Hanalei Island IPA
Kona Brewing Co.

Hanalei Island IPAHanalei Island IPA
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Kona Brewing Co.
 
Hawaii, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #3,361
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,491
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 12.85%
Reviews:
136
Ratings:
440
Status:
Active
Rated:
Friday at 08:57 PM
Added:
Jul 26, 2016
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  131
This easy-drinking island-inspired IPA is Kona Brewing Co.’s homage to Kauai, “the most beautiful place on earth.” Passionfruit, orange and guava balance the subtle bitterness of aromatic Azacca and Galaxy hops to deliver a coppery laidback, session-style ale bright with tropical flavors.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
 
Rated: 3.42 by TheWaySheGoes from Illinois

Jan 31, 2024
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.24/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Draft at Hops & Bottles. Medium gold, clear, one finger fluffy head. Aroma is standard malts. Taste is light malty notes with a small bitter backside. Pretty subdued.
Jan 22, 2024
 
Rated: 3.75 by shigg85 from Japan

Jan 08, 2024
 
Rated: 3.58 by Tjb14 from Michigan

Dec 28, 2023
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear, pale gold body under a small, off white head with only scant lacing. Tropical fruit, particularly guava, come on strong in the aroma. Sweetness in the forefront on the palate. Balance is a little off. Light-to-medium bodied, decently carbonated mouthfeel.
Dec 22, 2023
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
One of the rare occasions where Shawn contributed a beer. The ultra rare beer review.

Pours an amber color. Ok, perhaps this will have other characteristics in common with an amber ale. 1/2" off white head, good retention and density to it. Tight bubbled. The aroma has some passion fruit, guava and other types of tropical fruit notes that seem to be non hop derived. Sweet, malty, but not hoppy is the aroma.

The taste is more of the same. This is an ipa for people generally that don't like ipas. That's ok, its not off putting, but its more like an English amber ale with some tropical fruit added to it. That's the beer, that's it. Fruited ipa kind of, more of a fruited amber ale at the end of the day. Light carbonation. Just really didn't find anything approaching Azacca or Galaxy hops. I can think of a few people who would drink this, but they aren't big beer drinkers. I think that is the target market here.
Nov 27, 2023
Photo of Hephaistos
Rated by Hephaistos from Netherlands

1.48/5  rDev -58.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Disgusting. This is not beer. Full stop. Horrible. Should be forbidden. Use it as destopper for the sink.
Nov 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3 by njbusa from New Jersey

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of ZenAgnostic
Reviewed by ZenAgnostic from Texas

2.24/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Poured Nov 14, 2023 from a 12oz bottle into a teku glass. PKGD ON AUG1723 printed on front label, on the bottom right.

Appearance - Hazy rich gold body. Slight to moderately hazy. Small sudsy white head. Small bubbles with medium interspersed within. Decent to good lacing, stick, and decent to low retention. 4

Smell - The bottle says it's made with passionfruit, orange, and guava. And the guava and passionfruit definitely appear in the nose, dominating all other smells. Almost rotting fruit. 2.5

Taste - Weird. Barely getting any hop. But getting this weird expired fruit. It lacks sweetness. Almost earthy. Wonder if it's infected? Or if this is just overly intense citrus rind that lost much or all of its freshness? 2

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied. Weirdly almost flat. This one might need to be drunk fresh. Sticky soapy astringency that lingers. 2

Overall - This one will need a re-rate some day. No way it was meant to be like this. 2
Nov 16, 2023
Photo of DarkLordScott
Reviewed by DarkLordScott from Wisconsin

3.19/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Pours light yellow, clear, with a one finger head. Aroma is immediately orange. Taste is citrus, orange and guava. Body is light. Carbonation is average. No one aspect shines over the others; and yet, no one aspect shines at all. it's an average or just below average IPA.
Nov 02, 2023
Photo of ZebulonXZogg
Rated by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois

3.11/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours a crystal clear, bright gold, sma) head fades quickly. Not much aroma, or flavor with this one. Not very good at all.
Oct 18, 2023
Photo of Ghrymm
Rated by Ghrymm from Canada (BC)

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 355ml bottle.
An ok IPA, on the generic end.
Very drinkable but nothing special.
Oct 09, 2023
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

3.52/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle. Label is stamped with 'PKGD ON JAN1823', so this beer is "old" (consumed on September 29, 2023).
Mostly clear, pale gold colored body. Thin white head upon pouring retreats to islands and a thin ring. Scattered strings of lacing.
Aroma is mostly from the hops but is faint. Smells of orange, passionfruit, and guava.
Taste is citrus and tropical fruits - orange, passionfruit, and guava. Solid malt base. Aftertaste gets a touch of bitterness.
Thinner than medium mouth feel. Clean finish. Good carbonation.
Use this beer to quench the thirst rather than exploring for strong nose and flavors. It's beer with fruity flavors.
Sep 30, 2023
Photo of blitzkreg
Rated by blitzkreg from Missouri

2.12/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
I couldn't taste guava, orange or Passion fruit. Tastes like any cheap light American beer.
Jun 18, 2023
Photo of ATC2CWO
Rated by ATC2CWO from Alabama

4.6/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
My go-to beer that is always in the fridge. Lots of flavor at 4.5% apv?!? Yes please!! Beats having Coors Light to offer a guest!
Apr 30, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by dd53grif from Michigan

Apr 11, 2023
Photo of wanmei_xiatian
Reviewed by wanmei_xiatian from Washington

3.08/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Overall: the taste is a nightmare, a very poorly balanced beer.
Look: gold
Smell: lemon, citrus, fruity aroma
Taste: It's a very light IPA unlike many other typical strong offensive IPA. Actually, I consider it more like a cheap watery larger. And its bitterness is too much. The grassy bitterness overwhelms my taste bud for about 10 seconds after taking the first sip.
Mar 03, 2023
 
Rated: 3.68 by Rainintheface from Florida

Feb 21, 2023
 
Rated: 3.69 by KC_beerman from Missouri

Feb 07, 2023
Hanalei Island IPA from Kona Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 440 ratings