Aloha Pittsburgh

Since the early days of starting my writing on this blog, I've taken a fascination with beers from breweries based in Hawaii. If I remember correctly, it was around the time in which I started this blog that Kona Brewing Company started shipping some brew into the States. I came across two beers from the Aloha State in Maui Brewing's Bikini Blonde Lager and Coconut Porter and completely fell in love.

Seemed like it was totally on a whim, but last night it appeared as if a former Pittsburgh resident took to Twitter to reach out to those of us in the online beer community here in Western, Pa.

@BurghBeerSnob Check out this upcoming brewery in Hawaii... founded by Pittsburghers! http://t.co/nIpiySXO3L
— Darren Garvey (@darrengarvey) August 7, 2013

It looks like there's potential for Pittsburgh to have a stake in the Hawaiian beer landscape. The proposed brewery (currently a Kickstarter project) would be called Stewbum & Stonewall. The name comes from nicknames of the fathers of the two proposed owners of this brewery and of course I go geeky over a Civil War reference.

One unique thing about this idea for a brewery is that (I found this within the Kickstarter page) the brewery plans to feature other local Hawaiian beers alongside its own in the taproom. That's something very unusual and unique. Best of luck to them. I figured that passing this along might help get an extra backer or two for this brewery.

Vive le Pittsburgh.

Beer Review: Maui Coconut Porter

Serving Type: Can

ABV: Six percent

Appearance: This brew featured a body that was coal black and had quite a heavy and thick look to it. Stout and porter folk would classify this as "chewy." The head was a light shade of tan and was very frothy. it did show a sign of weakness after it reached its peak, though. It seemed to cave in, but ended up leaving some sticky lacing caked along the inside of the glass. It wasn't in the typical fashion, but it certainly got there!

Smell: I got plenty of dark chocolate that was plenty sweet. This was also a bit nutty. I settled on the idea that this was something close to almond. Oh yea, and there's coconut.! Coconut and chocolate is such a great combination.

Taste: I was hit with a plethora of the dark chocolate and coconut on the front. The chocolate tasted very sweet, but the coconut did as well. The sweetness was enjoyable and not overpowering at all. The coconut in the taste also has a note of charred flavor. Nice and toasty. The front of the tongue is balanced by a roasted flavor from this brew's malt bill. The finish of the beer was quite balanced. There was a small bitter hop presence along with the almond. I love drinking a beer and being put through the process of nostalgia. This reminded me of Almond Joy bars. I was floored.

Overall Rating: 

The only other Maui Brewing beer I've had was the Bikini Blonde Lager. I mentioned in my review that it'd be perfect for hot on-the-beach drinking. I honestly would have this beer on a beach as well. I love being reminded of food's I've tasted previously in beers. this was just another case. Rarely am I reminded of some of my favorite candy bars from childhood. I've also had a coconut porter/stout before by Church Brew Works and the coconut didn't come off too well. It tasted like something closer to a twist cone.

Beer Review: Maui Brewing Bikini Blonde Lager

Serving Type: Can

ABV: 4.5  percent

Appearance: Bikini Blonde Lager pours a dark gold. The body is mostly hazy, which is sort of uncharacteristic for a Helles Lager (at least in my experiences with them). I was still able to notice a good multitude of rising carbonation bubbles. The head of the brew was a crisp white and foamy. it also slightly receded after a few seconds, but there was a nice creamy layer of foam for the duration of the drink.

Smell: The aroma consisted of a touch of sweet malt and a strong yeast presence. There was also a small bit of floral hops that made this feel very spring or summery. It was a crisp, fresh smell.

Taste: This was very sweet and malty up front, initially. The floral hoppiness of this contributed to a clean, crisp and bitter finish. I also caught a fruity sensation in the aftertaste a few sips into this beer. Still, that wasn't enough to make me classify this as a fruit beer. It still compliments the rest of the product quite well. We can't forget about that appetizing layer of foam that was atop the beer. It provided a touch of creaminess.

Overall Rating: 

I really enjoyed this beer. If anything was wrong, it was a bit too malty. I would have preferred a bit more balance. This is a goody for beach drinking. Especially if it's hot outside. I've heard and read rumors that this beer is no longer brewed as well as that it's still in existence. Whichever the reason, I was lucky to finally come across this. I'll continue to look and see which of the two aforementioned rumors is true.

Keep a Eye Out for Maui Brewing Co.

On quite a few occasions over the last few weeks I've come across Maui Brewing Co. in my various scanning of craft beer news on the Internet. It wasn't until today that I actually gathered some initiative to find out why I've been seeing this brewery being tossed around.

Apparently Maui Brewing has finally made its first appearance on the east coast, per The Full Pint. Maui Brewing has ventured deep enough into the mainland already, as it has a firm presence in states such as California, Colorado and Texas.

Some interesting tidbits about this brewery include the fact that all of the ingredients used in its beer are totally Hawaiian and that its beer is the top-selling craft brew in the state.

Just taking a look at the titles of a few of their brews makes me water in my mouth a little. Take Coconut Porter for example. Maui's beer description reads:

"Our Coconut Porter is a fresh, handcrafted robust porter brewed with six varieties of barley, hops, and hand-roasted coconut. It begins with a malty-toasted coconut aroma followed by a rich silky feel which tastes of dark malt, chocolate, and hints of coffee."

How would you like to sit back after a day of work/school and take a few sips of that? I'm already craving this beer and I haven't even seen it yet. 

If you read the description for Mana Wheat you see that it's an American style wheat ale, but infused with pineapple. Yes, you just asked yourself the very same question I did earlier, or at least some form of it. "There is such a thing as pineapple beer?"

This brewing company looks to be on the rise and appears as if its beers can catch on and create a decent following here on the east coast.