Whaleback White
Leelanau Brewing Company

Well-crafted. Clearly a passion for perfecting the tart.

Looks like a clear cider (no foam) and initially Smells like one, too. But then, the wood comes in along with some yeast-driven fruit adding a nice complexity. In the Tastes, I finally get the spices associated with the style, And then as promised, the finish is tart, but not too tart... apple/pear tart with just enough sweetness for balance.

Whaleback White was a good accompaniment to my lunch of soup and one of my favorite multi-seed baguettes. The tart cut through my generous use of olive oil for sautéing the vegetables and the tart dried out the sweetness of my broth. On a Sunday afternoon watching the ATP Finals, my week was complete.

Leelanau is a different brewer beating a different drum. Almost two decades old, they seem to have only a Facebook page as I found no website. So clearly, they have their beer do their talking. Interesting that Leelanau uses Jolly Pumpkin facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 7/10/2012. Pours moderately hazy golden straw color with a 2 finger fairly dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with some moderate streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart apple, lemon, pear, clove, pepper, hay, grass, wheat, oak, vinegar, leather, funk, and yeast earthiness. Incredible aromas with awesome complexity and balance of yeast ester and oak notes; with great strength. Taste of tart apple, lemon, pear, pepper, clove, wheat, bread, hay, grass, oak, vinegar, leather, funk, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, clove, wheat, bread, hay, grass, oak, vinegar, leather, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of yeast and oak notes; with a light malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a very smooth, crisp, lightly prickly, and lightly acidic mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent wild witbier! All around great complexity and balance of oak and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Beer is clear golden, with a very small white head.

Nose contains oak and funk. Smells lambic like. Light floral scents, peach.

Taste contains peach, light funk. Tart. Oak. Light fruits are nice, very delicate. Very nice.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated. A bit dry.

Overall, really quite a nice beer. Nice twist on the witbier.

 

A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that died down a bit and consistently left a thin head overnight the surface.
S: Light aromas of funk are present in the nose.
T: Aromas of wheat are present in the nose along with notes of orange and hints of coriander spices, the latter of which are most noticeable towards the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and has nice hints of sourness. It reminds me a lot like a Jolly Pumpkin beer and the bottle label notes it was brewed and bottled there.

Note: Bottled 7/10/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike.

The beer is hazy straw yellow with an inch of white head. The aroma offers soft citrus and light spice. A touch of funk adds a nice touch. Light and fluffy on the palate. Really tasty, though different from a traditional witbier.