Better than the terrifyingly poor Longboard Lager, the golden ale offering from Kona is not as bad, a very light brew at a light 4.4% alk, and light in color. Tart hops and the thin body make this a good one for a Summer day, and that’s every day in Hawai’i. There’s a little bitterness on the backend, for god knows what reason, but it’s not beer bitterness, it’s like contamination bitterness.
It can’t be a mistake, all four of the Kona beers in the sampler 12 have this same nasty chemical taste to them. Have to assume that they’re adding something to the beer to give it some sort of “stand out” taste to set Kona apart from a crowded field of new beers, but whatever that additive is, it does not belong in beer.
This preparation rates at 2.7 but i can’t recommend it for anyone to drink.