Leelanau Whaleback White

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

Lightly hazed straw color with a tall bubbly white head. Lightly tart wheat aromas. Fairly simple, yet appropriate with some lemon peel and a hint of cardamom. Lightly tart from the start as well. Nearly sharp and biting in feel. Some hints of wheat and some more lemon zest. Not much spice presence a bit of mace in the finish. Dryer finish with some more acidity coming in. A tart wit. Would be good for a summer day, a loaf of bread and some cheese and grape.

Golden-hazy with a medium white head. Aroma is quite citrusy with a classic wit aroma and some spice. Flavor has some nice citrus astringency with some gentle wheat and mild yeast. Good wit.

My Bottom Line
A most seductive perfume of pineapples, lemon zest, pears and frolicking funk is daubed onto soft wheat, coriander and spicy bitterness for yet another tantalizing Wild Witbier creation from Jolly Pumpkin.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sheet of foam covers the cloudy blond.
-The chosen oak barrels are just perfect for this beer.
-Carbonation is frothy and beautifully enlightens the mouthfeel and ebullient flavor profile.
-The tropical fruitiness is eloquent and so pleasurable.
-Brettanomyces and lactobacillus seem to be enjoying each other quite a bit.

Bottle.

Bottle. Pours hazy straw color with a dense white head almost like egg whites whipped to stiff peaks. Aroma is orange zest, yeast, light funk, grains. Flavor is lemon zest, orange, coriander, pale malts, yeast. Palate is light bodied, high carbonation, finished lightly tart and refreshing. Excellent.

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange-yellow with a thin, foamy, white head that lingers and a lot of floating residue. Aroma is sweet and sparkly, with a lot of yeast and fruit, reminiscent of champagne. Taste is fruity and clean, with a bit of sourness and yeast. Finishes a bit watery. Lingering sourness. Kind of strange but it works.

Pours a light and hazy, pale straw color. A fizzy, snow-white head settles to a small but well retained layer. Spotty lace marks the glass. As expected, the nose is very much like a Jolly Pumpkin brew. Tart lemon and orange rind add a distinctly citric acidity, why a dry, pale wheat background is spiced with light coriander and perfumy, floral hops. Dry, funky oak notes finish off the nose. Flavors are dry, citric, and refreshing. Lemon stands out as the dominant fruit component, but lightly sweet orange is present as well. The coriander is subtle, which is a good thing, and the signature JP oaken yeast funk permeates everything. Light to medium bodied, well carbonated, and dry, the palate lends a refreshing drinkability. Better than Calabaza Blanca, this is Ron Jeffries’ greatest witbier effort to date.

Crisp hazy golden coloured body with a white head and nice bubbles rising from the bottom and sides. Aroma of curacao, coriander seed, lemons and a ton of wheat and malt - nice! Medium-bodied; Strong assertive wheatiness with yeast and coriander seed most prevalent. Aftertaste has some sweetness and the lemons/curacao also come out. Overall, a very nice wit - damn good for the style! I sampled this 750 mL bottle (looks more like the old Stoudt’s bottles - at 765 mL) purchased from Merchant’s in Dearborn, Michigan on 03-August-2008, sampled on 13-September-2008 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

First Beer since Burning Man, damn I needed this. 750ml, from Dalekliz, thanks. Very nice champagne like quality to the initial pour. Pours yellowy orange with a tan head. Nose is very champagny, slightly tart and fruity. Taste is fruity, light and quite refreshing wtih a lot of carbonation. Pretty good.