Kona Lavaman Red Ale

Brewed by Kona Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA

On tap at the brew pub 11/02/06. Dark copper-red body with a light off-white head. Slightly sweet malty aroma. Flavor was malty and somewhat sweet with little hops evident. Smooth, rich, medium body.

On tap at a poolside bar in paradise, on my recent visit to Maui. Pours out a clear reddish amber color with a small thin head. Aroma was of some floral hops with some sweet malt notes. Mouthfeel was a bit watery. Flavor was decent with some bitter hop notes and some grassy notes here and there mixed with some sweet tastes almost like a nutty honey flavor. Finishes with a harsh bitterness. Not bad but not great.

On tap downtown Kona (can’t remember the bar): Bright copper hue gained it points but the quickly fading head lost some ... kind of offset to the middle. Prickly, very lively carbonation made the medium-bodiness (with a somewhat sticky base) seem lighter than it was. Malts were toasty and nutty, with a disappointingly mild sweetness. Weak hops followed in the background, producing a stark and dull bitterness (herbs, flowers, plant stems, earth). Aftertaste was one-dimensional and a little unpleasant. This one didn’t do much for me. Not balanced (flavor-aroma-wise or bitter-sweet-wise). Can’t even say this’d make a good session beer.

Had this on-tap at the brewery. The beer was a clear, medium-amber color without any head to speak of. The aroma had malty notes of toasted grain and heavy hoppy notes of grapefruit and pine with a miscellaneous note of honey. The flavor began with moderate sweetness/light bitterness and faded into a long, heavily bitter finish with a super bitter flash at the end. Super bitter isn’t usually my thing, but this "flash" in the finish amused me and won me over. The body was medium, the texture was creay and the carboation was lively.

Had this Hawaiian red ale in a Japanese restaurant in Maui. The atmosphere of this Maui-pad contributed greatly toward my love for this beer. The waitress placed it on the table and the color was radiant. Bright red, slight maltiness, nice full flavor. A great local beer.

On tap at the brewery brewpub in Kona. Nice red appearance, good caramel toasty malt but could use a bit more hops in the finish. A decent red but there are certainly better.

Red, as you'd expect, with a toffee head. It has a caramel character, slightly hopped, almost nutty at the finish. An excellent amber.

(24Mar2003--draft at brewery) 5.7% ABV, 26 IBU. As close to perfection in a red ale as I've seen recently. Not outside the box, but executed perfectly. Pours dark copper, with a complex aroma profile of specialty malts and a light aromatic hop presence. Crystal and caramel malts dominate the flavor, but an odd (not unpleasant) "sweet potato" presence keeps things interesting: sweet with a full mouthfeel. Low bitterness.