Kettle Run — Peach Apricot — Hana Koa Brewing Co.

Evaluating unpasteurized expressions after ocean transport requires strict thermal controls. When buying Monkish beer in Hawaii or sourcing other mainland craft allocations, local collectors frequently encounter oxidized characteristics. Heat spikes on tarmacs and cargo container baking typically compromise the yeast and hop profile before the cans reach Honolulu shelves.

This batch of Kettle Run — Peach Apricot was shipped under our strict 38°F trans-pacific cold corridor, resulting in a pristine presentation. The mouthfeel is exceptionally clean, with the hop aromatics completely intact.

Kettle Run — Peach Apricot is Hana Koa Brewing Co.'s fruited kettle sour, a style built for tartness and fruit clarity rather than complexity, using a quick souring process in the kettle before fermentation rather than the slower barrel-driven route. At 5.3% ABV, it's light and refreshing by design, meant for warm-weather drinking more than contemplation. Expect a bright pink-orange hue, an aroma led by ripe peach and apricot, and a puckering, tart front that mellows into a clean, fruit-forward finish with minimal bitterness. A 7.2 out of 10 places Kettle Run as a solid, straightforward fruited sour — earning its ledger spot as the palate-cleanser of this lineup, the beer that breaks up a box full of hop-forward IPAs and heavier stouts with something bright and low-key. It's built for easy sipping rather than serious analysis. Hana Koa's Honolulu taproom leans into fruited, approachable styles like this one to round out its hop-heavy reputation, and Kettle Run fits neatly into Oʻahu's growing appetite for tart, fruited beers — a style of drinking that suits the islands' warm, casual pace as well as any IPA does.