Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Beer Review: Maui Brewing Bikini Blonde Lager, Big Swell IPA and CoCoNut Porter

I love beer in cans. Cans you can crush and put into your recycling bin and it takes up a hell of a lot of less room than bottles. And apparently according to the back of the Maui Brewing cans they "chill quicker, and can be enjoyed on beaches and in sensitive environments." They also state that "aluminum is the most recycled and most eco-friendly material." All of this is great but another one they are forgetting is that, at least in my opinion, cans protect the beer and the beer tastes better from the can.

Recently I had an opportunity to order some beer online(which I'll write about my experience here soon)from Brewforia.com. When I saw that they had some Maui Brewing beers to choose from I jumped at the chance to order some. I used to live in Hawaii when I was younger and have this weird infatuation with things Hawaiian. You should see my tacky Hawaiian shirt collection. I love them. Anyway, I had the opportunity to buy them and got them shipped to me. Here are my review of all three:



Brewery: Maui Brewing Company

Beer: Bikini Blonde Lager

Style: Munich Helles Lager(source: BA)

ABV: 4.50% ABV

Louisiana Availability: NONE

Price Range: $3.00-$4.00 per can

Appearance: This one poured a nice pale gold with a huge white head that disappeared quickly. Lacing present.

Smell: Nice malty aroma with a slight hop presence.

Taste: Nice sweet maltiness with a hint of hop bitterness and toasted bead.

Mouthfeel: Nice medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall: A sessionable, tasty craft beer in a can. CAN it get any better?

Score: Photobucket 4 out of 5 Buddhas


Brewery: Maui Brewing

Beer: Big Swell IPA

Style: American IPA(source: BA)

ABV: 6.30% ABV

Louisiana Availability: NONE

Price Range: $3.00-$4.00 per can

Appearance: This beer poured a nice hazy amber color with huge white head which disappeared quickly. Lacing present but not long.

Smell: Grass, pine and fruit.

Taste: A nice Chuck Norris hop kick to the mouth with hints of grass, pine and fruit. Nicely balanced IPA.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation with medium body.

Overall: Damn good IPA. And again I love that these beers come in cans.

Score: Photobucket 4 out of 5 Buddhas


Brewery: Maui Brewing

Beer: CoCoNut Porter

Style: American Porter(source: BA)

ABV: 5.70% ABV

Louisiana Availability: NONE

Price Range: $3.00-$4.00 per can

Appearance: This beer poured black with hints of ruby highlights around the edges. Nice huge, off white head which dissipated quickly. Lacing present throughout.

Smell: Roasted coffee, chocolate, toasted coconut.

Taste: Again like in the nose: roasted coffee, chocolate and nice hints of toasted coconut. Wonderful malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Nice smooth medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall: Damn fine porter! It's so nice to see great beers available in cans!

Score: Photobucket 4 out of 5 Buddhas

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

1 comment:

Travis said...

So, any chance of seeing the shirts or the canned beer at a BA Friday Pint Night?