Kona Wailua Wheat

Brewed by Kona Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA

Hazy straw-amber. Very subtle passion fruit aroma underneath a somewhat crackery, metallic maltiness. Heavy passion fruit taste, balanced by crackery malt but there is no semblance of integration, just two components clashing. Fairly dry finish for a fruit beer. Not much wheat.

Bottle... Hazy straw-colored beer with a small, fizzy, white head. The aroma is of pale cereal grains, passions fruit and white pepper. Medium-bodied with a skim-milk mouthfeel and fizzy carbonation. Restrained grain, fruit and spice. Balanced, but boring. Crisp, thin, dry finish.

Gold pour with bright white head. Nose of citrus fruit and wheat. Flavor is very sweet with tropical fruit and hints of wheat and lemon. Very smooth texture and clean finish.

Bottle. PKGD ON MAY0808 on bottle neck. Hazy golden pour. Small fading white head. Nose is very fruity with soft sweet maltiness, strong wheat/grains and a touch of yeast. The tropical fruit notes become a tad stronger as does the wheat. The yeast is also present but subdued. Sweet malts round this out. The body is rather light but fizzy rather than creamy. Finishes with more tropical fruit notes and big wheat. Lighter yeast, hint of lemon and sweet malts. Not bad!

20080628 12oz bottle Pretty standard appearance for an American wheat beer, hazed/cloudy golden with small-medium white head of creamy but diminishing white foam. Not sure why so many are put of by the appearance of this beer. Aroma is of tropical fruits, produce aisle, orange, and background of wheat. The mouthfeel is fair enough with mild carbonation, light sweet quenching, little to no bitterness, and very mild fruity sweetness to finish. Not cloying. Flavor has a nice subtle dose of the fruit, obviously passion fruit, with an overall tropical fruit vibe. Some notes of old or overripe fruit towards the end, but then overcome by the wheat and previously described finish. In general, I find nothing objectionable about the beer and in fact have enjoyed more than a few bottles in the last week or so.

12oz bottle. very hard to drink. had a golden color with no head. strong after taste of grapfruit. one bottle was good for me .

12 oz bottle from Ocean Wine and Spirits. Well why bother with a whole rating on a beer under a 3?? It’s ugly, smells not so good and tastes like something I don;t want again. To refresh my memory down the road if I have to...........Hazy golden orange, small to no head, slight fruity but lots of cheap wheat aroma, flavor has a little kick of fruitiness then wheat and hops, palate is thin and overcarbonated, way overrated even at 2.87 when I rated this gem. Nuff said??

Here’s another attempt at Kona Brewing, whose beautiful location is very nearly spoiled by the quality of the brews I’ve tried. The Wailua, boasting Hawaii’s incredible rain forests on its front label, begins with a headless pour and a light, dandelion yellow body. From this cheerfully colored beer comes a medley aroma of white grape juice, an old woman’s perfume, metal polish, sweet tarts, cherry Kool-Aid and cotton candy. I find it sweet, but not too sweet, with a few curious tastes giving the impression of a amusedly confused brew. Not bad so far. The flavor is weaker by far, though someone aided by a light and delicate body. My palate mostly catches a taste like bitter and inexpensive white wine with a tiny passion fruit and floral finish, but I remain unimpressed. The bulk of this beer belongs to that astringent and badly sweetened white wine flavor. So whereas I would love to have a bottle of this on Pali lookout, I can’t imagine ordering it anywhere else.