Kona Pipeline Porter

Brewed by Kona Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA

I used to live in Hawaii and frequently drank Kona coffee when I lived there. I thought that a coffee porter from Kona with Kona coffee would be very dry and roasty, and this beer was quite a bit more mild-mannered than I expected. I thought it would be superlative in terms of dryness and roastiness, and it wasn’t that. It poured a pretty dark brown, and looked a little thin going into the glass. Aroma was definitely coffee-ish, with some nice maltiness. Aroma was pretty mild in intensity. Flavor was dry and of coffee, but a little watery. I am no coffee connoisseur but I swear I could tell that the coffee notes I detected were of Kona coffee, versus the Starbucks Sumatra Extra Bold I usually drink in the morning. I thought powerful coffee would equal very bold coffee notes, and I didn’t get that here. However, the beer was very dry with not a lot of sweetness, which I liked and thought fitting for a coffee porter (many of them have to what to my palate is a very sweet taste) and thought appropriate for the kind of coffee represented here. Hawaii is lovely and everyone should visit, but I can’t say that if I were flying there tomorrow this beer would be the first thing I sought out there upon arrival. A huge thanks to JaBier for giving me this bottle!

Draft @ the Taphouse Norfolk. Pours dark brown in color with brown head. Aroma malty, coffee and chocolate. Taste coffee, chocalate and little thin with bitter finish.

Thanks for smuggling this bottle back to the Great White North, Tim. Too bad you couldn’t sit down the entire trip but for me it was worth it. Next time, and I know this would be a lot harder to start off, make sure the capped end goes in last... I did let this warm considerably. Poured out a small amount of smooth brown head that I had to coax out by doing an extra high pour. Retained above a film and leaves ok spotty lacing. Crazy dark beer but when the light hits it right you can see a dark red hue. The aroma is exactly what one would expect - coffee and lots of it. Very dark roast but the coffee smell isn’t so strong that it becomes annoying (yes, I’m a non-coffee drinker), powdered chocolate, nutty (sort of hazelnut but not quite). The taste is pretty good especially initially as the realization that I’m drinking cold coffee doesn’t really hit until the back end of the taste. Lots of roasted malts, vanilla, chocolate, and a hint of hops (thank god!). I’d have to say that my mouth is enjoying this beer. Smooth swish, light carbonation, medium bodied (seems heavier but just isn’t), ends with the typical terrible coffee breath and less than moderate bitterness that weakens as the coffee rolls over you in yet another wave. Better than average due to not killing me with a stupid ammount of hops to ruin the beer.

12 oz bottle. Pours black with a nice coffee scent and a small tan quickly vanishing head. Tastes strongly of coffee along with a light roasted and chocolate flavor. It has a light mouth feel and a very nice coffee aftertaste.

12oz bottle. Medium brown. Aroma of freshly ground coffee beans grown in the backyard of my Grandmother’s house in Puerto Rico. Slight hints of jalepeño pepper. Flavor is a light roasted malt. Not much coffee flavor but some coffee bitterness in the finish. . 13 sept 08

Noisy crown with a quarter inch of height slowly reducing to just a skiff the body is very dark brown and has ruby red high lights. Coffee is the prominent aroma but not to strong, lots of chocolate and dark malts are noticeable, the aroma is very pleasant. Flavour is chalky and mildly sour, coffee and not to bitter of baker’s chocolate comprise most of the taste there is some wood and other nutty flavours. A touch over carbonated and medium bodied. The after taste is slightly sweet and lingers for a long while. Good enough to drink but not the best I’ve ever had.

One bottle from Chaz on Hawaii night. Clear dark brown body with ruby highlights. Dry roast and chocolate aroma with some mild coffee. Mild coffee flavor with some dry roast and chocolate. Medium body with moderately low carbonation and a creamy finish. Coffee really stands out in the aftertaste.

On the lighter side of porters, with a decided coffee nose and palate. Still, the roasted notes are not overwhelming, and the beer is attractively hopped with apricot/pine accents that complement the coffee elements. Dry finish.