Leelanau Petoskey Pale Ale

Leelanau Brewing Company
Brewed at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Belgian Ale
Lake Leelanau, Michigan USA

500 mL bottle (i think?) a slightly hazy orange-copper with a bubbly off-white head. cascade hops and tart jolly pumpkin house aroma (yeast and barrel) - bready malts and brett, and it hardly can be considered a pale ale, at least not in the american sense. not outright sour, but approaching sour and with more time in the barrel or bottle, it might get tarter. smooth, lightly bitter flavor with some grapefruity citrus and the tartness is well-balanced. dry woody finish, reminiscent of bam biere, one of my favorites.

Growing up in MI, I remember there was always something special about having Petoskey Stones. When I walked in the bottle store, while visiting family, the first thing that caught my eye was the picture of the Petosky Stone on the label. It brought back some memories for sure. Not having this before, the Petosky Stone, and knowing Jolly Pumpkin is behind this, made me look past the $11 price tag. 500ml bottle. Poured a medium and cloudy amberish color with a larger sized, frothy, off white head. It also had a pinkish tint to it. Aromas of some funkiness, bretty, wood-oaky, light citrus, cheese rinds, and Petoskey Stones. Well not really on the stones. Tastes of some funkiness, oak, cheese, and lighter fruitiness. Lightly sweet with a light tart finish. Some lacing left on the glass. This one grew on me more and more as I drank it. Wow, if every American Pale Ale tasted like this one! I wish I bought more of these.

Bottle. Perfectly crystal clear amber color (the bottle had been stored upright in the beer fridge for about a month, so....) with a nice, lasting white head. The aroma is clearly one, where the maturation in oak casks as well as something else than just brewers yeast has a play ;-) A lot of grainy maltiness, complemented by fresh, flowery hops, notes of newly cut grass and some barnyard, horsy aromas. Very complex. The flavour goes along the same lines. Very lean on the palate with a nice bitterness and just a hint of sourness at the end. An unusual and truly great pale ale.

Bottle. Pours the color of dark honey iwht a little bit of haziness and a big and fluffy head. Aromas are of funk and caramel. The funk is a kind of musty and stale barn smell, while the sweet hides under the surface in the nose and is of apples and caramel. Flavor is a mix of funk, sour, spice and malt. The sweetness seems to have disappeared (although I could swear it was there in the aromas) and the tartness and funk (apples and barnyard) take complete control of the palate. Like many of the HP offerings, the first couple of sips made me wonder what they were thinking and the last couple of swigs made me want more...

Pours a pinkish copper with a nice lingering head. Smells dry and bretty with some citrussy tartness dominating. Tastes funky and dry with some wildflowers, soapy hints and a sage like finish. Excellent beer!

Orange-copper pour with a huge rocky off-white head. Sour, floral, oaky aroma. Lots of sourness right upfront in the flavor with some oak, citrus and a touch of caramel. Medium body with lots of carbonation.

(Bottle) Pours light hazy dark orange to amber with a creamy off-white head. The aroma is fantastic yet subtle with an elegant oak touch of fresh wood and light vanilla, green floral hops, roses, funky brett, light strawberry, wet gravel/wet stones/minerals and lemon/grapefruit/orange peel. Very dry, low FG nose. The flavour is light sweet but not super dry with a nice mix of funky brett, green floral/herbal hops and dry oak wood in the background. The mouthfeel is creamy and velvety with a soft carbonation to back it up. Wood dry brett finish. Some light bitter and light citric acid-like hops lingers. Medium bodied. Just fantastic!

Pours a reddish golden body with a robust off white head. Aroma is enticing - fruity and sweet. Malts are dominant, but there are floral and funk notes in here as well, as well as a hint of grapefruit...very enjoyable. Flavor was very good...Fruity hops, including grapefruit, lemon and orange notes, caramel malts, and some woody notes are all accentuated by a bretty funk in the background that, well, I really enjoy from JP. Moderate body, but oily on the palate...acceptable level of carbonation. Price withstanding, this was a great beer, but sadly the cost will keep me from revisiting this one with any regularity, as it is a much quicker drink than your average $10 beer!