Leelanau Whaleback White

Leelanau Brewing Company
Brewed at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Lake Leelanau, Michigan USA

2/23/08 750 ml bottle thanks to tytoanderso. Pours a hazy orange yellow with a tall white head. Nose is reminiscent of Jolly Pumpkin. Citrus, orange peel, wheat, the slightest sour and funk notes. Similar flavors that are dry, tart, and slightly funked. I’d really like to see more of the tart and funk come out of this. Last time I had it, it seemed infected in a bad way (tomatoes?) but this time I’d like to see more of the funk in the way of barnyard that is present with most JPs.

Sampled at RAYBOY01’s Cajun Fais-Do-Do. thanks to el_boracho. Pours yeah like that picture. Cloudy white/yellow with a white head. Aroma is strange lots of orange, lemon citrus, and acidic vegetable/tomato. Like cheap tomato sauce. ok.... Similar flavors but very sour with apple, barnyard, and that tomato acidity in the after taste. I tasted that acidic tomato only one other time, with a Jolly Pumpkin Grand Reserve Firefly, maybe i’m more attuned to that note, but I’m not enjoying it. Alright I’m finished. 6/3/4/3/10

Cloudy Yellow Color with White Ring. Lightly Spiced with Alot of Lemon Zest on the Nose. Thin Bodied..Nice Hazed Flavor Mix of Citrus, Dry Spice and Yeast..with Subtle Sweet Malts....and a Drying Citrusy Aftertaste. Tried on 2 Separate Occassions and Both Instances Were Different...One Being Fairly Zesty and the Other Quite Flat on Lemon Sparks, but Still Nice and Even Keeled.

Bottle courtesy of El_Borracho. Consumed at Rayboy01’s Cajun Fais Do Do. Fruity, Belgian aroma; fresh. Nice! Cloudy gold body with excellent white lace. Served too warm. Sour but not overly so. Actually not bad.

(750ml bottle) Pours a cloudy maize colored body with a small white head. Aroma of lemon, grapefruit, white grapes, and coriander. Flavor of wheat, lemon, orange, floral, sour funkiness, and coriander with a slightly chalky, dry oak finish.

Part of the many beers tried at RAYBOY01’s Cajun Fais-Do-Do, thanks el_borracho. Cloudy yellow with nice white head. Spicy, sweet malt aroma. Orange, spic, sweet. Thin, well carbonated. Pretty tasty. 7/3/7/3/15----Tasted again on 12/20/07---- 750 from siciliano’s in grand rapids, MI. Tasted alongside bam biere and bam noire. Clear straw color with medium to large white head. Aroma is big yeast spice with lots of fruit (strawberry, red-orange, slight sweet banana [not like a hefe]), only slight oak and a good amount of sweetness. Tart strawberry-banana flavor and other strong fruits (pear), medium sweetness, a little port qualities, slight grain, oak in the finish, very nice. Medium creamy body with some tart pucker. An awesome beer (I don’t care what you have to say Matt) and interesting next to the other JP beers.

While I enjoyed this brew, it’s hardly recognizeable as a Belgian Wit, except for the pale, cloudy straw body and the healthy white head. It’s got a funky sour aroma, some wheat tartness, some spices, but also straw and dying grasses. The flavor adds some citric tartness, but it retains that overall barnyard funkiness. A mild floral and citrus bitterness is added to the finish. Nice, but a Wit???.

<font size=-4>Enjoyed at the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Do-Do, 9/8/2007, thanks to <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=2 size=-1>

Pours a cloudy gold color, with a medium white head. Big funk in the aroma, orange peel, spices, and mild acidity are detectable in the smell. The taste is much the same. Big orange citrus flavors show up, a little tartness, acidity, and mild spices coat the palate and warm it somewhat. It finished mildly sweet and a little bit spicy. The funk was there but was somewhat controlled. Very solid brew. Underrated in my opinion.

Date: 05/21/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy pale yellow, big dense white head, drippy lace, nice tart lemony aroma, creamy yet highly carbonated body, light and refreshing lemon flavor, nice spicy character, touch of sweetness adds some balance and complexity,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4