Koko Brown Ale is the latest in the Aloha Series of beers from Kona Brewing, Hawaii’s premiere craft brewery.
In February, Kona toured the West Coast, introducing local taste-makers to their latest creation. I caught up with them at the Bo Bridges Gallery in Hermosa Beach.
The spirit of the islands — complete with leis and flowery shirts — was recreated at the gallery to create the perfect atmosphere to taste this nut brown ale. The kicker? Each batch is brewed with toasted coconut, giving it a distinct flavor and aroma.
My first taste — smell, actually — of Koko Brown was from a pint glass which I believe made the difference. The coconut scent was immediately apparent.
Upon tasting it, I was amazed at how the coconut flavor was not as forward as I thought it might be. Instead, the normal nuttiness of the ale came through with the coconut adding an overall lightness to the flavor.
The combination of aroma and flavor let the beer fall nicely into a nut brown ale category but with a touch of something that took it to the next level.
My first samples of Koko Brown were paired with dishes from the menu at Waterman’s, the popular Hermosa Beach restaurant and bar that is the self proclaimed “safe house for surfers”.
On deck were their pulled pork sliders, a nicely seasoned poke, and a salad that was almost too pretty to eat. The Koko paired nicely with these dishes especially the sliders.
My second encounter with Koko Brown was at a recent dinner with friends. We sampled the beverage from bottles which — in my opinion — held back the aroma a bit. The flavor was just the same though: smooth, nutty, and just a hint of sweetness. So if you’re drinking Koko Brown from bottles, I’d suggest finding a pint glass to get the full experience.
Pairing the beer with dessert on this occasion, I found it to be a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate cake. Don’t judge; just try it and you’ll see!
Koko Brown is a seasonal beer and is available until approximately the first of May. You can find it in BevMo’s Manhattan Beach and Torrance locations.
For more information, follow this link to Kona Brewing’s website.
http://konabrewingco.com/beers/koko-brown/