Maui Brewing Company- CoCoNut Porter: Not What I Thought…Better! Ameri"CAN" Craft Beer Review Month - Day 12
Monday, June 20, 2011 at 2:47PM | by Jason 
When I started this review I had forgot where this brew originated from. I originally thought that Wes’ fiancé, Christina, brought this from her trip to SoCal in December but after staring at the can for a while I realized that that was not the case. Then I realized that this brew was brought from Colorado by the dynamic duo of Shannon and Kevin. Steve negotiated getting some cans from them and kindly set one aside for me. Thanks to Shannon and Kevin, I’ve got my hands on some great stuff!! There are a few things that intrigue me about this brew, 1) unless you live in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Puerto Rico, you’re not likely to find or get this beer. 2) I have never been a fan of coconut yet I love porters so I have to say I’m a little bit intimidated. 3) So far, I’ve had the Bikini Blonde Lager, Big Swell IPA and Mana Wheat and I’ve really liked all three, so I’m hoping that CoCoNut Porter from Maui Brewing Company makes it 4 for 4. Will Maui Brewing Company bat a thousand?? Let’s find out.
Maui Brewing Company classifies this brew as a Robust Porter and their website describes CoCoNut Porter as, “Our CoCoNut Porter is a fresh handcrafted robust porter brewed with six varieties of malted barley, hops and hand-toasted coconut. It begins with a malty-toasted coconut aroma followed by a rich, silky feel with tastes of dark malt, chocolate and hints of coffee. It then finishes with flavors of toasted coconut and hoppy spice to balance the finish.”
CoCoNut Porter pours a dark chestnut with a big 1 1’2” medium brown head. The aroma has a very sweet and creamy character that smells of roasted malts, chocolate and slight coconut and coffee.
As Joey Lawrence once said, “WHOA!” Four for Four!! CoCoNut Porter is better than I expected, I was thinking that I was going to get a hit with a big wave of coconut but nope, I was dead wrong. Instead, CoCoNut Porter delivers a rich, complex and savory flavor that is just wonderful. It starts out with a malty sweetness that is brief, transitioning to a bitter chocolate/roasted malt middle and finishes with a bit of hop spiciness and a hint of coconut in the aftertaste. I’ve never really had the desire to travel to Hawaii before, seeing that I’m a pale white haole and of Irish descent, knowing that if I stepped away from the hotel for 5 minute I’d burn like a wooden statue in the desert. That being said, I may just take a solar beating from the sun like a man just to get to Maui Brewing Company and ask Garrett what island magic are they using to make their brews. I’d love to see what small batch stuff that you can only get at the brewery tastes like…looks like I’m going to have to book a trip in the near future.
ABV: 6.0%
Consumed: Asheville Brewing Co Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy A Case
