Kohola Brewery! That’s where I was headed. It’s the newest brewery on the Hawaiian island of Maui (to be fair, they are the second brewer on the island of Maui), and there was no way I was leaving Maui without a visit. I got a preview of their beer on Thursday with a pint of Kohola Red Sand Ale at Kimo’s Restaurant in Lahaina, but the brewery proper was not far from the scenic waterfront, so we walked there on a fine Friday afternoon.

Kohola (which means whale in the local dialect; note the whale's tale in the logo) is behind a strip mall and you might easily miss it if you don’t know that. It’s mixed in with a few other businesses, but if you walk behind the tourist trap gift shop (which actually has some neat stuff at great prices) you can’t miss the grain silos. The facility itself is all industrial with a bar area and food truck service.

We arrived just before their noon opening time and were the first to belly up to the bar. I ordered a sampler and tried each of their beers before leaving.  Four 4-ounce samples will run you $12, or you could try all 10 for $25. Pints run about $7-$8, and they fill growlers and crowlers, too.

The service did not impress me. Look, I know it’s a bar, but the old surfer dude looking guy behind the bar was, to me, more crotchety than I’d have liked. He was affable enough when talking about beer, but he didn’t seem to get the link between service and a good tip. I wanted to stay hydrated and so asked for water; each time I did he would give me the stink eye and bring back a tiny cup of it to go with my beer. Then too, when the place started to fill up, he was in a hurry to get everybody a drink while my glass sat empty for far too long. I get that you have to take care of the locals, but hey, my money is as good as theirs. To his credit, though, he did enjoy talking beer and did a little of that with us. He and a few regulars even suggested I hit the main Maui brewing facility while I was on the island.

Luckily, the beers were so good here that next time I am in Mau I will certainly be back. Everything was spot on for style, and many of the beers were truly amazing. Beer choices in Hawaii are limited but growing, as imports from the mainland face a harrowing sea journey before they even hit the shelf. Still and all, if all you could drink on Maui were beers from Kohola and Maui brewing (and maybe beers sold here from the other Hawaiian island brewers) you would be doing OK indeed.

My next to last beer at Kohola (sad!) was 88 IPA, a classic American IPA. No namby pamby fruit loop hops need apply here, folks. The brewery makes reference to tropical fruit, but I didn't get any, and the bartender was complaining that he didn't either (he likes them apparently).

From the website:

Our 88 IPA carries hop aromas of grapefruit and tangerine with slight tropical fruit in the background from Simcoe and Summit hop additions. The 88 IPA was given its name due to its high gravity and the longest measured humpback whale known to man in Hawaiian waters at 88 feet.

Ingredients from the website:

Malt 2-Row, CaraAmber, Rye
Hops Simcoe, Summit, Nugget
Yeast House Ale

Kohola 88 IPA is a year-round offering and has an alcohol content of 6.8% by volume with 67 IBUs.

My glass of Kohola 88 IPA arrived a bright orange amber in color with a light head and a vibrant grapefruit citrusy nose. Taking a sip the beer has good body with a bit or resin and citrusy bitter grapefruit rind, all rounded out with a long dry bitter finish. Another winner from Kohola and my kind of IPA!

 

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 



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