I was recently deployed on a mission to Maui. It was my first time in Hawaii, which is sort of surprising considering my espionage work dispatches me to the far corners of the globe. I was surprised by many a discovery, not the least of which was that the east half of the island is still remarkably remote, especially the southeast corner — for about a 5 hour stretch of driving, you pass 12 minutes of cell phone coverage in the only village, Hana, in that part of the island. Camped out on stakeout, there’s very little to do seeing as the last food stand closes at 4 pm and there’s not a single bar in town (other than the blue-blood hotel bar filled with white-hairs in Tommy Bahama shirts), so after that all there is to do is go to the one grocery store, buy beer and drink by the crashing cliffs as it gets dark. This is where I discovered Maui Brewing Company’s Coconut Porter — one of the best porters I’ve ever tasted. And yes, there is a brief taste of coconut and it is delicious — not overly sweet or gimmicky, but an unbelievable aftertaste due to the hand-roasted coconut they brew it with. With additional notes of coffee and even chocolate, it is a true brew of the Gods. I wake up from a hazy reverie sometimes just thinking about sipping it, cold. Mmmmm…If you’re one of those people that need awards, well it won the Gold Medal at the World Beer Cup in 2006 (Herb & Spice beer) and the Gold at the San Diego Beer Competition last year. I didn’t know that when I drank it though, I just saw the ocean open up and a giant blue whale pull one of those Prudential back flips right in front of me. True story.

Yes it is expensive, but worth every dime. Pick it up at Bevmo for $10 a 4-pack.