Hanalei Island IPA (Waitrose) By @SpectreUK

There was a barbecue smoking away and a DJ outside at the gym today. I was swimming in the outside pool right next to where the DJ decided to set up. After a while I realised I've turned into my dad. All I wanted to do was to ask him to turn it down! However, the sun was out and there were plenty of people enjoying the weather and the entertainment. There was a (scary) clown too, but I have no idea why. After my pool exercises and I had been in the sauna a few times, I did finally manage to enjoy some of the music from the other side of the pool area, so not to get deafened.

Hanalei is a town on the north shore of Kauai, in Hawaii. The label of this 4.5% volume Hanalei IPA from the Kona Brewing Company, in Hawaii, reminds me a little of that fairly sunny and cheerful scene today. Although instead of kayaking, I'd probably be more at home swimming near the beach of that seaside. This IPA has been flavoured with passionfruit, orange and guava. I like orange and guava in beer, but I have had an unsavoury experience in the past with an extremely bitter passionfruit beer. I'm hoping the orange and guava may calm the passionfruit down a little here.

On opening the 355ml bottle I was surprised to smell more of a herbal hoppy aroma. I could also smell a fairly heavy hit from the orange. Things were looking up. I have a tuna sandwich and sushi for dinner, which should go well with this beer. Fortunately on taste the mixed fruits in this beer are finely balanced. From the start the herbal hops add the bitterness, and not the added fruits. There is sweetness from the pale and sweeter malts at the back of the flavour and into the aftertaste. This is definitely a India Pale Ale to be enjoyed on a sunny day on a beach, in the garden, or by an outdoor pool even if there is a noisy DJ!