The Big Island’s other brewery: Mehana Brewing

The only brewery from Hawai’i most of us know about is Kona Brewing, especially since it has mainland distribution through Widmer Brewing. Lucky Kona! But on a recent vacation to the Hilo side of the Big Island, I found out that there are other breweries to check out.

Mehana Brewing doesn’t have a pub attached to the brewery, there’s just a small tasting room and gift area. Local grocery stores carry their bottle beers, and they sell kegs to lots of restaurants and bars on the island. I tracked down the tasting room just so I could get a sense of their full range on tap. Their beers tend toward the lighter ales and lagers, though they did have a seasonal porter. They definitely tweak their styles to suit local tastes, which is pretty cool. Though I tasted all of the beers at the brewery, I bought some bottles so I could give real reviews of their two best-selling varieties.

Mehana’s Humpback Blue Ale is a kolsch-style ale, a light amber-colored beer with a malty nose and a fairly smooth mouthfeel. The flavor up front is a little metallic, but with a nice cereal note that isn’t too sweet. Unlike beers in Oregon, Hawaiian beers are mildly hopped, and the Humpback Blue is no exception. There is a strangely tart note to the beer, much like I’d expect in a sorghum or gluten-free ale, that’s coupled with a slightly bitter edge in the finish when the beer has warmed a bit. All in all not bad, but not my favorite kolsch.

Roy’s Private Reserve is brewed special for Roy’s Restaurants, but it’s also available by the bottle. It’s even lighter than the Humpback Blue, but with a finer bubble and more “refined” qualities. It has a sweet malty aroma with a lot of cereal in it – that Grapenuts smell I associate with well-malted beers. The flavor reminded me of a Belgian golden, but without the Belgian yeast taste in the finish. It had some honey notes to it, and a hint of spice that I didn’t expect.The Roy’s Private Reserve seemed like a Japanese take on a Belgian beer.

All told, Mehana is doing pretty good work. They weren’t my favorite beers, but it’s interesting to taste localized versions of familiar styles. If you’re in Hawai’i I definitely recommend checking them out!