A Trip To The Islands

As this week has come to an end, I have been looking forward to writing this blog and all that comes with it (a well deserved beer). This week, instead of drinking a beer that I've had and enjoyed before, I decided I would go into the liquor store and pick out a lager that I have never had or heard of before, (as long as it appeared to be appealing on the outside).

There are some lagers I want to try again when it gets to be closer to winter and a bit breezier outside, but with the temperature being close to the 90s, I thought something lighter would be more appealing. 

I went into the store with a Pilsner in mind, but came out with "Longboard Island Lager" which is made by the Kona Brewing Co. in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. The Kona Brewing Co. website describes this traditional lager as a crisp, pale-gold lager made with choice malts and aromatic hops.

With the presentation of the bottle, I was excited to try this beer, with it's colorful label depicting the ocean. I was expecting a refreshing flavor that I could imagine drinking while lounged back, enjoying the sound of the waves. What I got was something a bit different. 

                                                     Longboard Island Lager as displayed on the Kona Brewing Co. Website


I could definitely see the pale golden color as described. The website was not wrong to describe the aromatic hops in the brew either, however it was strong that I prefer for something refreshing. That may say a lot about me and my opinions on different beers because I acknowledge that in all the variety of beer in the world, Longboard is probably not a beer most would consider too hoppy, but that is just my preference. If there was any more hops added, I probably wouldn't have liked it.

Was this a bad beer? No! Not at all. I enjoyed the one I drank last night and I will certainly enjoy the other five that are in the pack, but would I buy this again? Probably not. Would other people enjoy this? Absolutely. It's just not for me.

Alike most other companies, this brewing company needs to appeal to a specific audience if it wants to be successful. The audience would be people who enjoy beer and drink it more explicitly than implicitly, as this is not a beer you would normally see at a bar on draught.

Overall, I would give the Longboard Island Lager a 5/10. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I tried it, but it probably isn't something I'd buy again.