Beer Me! — Ali`i Brewing — Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

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Ali`i Brewing

(Closed)

500 Alakawa Street #220
Honolulu HI 96817
[Update]

Notes

Opened: 1994

Annual Production: 5,000 bbl

Contributor: greg

Ali`i's beer has changed significantly for the better since new management took over late in 1996. They reworked - and cleaned - the equipment, found some new suppliers, and tuned the recipes, and they are to be congratulated. Ali`i had planned to open some brewpubs in the Honolulu area before their demise.

Updated: March 6, 2009

Beer List

Ale

American-Style Pale Ale
- Date: April 11, 1996 (#1357)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI
  
  Score: 4½ points
  
  Overall Impression (1½)
  Dark amber, nearly opaque, low head. Aroma is a little smoky. EXTREMELY bitter and rather sour. Makes my skin crawl. Poured it out.

Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale

Date: May 21, 1997 (#2078)

Package: bottled

Place: KTA, Kamuela HI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber-brown, clear, fairly high carbonation, huge head. Hoppy, chocolatey aroma. Good body, brown malty flavor. Some bitterness late, with a roasty finish. Wasn't this much hoppier on tap?
Date: February 11, 1997 (#2014)

Package: draught

Place: Island Brews, Gate 12, Honolulu International Airport

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Dark amber, good head and carbonation. Big citrus nose! Bitter, fruity hop flavor. Pretty smooth body. Nice clean finish. MAJOR improvement! Compares real favorably with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Golden Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: August 11, 1997 (#2128)

Package: bottled

Place: The Liquor Collection, Honolulu HI

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden, high carbonation, good head. Perfumey hop aroma. Good body, fairly high carbonation. Good malt flavor nicely balanced with fresh hops. Real good beer. A little sweet at the end.
Date: March 15, 1997 (#2049)

Package: draught

Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, low carbonation, low head. Fruity aroma. Big carbonation bite, vegetal hops, a little too bitter for the body.

Kona Coffee Stout

Foreign (Export)-Style Stout

Date: February 13, 1998 (#2393)

Package: bottled

Place: Shipley's Alehouse, Manoa HI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Very dark red, OK head. Smells like coffee. Thick, smooth, cold bitter coffee. Quite a bit of hop flavor in the middle. A little sweet.

Date: March 15, 1997 (#2051)

Package: draught

Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Brown, clear, OK head. Smells brown and sweet. Sweet, slightly smoky. Do you like Brown Ales? Do you like Macadamia Nuts? Then this is your beer.

Date: May 21, 1997 (#2079)

Package: bottled

Place: KTA, Kamuela HI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Red, moderate carbonation, big head. Nutty sweet aroma. Sweet, pretty clean. Hint of roastiness, a little mac nut flavor in the finish, along with some bitterness. "Ale Fermented with Macadamia Nut Oil."

Date: April 26, 1996 (#1393)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 7½ points

Overall Impression (1½)
Dark red-brown, big brown head. Vague hop aroma. Sour, typical Ali`i. Not a bad Brown Ale after the sourness fades. Hint of macadamia. Nasty...poured it out. Seven and a half points is extremely generous.

Date: August 11, 1997 (#2135)

Package: bottled

Place: The Liquor Collection, Honolulu HI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
So dark I had to hold it up to the Sun to see the red color. Fresh coffee smell, and fresh hops. Sweet, roasty, coffee...and a lot of hop flavor! Long hoppy finish, sweet at the end.

Date: March 15, 1997 (#2050)

Package: draught

Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression (3½)
Brown enough to be called black. Smells nice and roasty. A Porter that drinks like a Stout. Very burnt, just sweet enough, long black finish. Reminds me of Anchor Porter!

Date: January 13, 1996 (#1242)

Package: bottled

Place: Sure Save, Kamuela HI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden, hazy, good carbonation and head. Hoppy-wheat aroma. Malty-wheaty flavor. Nice balance, smooth. Sweetish-but-malty finish. (Note: I had another bottle two days later, and it was flat and insipid. Bad sign.) (Note: I had another bottle a couple of days after that, and it was also flat and insipid.)