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Kona Light

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Kona Light is the lightest beer in the Hawaiian range, a blonde ale from Kailua-Kona modelled on the golden hour along the Kona coast. Pale malt with a little caramel malt gives a bright golden colour, a light cereal sweetness and a soft hint of honeyed toast. Mosaic and Amarillo add gentle notes of orange, apricot and tropical fruit over a faint grassy edge. The body is thin and crisp, the bitterness mild, and the finish quick and clean.

ABV
4.2%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter18 IBU
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
golden8
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
What makes this beer itself
MaltHop
cleanorangetropical
clean
orange
tropical
caramel
toasty
honey
Aroma
The nose opens with soft cereal and grain notes from pale malt, accented by subtle caramel sweetness and a honeyed toast impression.
also:grassy,malty
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Kona Light

◎ Appearance

A bright golden hue dominates the glass, reflecting light with clarity and transparency. The head is modest but persistent, settling into a thin collar that leaves delicate trails of lacing down the sides. Carbonation appears lively yet restrained, appropriate to the beer's light character.

bright goldenclearfine lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with soft cereal and grain notes from pale malt, accented by subtle caramel sweetness and a honeyed toast impression. Mosaic and Amarillo hops contribute gentle citrus—orange peel and apricot—alongside whispers of tropical fruit. A faint grassy edge rounds out the bouquet without asserting itself.

cereal sweetnessorange, apricothoneyed toastgrassy edge

◐ Taste

Entry is clean and light, with a grainy malt foundation and restrained caramel character that avoids heaviness. Mid-palate sustains the tropical and citrus notes from the hops, balanced against low bitterness that remains in the background. The thin body feels crisp and refreshing rather than thin-bodied in a negative sense, with no astringency.

light graincitrus, tropicallow bitternesscrisp body

◑ Finish

The finish arrives quickly and departs clean, leaving no sticky residue or lingering sweetness. A faint grassy dryness and hop echo persist briefly before fading entirely.

quick, cleandry finish
76
hopIQ score
Aroma
75
Taste
75
Appearance
78
Finish
76
Serve at 7–10°C

Serve at 7–10°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Kona Light

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About Blonde Ale

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Blonde Ale?

Blonde Ale is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Blonde Ale

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same clean, crisp, light character as Kona Light will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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