a good brown with an interesting kick. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:54:39 | More by WoodBrew

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: on tap at City Tap House, Philly, PA

Poured a clear medium brown color with a small cap of off-white head that receded to a thin ringlet. Sweet malt aroma, toasted coconut, brown sugar. The taste was pretty sugary, caramel malts, coconut candy, maybe a bit of milk chocolate. Not as good as it may sound...it was pretty artificial-tasting. Light-medium body, not entirely bad, and definitely worth a try, but not something I'd ever get again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2013 03:27:15 | More by Rifugium

MCain04

Illinois

3.34/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Acquired as an extra in a trade. Thanks hilgart1. This was poured into a stella artois glass from a 12 oz bottle.

Appearance: Dark amber, clear, 0.5-1 finger head that is grey/off-white, quickly dissipating with no lacing.

Smell: Toasted coconut. Surprising apple-brandy aroma. Smells almost like a barrel-aged brew, though this is far from it.

Taste: Thin, mild coconut, mostly tastes like a thin weak brown ale. Like Newcastle Brown Ale, with a hint of toasted coconut.

Mouthfeel: Thin, moderately carbonated, wet.

Overall: An average brown ale that doesn't really bring much to the table in terms of coconut. I don't really go for brown ales to begin with, so this didn't wow me. Average at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:21:24 | More by MCain04

hardy008

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark brown color with a one finger light tan head with decent retention and lacing. The aroma has toasted bread, caramel, and coconut.

Tastes just like it smells with toasted bread, coconut, and caramel. Sweet, with no bitterness for balance. Not overwhelmingly sweet, but sweet enough that I am glad it is no sweeter than it is.
Light bodied wit average carbonation, and a toasted bread and coconut aftertaste. A nice effort from Kona.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:03:30 | More by hardy008

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.96/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance-a deep brown with a light khaki head 1 finger of foam that leaves a thin cap on the beer

Aroma- chocolate and coconut some yeasty sourness

Taste- nutty with tastes of raisins toasted almonds and of course coconut. LIke a toasted macaroon actually I haven't tasted side by side but it may give that maui brewing coconut beer a run for its money. hops balance out and give you a bit of a poke at the end but the whole thing cleans up pretty well on the pallete.

Mouthfeel- medium bodied theres a lip smacking maltyness but it is not overly sweet or syrupy.

Overall- there may be some biased here but i visited Kona Brew Co on my honeymoon. Great beers. I especially like this one!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 23:48:21 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.84/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Label bottling date of Nov 29, 2012.

Appearance: Pours a deep brownish amber with some ruby. Lots of rising bubbles and a solid three fingers of off white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A sweet toasty aroma with a big profile of coconuts. Starts out with a big scent of coconut with dark toasted malts. Hints of chocolate, toasted biscuit, nuts, caramel, toffee, yeast, and a little coffee roast. Some brown sugar adds some more sweetness. Hop presence is very light. Coconut dominates the smell.

Taste: Like the aroma indicates, a very coconut forward toasty taste. Big coconut flavor throughout with toasty malts. Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, coffee, and yeast. A fair amount of brown sugar sweetness. Subtle earthy hops come through towards the finish. Once again the coconut is the dominate note. Pretty decent taste.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the lighter side of medium with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy and crisp. Sweet but dries up a bit towards the finish.

Overall: A pretty decent brown ale. Very coconut forward and on the sweeter side. An interesting take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 07:12:29 | More by MattyG85

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.59/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Kona Aloha Series Koko Brown Ale. Ale brewed with toasted coconut and natural flavor added.

Clear, russet brown, slim tanned head.

Aroma: sweet juicy coconut hits the nose right from the top. It's the dominant flavor in the nose, and nothing but nothing is getting out from underneath. We know from the start that if you are no lover of coconut, this is one to avoid. If you belong in the set that adores it, get ready to fall in love.

Taste: The toasted cocoanut is still large when it lands on the tongue, small dark malt backs it up handily. Minor bitterness. long, malty finish. Small sweetness. Utterly likable, easily approachable.

What's the neck paper read? "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. Alohoa?"

If you like coconut in a brown ale, this is where you go. If you don't, stay the hell away

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:34:46 | More by feloniousmonk

Big_Blue

California

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Beer appears dark brown; quite red when backlit. Head is a thick off white and very creamy. Lacing is dense and persistent.

Aroma: Lightly hopped, very malty. The coconut is very pronounced, but toasted – not cloying or sweet – as the official description promises.

Taste: The coconut hits first, but the slight sweetness rides over the tongue in a wave, allowing the maltiness of the beer to come forth before reasserting itself at the finish. There is little to no bitterness. Again, the coconut has a distinctly toasted flavor to it, but ideally so. Enough to notice, but not overdone and, therefore, acrid.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, but not weak. Carbonation could be slightly higher

Overall: I'll be honest, this beer was decent enough to plow through a six pack in 90 minutes. A hair too sweet for my tastes, but much less so than some other Brown Ales I've attempted.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 08:32:27 | More by Big_Blue

hosehead83

Ohio

3.94/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Dark copper in color, with a moderate head of tan foam.
Aroma-Toasted malt, subtle coconut
Taste-Toasted coconut, toasted malt, a nice little bite in the finish seems to balance everything out. a bit thin-bodied but nice flavor and balance. Sessionable. Good with a burger or BBQ wings.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 18:06:03 | More by hosehead83

crack99

Hawaii

4.78/5  rDev +32%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The brewary told me you maintain temp ~30 deg F. 10 # CO2.
This beer can be bought in keg form which is distributed by Anheuser-Busch, can only be bought in bottle form seasonal. I love the roasted coconut taste and i love coconut. The toasted mahogany flavor comes out. Not the avg Brown Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 20:58:15 | More by crack99

morimech

Minnesota

3.39/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Clear brown color with just over one finger of head that did not stick around for very long before settling to a film of suds. A little bit of sticky lacing is left behind on the glass.

Definate aroma of toasted coconut. Unfortunately that is the only going on in the aroma.

Likewise that is mostly true in the flavor. Just a little bit of nutty malt that comes in the finish. Pleasant enough flavor albeit slightly gimmicky. If there was more malt flavor, they would really have something going on.

And more malt would also help this beers weakest aspect. Feels thin bodied and watery. Decent enough carbonation.

It delivered what the beer is advertising. Just not enough going on to warrant a good score. Just slightly above average.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 17:55:03 | More by morimech

Hawksfan79

Washington

3.46/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Glass: Nonic pint glass

Appearance: Dark brown with a creamy light brown head.

Smell: the only thing I'm getting here is coconut.

Taste: Toasted coconuts, slightly nutty, notes of baker's chocolate, and a malty caramel finish. Lots and lots of coconuts.

Mouthfeel: Thin light bodied with strong carbonation.

If the chocolate flavor in this brew was sweeter I think it would taste kinda like an almond joy.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 23:28:57 | More by Hawksfan79

ZAP

Minnesota

4.29/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

A-Burnt orange tinged brown color...nice off white head with good lacing on glass

S-Excellent coconut aroma. Nothing subtle here. I also note vanilla, nougat, and caramel.

T-Coconut is strong here as well but not quite as dominant as on the aroma. Still a nice almond joy type flavor to this with coconut, nougat, some light milk chocolate and some light almond like notes....

M-This is the only drawback. I know it is just a brown ale but I wish it had just a little more heft in the body. Despite the wonderful flavors it has a very light body and comes across as "watery" on the finish.

O-This might not be for everyone but it is for me. A top notch flavored brown ale. I would love to have this and Tyranena's Rocky's Revenge (bourbon barrel aged brown) on hand at all times for my brown ale's in my dream bar.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 05:58:19 | More by ZAP

DaveBlack

Virginia

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

A: Crystal clear, brown beer. There is maybe a 1/2 finger's worth of head, and it disappears very quickly, leaving almost nothing as evidence. The beer looks a little watery.

S: Very malty, and incredibly nutty smelling brew. Sweet roasty aroma.

T: Yeah, there's definitely coconut in this beer. Malts hit first, and are quickly overwhelmed with the taste of the coconut. A bit of a dark chocolate hint, and some slightly bitter hops finish the beer up, which keep it from being too sweet.

M: As it appears, it is a little bit thin on the body, and there is a moderate amount of carbonation.

O: Decent beer, if you like coconut. It's definitely not an outstanding beer, and there's not much to back up the coconut, but it's a nice change and it's well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 22:29:31 | More by DaveBlack