1 June 2015 - Best Beer HQ
Kona Big Wave Golden Ale review
ABV: 4.4%
Bottle: Fresh off the plane to Hawaii, I ducked into the nearest ABC Store for a bottle of beer. It was 11pm local time, and I’d just been on a plane from New Zealand for more than nine hours. Suffice it to say, I wanted something local, light, and easy to drink.
Kona Brewing’s Big Wave Golden Ale looked like just what the doctor ordered – its big blue label featuring an outrigger canoe tipped me off that it was a local Hawaiian beer, and the blurb about the beer online sealed the deal.
Blurb about the beer: Big Wave is light golden ale with a subtle fruitiness and delicate hop aroma. It’s a smooth, easy-drinking and refreshing ale.
The lightly roasted honey malt contributes to the golden hue of this beer and also gives a slight sweetness that is balanced out by our special blend of hops.
Bitterness: 21 IBU (according to the Kona Brewing Company website – unlisted on the bottle)
Hops: Galaxy, Citra (also from the Kona website)
Tastes like: The opening salvo of a Hawaiian vacation.
With a very subtle tropical twang, Kona’s Big Wave Golden Ale delivers on the drinkability. It’s smooth and refreshing, with a light fruity aroma.
It’s a bright and cheerful beer, perhaps made better by the fact that I was elated to be in Hawaii. Then again, I would drink this beer again at least once while on holiday in Hawaii, and I still loved it.
Is it the best beer ever? For those couple of minutes, drinking it straight from the bottle in my hotel room in Waikiki, Kona Big Wave Golden Ale was indeed the best beer in the world. In fact, I soon regretted the decision to purchase only one bottle.
If you, like me, have just arrived in Hawaii, then you can do far worse than make Big Wave Golden Ale the first Hawaiian beer you choose. It’s a darn good blonde.
Suggested food pairing: Best Beer HQ doesn’t usually impart food and beer pairings alongside its beer reviews. However, while scanning Kona Brewing Company’s website I noticed that they recommend you match this beer with seafood (naturally!), poultry, salads, and light pasta dishes.
What else should I drink? I’m a fan of most of the Kona Brewing Company’s range of beers. Stay tuned for more Hawaiian beer reviews in the coming weeks, as I attempt to drink my way around the islands.