New year-round beers, one-time beers, seasonal releases, collaboration beers — the craft beer world is constantly presenting new releases, and they fill up beer aisles with fun and exciting things to try.
It may be hard to keep up with all of the new, so I’ve picked out a few worth checking out.
>>Revision Brewing Co. Owyhee Northeast Hazy IPA: Revision co-owner and brewer Jeremy Warren became close friends with Kohola Brewery co-owner Ian Elumba over many years of vacationing on Maui and attending various beer festivals in the islands. Late last year the two brewed a beer at Kohola in Lahaina, then earlier this summer Elumba flew to Reno to brew a beer at Revision.
The result is a hazy IPA loaded with exploding juicy hop flavors and aromas of pineapple, mango and freshly squeezed orange juice. This is a limited, one-time brew that should be consumed fresh. Incidentally, Owyhee is the spelling of Hawaii used in the 18th and 19th centuries, in case you were having a hard time pronouncing the word.
>> Duvel Single: Duvel is a brewery steeped in tradition that’s known worldwide for making one type of beer — the Belgian Strong Pale Ale, a style it actually created in the 1920s. The beer is known for its clean, easy-drinking profile, despite a devilish strength of 8.5 percent alcohol by volume. For many years, Duvel also made a smaller, draft-only beer called Single that had all the same characteristics of its bigger brother, but less alcohol at only 6.8 percent.
Duvel Single is finally available in Hawaii, in sleek, matte black 16-ounce cans. Upfront cracker-like malt, with just a touch of hop bitterness and wonderful fruit aromas make Duvel Single incredibly drinkable. It is excellent paired with salads, pasta or any seafood dish.
>> Honolulu Beerworks Pali Pils: A light German pilsner is Honolulu Beerworks’ latest seasonal release. Previously a draft-only beer, Pali Pils is now available in six-pack cans with a label designed by local artist Kaiili Kaulukukui. This is an excellent easy-drinking option because of its light malt graininess, clean and dry finish, and crisp bitter snap.
No frills or bells and whistles here. Just a simple beer done very well for maximum refreshment.
>> Maui Brewing Co. Lilikoi Saison: This is another seasonal release that will be around for only a few months, so get your fill while you can.
Here, Maui Brewing takes a classic Belgian style, the saison, and adds a bit of Hawaii to it with a healthy dose of lilikoi. Fruit dominates both the aroma and flavor, but the beer is still dry with minimal sweetness, making it very refreshing. A touch of lilikoi tartness on the finish blends perfectly with bright fruit notes from the saison yeast.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more flavor than the usual summertime beer, this is the one for you.
Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer on the third week of each month. He is part owner of Village Bottle Shoppe in Kakaako.
