Golden Sabbath by Big Island Brewhaus of Hawai’i

1536665_10101623068724230_1793245443_nRating: 4.75/5

Golden Sabbath by Big Island Brewhaus of Hawai’i is an 8.5% ABV Belgian Strong Golden Ale brewed with Hawaiian Honey.

Label:
You hold a special handcrafted beer brewed and bottled only in Hawai’i. This hefty 22 ounce bottle is meant to be shared, but of course you may not want to! Our Belgian Style Golden Ale is brewed with Malted Barley, Hawaiian Honey, and Noble Hops. A Special Belgian yeast imparts a wondrous range of fruit flavors like plum, apricot, and spice. These flavors harmonize well with roasted meats like lamb and duckling as well as rich seafoods like lobster and is perfect with desserts such as crème brulee, tiramisu, and of course…chocolate. Traditionally served in special goblets, this beer turns an ordinary lunch into an extraordinary event and transforms a slow Sunday afternoon into a Golden Sabbath. 
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A very special thanks once again to my friend Richard and his fiancee Megan who were able to bring this special gift for me from their trip to Hawaii. It is an honor to try a Belgian style beer from Hawai’i, especially since that is pretty much the only place you can get this one.

Aromas:
Oranges, peppercorns, floral and citrus hops, honey, apples, apricot, biscuit bread, cotton candy, banana bread, vanilla, caramel, coriander and other spices.

Flavors:
Flowers, peppercorns, banana bread, apricot, plums, honey, biscuits, pineapple, pears, vanilla, bubble gum, cotton candy, rock candy, coriander, cloves, herbs and other spices.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with some nice honey, peppery spices and slight banana left over. Crisp, refreshing, easy to moderate drinkability with no alcohol in the taste.

Overall:
A very good Belgian that is really close to a Tripel but it does stay more with the Golden Ale style and the Belgian Pale Ale but less hoppy and more fruity. While I enjoyed this one a lot, I think I enjoyed their coconut porter more. Nevertheless, this is still an amazing beer and an honor to get a chance to try something like this from Hawai’i. Belgian beer lovers will like this one.

Anime Corner:
I was unable to find the artist of this original artwork I used for pairing with this beer. If you are the artist let me know so I can give you credit for using the picture as a background for this beer pairing. I decided on this piece to portray several aspects of this beer. For starters, The label colors fit perfectly. Second, I wanted to find something that would relate to monks in Hawaii or even Monks at the beach. That is what the girl in the cloak is doing at the beach. The sandy and tropical aspects of rich Hawaiian honey are showcased with the beer flavors and also shown as a representative of the sea here in this pairing. Can you find any other things in this pairing?

White Mountain Porter by Big Island Brewhaus of Hawai’i

1526825_10101609398514440_1092986174_nRating: 4.88/5

White Mountain Porter by Big Island Brewhaus of Hawai’i is a 5.8% ABV American Porter brewed with toasted coconut and coffee

Label:
This hefty 22 ounce bottle is meant to be shared, but of course you may not want to! You hold a special handcrafted beer brewed and bottled only in Hawai’i. This award winning Robust Porter is brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal, Munich, Chocolate, and Black malts, a blend of American hops, toasted coconut, and White Mountain coffee aromas are followed by hints of rich, silky, dark, malt with nuances of chocolate; hops add spice to balance the finish. A great match with Indian, Thai, Mexican dishes, and perhaps best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Keep refrigerated for freshness.
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A very special thanks to my friend Richard and his fiance Megan for bringing me this very special beer from Hawai’i. This is brewed and only sold there. Coconut porters aren’t too common except the other Hawaiian beer from Maui. In comparing this beer I will try to look for some aspects that could be more or less appealing than that beer or any other coconut beers that I have tried in the past.

Aromas:
Coffee beans, mocha, chocolate, earthy hop notes, vanilla, subtle coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon hints, espresso and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich coffee, dark and milk chocolate, toasted coconut, caramel, vanilla, mocha, piloncillo sugar cone, molasses, mild cinnamon notes, ginger bread, mild chocolate abuelita brick, earthy hop notes, mild Irish cream, biscuit bread and honey.

Aftertaste:
The complex coffee, coconut, ginger bread, cinnamon, brown sugar and earth notes linger. Easy to moderate sipping with no alcohol in the taste. Even at this low ABV, the mouthfeel is big.

Overall:
Damn very good porter. I am not sure if it is the balance of coffee and coconut,which are more prevalent in the taste, or the spicy notes, but this beer is very delicious. As it warmed up, the coconut and the coffee complemented each other very well. I really think it is the delicious White Mountain coffee but I really don’t know. Regardless, damn, a great beer. Only in Hawai’i which is sad because I would definitely want to get more of this one. I think this is a step up from the Maui Coconut porter for sure.

Anime Corner:
An original art piece of Blade and Soul by Hyung-Tae Kim. In this pairing I wanted to focus on the colors of the label as well as some aspect of Hawai’i like the flowers for example as well as the White Mountain. The combination of Coconut and Porter are in the color of her hair and dress. Black and White. The sunset piece also fits with the scenery of the label as well.