Big Wave Golden Ale | Kona Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Kona Brewing Co.
Hawaii, United States
konabrewingco.com
Style: American Blonde Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.40%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Big Wave is light golden ale with a subtle fruitiness and delicate hop aroma. A smooth, easy drinking 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.
20 IBU
Added by SCW on 03-19-2005
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 2,062 | Reviews: 373
3.02/5 rDev -15.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
4.21/5 rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This smooth and light ale bring the big wave home in a tasty package. While not crispe, it's flows well and goes down without a harsh word. Solid as a lager, smooth as a porter, and tasty in a big way.
201 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This smooth and light ale bring the big wave home in a tasty package. While not crispe, it's flows well and goes down without a harsh word. Solid as a lager, smooth as a porter, and tasty in a big way.
201 characters
3.54/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.46/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Look: Very pale straw yellow, with slightly more than a finger of white foamy head.
Smell: Sharp, bitter hops. A little savory "umami" scent, but mostly hops.
Taste: Mild hop flavor with little of the bitterness, masking a very faint malt flavor with a dry finish that reminds me of Diet Coke.
Mouthfeel: Average thickness, very high carbonation.
Overall: While it smells surprisingly hoppy, the actual taste is very mild and only a slight improvement over cheaper mainland lagers.
485 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Look: Very pale straw yellow, with slightly more than a finger of white foamy head.
Smell: Sharp, bitter hops. A little savory "umami" scent, but mostly hops.
Taste: Mild hop flavor with little of the bitterness, masking a very faint malt flavor with a dry finish that reminds me of Diet Coke.
Mouthfeel: Average thickness, very high carbonation.
Overall: While it smells surprisingly hoppy, the actual taste is very mild and only a slight improvement over cheaper mainland lagers.
485 characters
3.47/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 Oz Bottle poured into glass
Look - mostly clear, light yellow almost straw colored. Head is medium and lacing sticks around on glass
Smell - Akin to an IPA or pale ale, lots of hoppy aromas. Also get some sweet grasses and fruit.
Taste - This was bottled about 5 months ago so to be honest it tastes a little stale. But other than that, pineapple is the main flavor. Not much bitterness although there is certainly a notable presence of hops. It's medium-high carbonation almost prickly. Medium body. I would like to try a fresher bottle.
Overall, i enjoyed but it does taste a bit more like fruit juice than beer. Many other blondes i prefer more than this one. Grade is a B
680 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 Oz Bottle poured into glass
Look - mostly clear, light yellow almost straw colored. Head is medium and lacing sticks around on glass
Smell - Akin to an IPA or pale ale, lots of hoppy aromas. Also get some sweet grasses and fruit.
Taste - This was bottled about 5 months ago so to be honest it tastes a little stale. But other than that, pineapple is the main flavor. Not much bitterness although there is certainly a notable presence of hops. It's medium-high carbonation almost prickly. Medium body. I would like to try a fresher bottle.
Overall, i enjoyed but it does taste a bit more like fruit juice than beer. Many other blondes i prefer more than this one. Grade is a B
680 characters
4.05/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very refreshing, no aftertaste, nice aroma and upfront taste with yellow fruits, papaya, a bit of spices and some honey, this one very subtle and with little sweetness overall.
176 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very refreshing, no aftertaste, nice aroma and upfront taste with yellow fruits, papaya, a bit of spices and some honey, this one very subtle and with little sweetness overall.
176 characters
3/5 rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
10/5/2018; Epcot Food and Wine Festival
39 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
10/5/2018; Epcot Food and Wine Festival
39 characters
3.42/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Shimmering gold, clear, capped by white head that disappears as quick as foam on the shore.
Fruity, of passion fruit, clementine; floral; honey.
Unfortunately, first thing to stand out is that it's relatively flat...fortunately, does have just enough carbonation, like Perrier opened for an hour, and body, that it's not like water, though it does have that minerality; accompanied by a hint of fruitiness from the aroma, but mostly it's light malt and mildly tinny; some caramel, pineapple, dry finish.
Some exotic fruitiness, but lacking some structure and execution.
570 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Shimmering gold, clear, capped by white head that disappears as quick as foam on the shore.
Fruity, of passion fruit, clementine; floral; honey.
Unfortunately, first thing to stand out is that it's relatively flat...fortunately, does have just enough carbonation, like Perrier opened for an hour, and body, that it's not like water, though it does have that minerality; accompanied by a hint of fruitiness from the aroma, but mostly it's light malt and mildly tinny; some caramel, pineapple, dry finish.
Some exotic fruitiness, but lacking some structure and execution.
570 characters
3.98/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
enjoyed from the bottle. No look notes.
Smell: heavy toasted straw; campfire biscuits perhaps?
Taste: surprisingly was able to match up with the heavy campfire biscuits aroma. I have never been a big fan of blonde ales, but this one is different. The smoked complexity that greatly enhances the typical one dimensional sugarry straw characteristics of the typical blonde ale really make this enjoyable and sessionable.
Mouthfeel: crisp and refreshing. Doesn't longer on the pallet bit leaves you wanting another sip.
Overall: really an enjoyable, high quality, golden ale that does more than a golden ale typically does with the flavor profile. I was surprised with how well Kona pulled this off.
697 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
enjoyed from the bottle. No look notes.
Smell: heavy toasted straw; campfire biscuits perhaps?
Taste: surprisingly was able to match up with the heavy campfire biscuits aroma. I have never been a big fan of blonde ales, but this one is different. The smoked complexity that greatly enhances the typical one dimensional sugarry straw characteristics of the typical blonde ale really make this enjoyable and sessionable.
Mouthfeel: crisp and refreshing. Doesn't longer on the pallet bit leaves you wanting another sip.
Overall: really an enjoyable, high quality, golden ale that does more than a golden ale typically does with the flavor profile. I was surprised with how well Kona pulled this off.
697 characters
3.94/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Delicious golden ale, absolutely refreshing. Drank it from a Kona Brewery sample pack on a trip to Maui a few years ago and loved it. Pineapply with no pineapple! Just started to see it here in Toronto a few months ago--the taste takes me back to Hawaii.
254 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Delicious golden ale, absolutely refreshing. Drank it from a Kona Brewery sample pack on a trip to Maui a few years ago and loved it. Pineapply with no pineapple! Just started to see it here in Toronto a few months ago--the taste takes me back to Hawaii.
254 characters
2.96/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
3.4/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.94/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty frickin decent golden ale. Drank this kne outta the bottle at a hotel meet 'n greet hour, chit chatting with industry folk. Quite a bit of flavor packed into a blonde ale, lots of crackery biscuit goodness with some surprisingly fruity notes are are ridiculously delicious.
280 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty frickin decent golden ale. Drank this kne outta the bottle at a hotel meet 'n greet hour, chit chatting with industry folk. Quite a bit of flavor packed into a blonde ale, lots of crackery biscuit goodness with some surprisingly fruity notes are are ridiculously delicious.
280 characters
4.42/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
3.42/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.26/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5
Very popular beer around my area, gave it a try not a bad drink, but not something I would drink on a regular basis.
116 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5
Very popular beer around my area, gave it a try not a bad drink, but not something I would drink on a regular basis.
116 characters
4.88/5 rDev +36.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.54/5 rDev +26.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Citrus in nature, you can definitely taste hints of pineapple in it. Overall it's very drinkable, smooth and mellow. Slightly carbonated but not too much, it definitely goes down smooth. Great if you want a nice beer after a long hot day.
I had this beer on tap in The Yard House while on vacation in Hawaii. I found this beer in Ohio and I just had to have it. I mainly bought it for a little taste of Hawaii now that the weather is turning colder here in Ohio. It makes me feel just a little closer to the paradise that is Hawaii.
533 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Citrus in nature, you can definitely taste hints of pineapple in it. Overall it's very drinkable, smooth and mellow. Slightly carbonated but not too much, it definitely goes down smooth. Great if you want a nice beer after a long hot day.
I had this beer on tap in The Yard House while on vacation in Hawaii. I found this beer in Ohio and I just had to have it. I mainly bought it for a little taste of Hawaii now that the weather is turning colder here in Ohio. It makes me feel just a little closer to the paradise that is Hawaii.
533 characters
Big Wave Golden Ale from Kona Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.58 out of
5 with
2,062 ratings
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