Kona Da Grind Buzz Kona Coffee Imperial Stout

Brewed by Kona Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA

Taster - Kona Brewing Co. - Koko Marina Pub - Honolulu, Hawaii
2008 – Great Hawaiian Beer Run
Aroma – Huge coffee and dark malt aroma.
Appearance – Dark Black in color , nice head and clear (if you can see through it).
Flavor – Deep rich and huge coffee and imperial stout flavor. Wow this was good.
Palate – Great Impy Stout Mouthfeel, good texture with a dry finish.
Overall – This hit the spot wow this beer had flavor for the next 3 beers. Full of coffee and chocolate and Dark malts this was the beer for the night.

I had this beer on tap at the brewery while I was on vacation there. The worst thing about this beer was that they don’t bottle it and they didn’t have it available in growlers while I was there. I made sure to stop back at the brewery right before I got on the plane to have one last pint. It’s that good. It pours jet black with a very thick mocha head that sticks around for a while. The smell is great and reminds me of smelling ground coffee beans, chocolate malt grain, and black patent grain. It is exceptionally creamy with coffee, roasted, and chocolate flavors. Many of the coffee stouts that I have had an associated bitterness with the coffee, but the use of 100% Kona beans seems to have eliminated that bitterness. It has an excellent full body. The only reason that I don’t give this a perfect drinkability is that the ABV is so high. This is probably my favorite Kona brew. I wish I was back in Hawaii now...

Date: 12/02/2005
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Strong Ale Fest

black, big fine tan head, big coffee and roasted malt aroma, huge roasted malt flavor,
-------- /> Date: 12/01/2006
Source: Brewfest
Score: ii to ii+
Words: Draft
Words: Nitro
Words: Strong Ale Fest

black, huge creamt beige nitro head, roasted malt aroma, rich roasted malt flavor, lots of coffee, a bit of burnt astrengent bitter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4

On tap at the 10th Annual San Diego Strong Ale Festival: Pours a mostly opaque with some dark ruby mahogany hues and a large cascading dense light brown nitro head. Aroma of some toasty butterscotch and roasty espresso beans. Body starts rich and caramely sweet with good dark chocolate and fresh roasty coffee. A pretty nice coffee stout.

strong ale fest at pizza port 06: a very very good imperial stout. some coconut oil and kona coffee. some dark chocolate and macademia nut flavor. the mouthfeel was creamy but had a tinge of baltic porter type flavor to it. yum. also had the BA version at the fest and it was fucking fantastic. much smoother, more mellow and more coconut.

On tap at the Kailua Kona brewpub 11/02/2006. Great beer with a strong rich malty aroma with evident coffee. Appeared dark brown, opaque with a tan head that laced considerably. A bold bitter flavor of roast coffee blended with rich sweet maltiness. Super smooth and creamy with a full body. Very nice.

Draft, 2005 PP Strong Ale Fest. Deep dark ruby brown. Lots of roasty coffee and chocolate and malty. More roasted malt flavors, sweet, with lots of coffee and some chocolate. Flavor was a bit of a let down compared to the aroma, but still very good. Smooth mouthfeel.

Draught, Kona Brewpub, HI. Head is fully lasting (nitro). Body is dark brown to black. Aroma is moderately malty (roasted grain, chocolate, coffee), moderately hoppy (resin). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, creamy texture, lively carbonation. Strong resinous hops and a pushy sourness in the finish kept me from finding too much delight in this one. Good, but not something I’d order again (sampled twice on two different days).