Volcano Red Ale
Hilo Brewing Company

probably my favorite of the hilo beers i drank while in hawaii, a super sturdy red ale, not too sweet, with a lot of malty depth well beyond what is standard in the style. really dark, brick red to almost brown in lower light, well refined looking and with over an inch of rising and lasting light tan head from the tap at the brewery, a great place to pop in and have a few pints! i love the grain striation in this, yet its also really cohesive. on the low end its medium roast with natural coffee character, dark bread, and a hint of cocoa without a ton of sugar here, even a whisper of smoke adding complexity in aroma and in the flavor. in the middle its toffee, light tobacco, dried red fruits, and nutty character leaning hazelnut, rich without being sweet, quite complex to me even, graham crackers too. on the lightest end, there is soft honey, biscuit, and minerals. some late hops casting bitter balance but staying pretty well back. this is flavorful, it warms up well, its neither too sweet nor too full bodied, the low alcohol is cool, and this ends up a lot more dynamic most of these, even a little yeast note to it. smooth and drinkable, definitely one of their best beers in my experience! would definitely recommend a visit to this place when you are on the big island! this is underrated.

 

 

 

Added picture you see
Bought a 6-pack cans $8.99 Foodland
No can date
Smell of molasses
Dark amber color
Medium carbonation
Medium mouthfeel
Taste of malt, molasses, cola
Overall an ok beer. Flavors on the thinner side that could be the result of age, but can't tell without can date so rating it as is.