Leota Mae IPA
Bale Breaker Brewing Company

Leota Mae IPALeota Mae IPA
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From:
Bale Breaker Brewing Company
 
Washington, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #482
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,973
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 5.61%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
85
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 09, 2023
Added:
Aug 30, 2017
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  12
Introducing our fourth year-round beer available in six-packs and on draught! Leota Mae joins the Bale Breaker lineup with a fresh take on a heavily hopped West Coast IPA. With late additions of Ekuanot™ and Mosaic®, this beer veers into dank, tropical territory, highlighting the aromatic power of these two Yakima-bred varietals.

Our great-grandparents planted hops in the Yakima Valley in 1932. The matriarch of our family, Leota Mae, worked sunrise to sunset cultivating the land we still farm today. This beer pays tribute to our family’s legacy and the woman who started it all. Cheers, Leota Mae, here's your IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by stevoj:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Can at share. Pale golden, spotty head. Aroma is equal parts malts and hops. Taste amps up the hops a bit, drying a bit, more astringent. More pale ale to my palate.
Jan 07, 2020
More User Ratings:
Photo of JerzDevl2000
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A gold can? Art Deco can design? Link to generations past?

Sign me up!

This jumped out at me when I saw it on the shelf at the Total Wine in Puyallup, Washington when I was out that way a few months back and even though IPA's are a dime a dozen, I had to give this one a go.

Indeed, this was worth obtaining and a classic, left coast take on the style that easily covered all of the proverbial bases and was enjoyable to quaff on this cold winter's night!

Golden, waxy, and topped off with more than enough thick foam, this left behind a nice amount of scattered lacing as I worked my way through it. Loads of dark berry, earthy pine, weed, and hops in the varied nose as all of those burst forth in the taste along with a toasted mouthfeel to go with fresh bread and caramel. Nice stickiness and slickness here with a subtle, but persistent presence of bitterness. The dankness to this was addicting as this was a true beer from the other side of the country but never had to scream to make it's presence felt. A bit of urine and swamp water stuck around in the aftertaste Ekuanot was the dominant hop here.

Not a lot of carbonation to this but this was full-bodied and had the right amount of alcohol in it. Packaged on 8/23, this had a good amount of sediment in it but it's apparent that this would be amazing on tap as the citrus pith and dark mint that was in the aftertaste would have been more amplified. This was a winner that was fun to drink and straight out of the Yakima Valley. Loved this first impression from Bale Breaker!
Feb 09, 2023
Photo of barnzy78
Reviewed by barnzy78 from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
12oz can
PKG ONOCT1122
thanks to my brother-in-law for picking up a mixed pack for me to try
L: slightly hazed golden body; frothy off-white head leave a spattering of lacing on the glass
S: fruity with some citrus and faint pine
T: light caramel malt, fruity peach, apricot, mango, followed by bitter grapefruit, finish turns more bitter with pine lingering
F: medium body, ample carbonation, dry and bitter finish yet remains nicely balanced for an IPA
O: this brewery brews quality beers. This was a superb IPA
Jan 03, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by dshansen1184 from Washington

Aug 07, 2022
 
Rated: 4.06 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Mar 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by JennBogren

Nov 13, 2021
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.11/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
fabulous west coast style ipa, these guys never miss, i had this with meaty pizza and it was great, but i could see it working well with just about anything, food or otherwise, its almost instantly iconic to me, and downright delicious. hop driven of course, but also real well balanced, just a bit of toast and middle sweetness and body to the malt, but it remains light and drinkable overall, smooth even, which is not usually something i observe in the style, but it stands out to me in this draft pint. the aroma is amazing, maybe mosaic leading the way but its hard to guess, everything is so fresh and up front it could be a lot of things, i get some obvious orange and grapefruit pith, some floral honey and herbal qualities, a finishing spiciness leading to some bitter, and resinous weedy sticky west coast decadence, so its kind of a combination of all the best aspects of the style in a single beer. its also somehow kind of understated despite all that, like it drinks so balanced it could be a pale, and bitterness is there without being dominant, i taste the grain the whole way too. fermentation is clean, minimal, and efficient, without much left behind, and the carbonation is high enough for this to wash down easy. i love the aftertaste, the citrusy linger, and the oily feel on my tongue, its bold and forward, but not super unique in terms of varietals, which means its the overall quality than makes it stand out, and i love that, especially in clear ipa these days. awesome beer, ill be on the hunt for more!
Aug 19, 2021
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.17/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Picked up as part of a mixed 12 pack from The Market at Birch Bay. Canned on 3.12.21. Consumed 6.7.21.

Beer poured dark gold with a lovely head that is leaving lacing.

Nose is nice, citrus and herbal hops forward.

Taste is a light pale malt base that shows off the passion fruit, peach, and orange flavors very nicely. Finishes with a nice peach pit bitterness, 6/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is soft and light.

Overall a really nice WCIPA!
Jun 08, 2021
Photo of TheBricenator
Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Nearly clear burnt orange with a frothy white head that pillows up and slowly settles, leaving great lacing behind
Aroma: Passionfruit, powdered sugar-coated strawberries, sweet orange, papaya, some pine, blueberries, Cannabis, and sweet bready malt
Taste: Strawberries, blueberries, and passionfruit kick down the door and charge in, followed by sweet citrus, tropical fruit, and dank herb. Sweet bread-driven malt makes occasional appearances but this is a hop-led journey that closes with more berries, citrus, dank, and a light hop bite
Mouthfeel: Full, a little slick, medium-high carbonation, and finishes with welcome and mild dryness
Overall: This is delicious. I have trouble finding this particular Bale Breaker beer and damn, I need to seek it out more often as it is awesome. A tasty new-schoolish WCIPA with lots of berry/citrus/tropical fruit/dank notes plus a good malt base, adequate bite, and some dryness. I dig the lower 6.2% ABV too. This one is a winner and I now want to side-by-side it with Topcutter. Recommended
Apr 18, 2021
 
Rated: 3.87 by henryc2323 from Washington

May 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.07 by MarkGreenway from Washington

Apr 15, 2020
Photo of Mister_Faucher
Reviewed by Mister_Faucher from Washington

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Six pack of cans purchased at Safeway in Bothell, Washington.
Served in a pint glass.

Look- Clear golden amber color. Solid and even off-white head that recedes rather slowly to a thin cap of foam with modest lacing. Moderate carbonation streams visible.

Smell- Citrus (grapefruit, pithy orange rind and lemon/lime), dank/grassy hops, resinous pine, caramel/bready malt, light tropical/stone fruit notes.

Taste- Mostly grassy/herbal/floral hops and pithy citrus a hint of tropical fruits. Decent malty backbone, well balanced.

Feel- Medium bodied, dry and fairly crisp, lingering light bitter finish. Medium carbonation on the tongue.

O- A pretty solid offering from Bale Breaker, in my opinion Topcutter and Bottomcutter are better but this is pretty good.
Jan 16, 2020
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got in a BIF from beertunes. 12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 8/16/2019. Pours slightly hazy medium golden amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, green peppercorn, pine, cracker, toasted biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, green peppercorn, pine, cracker, toasted biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, minty, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, green peppercorn, pine, cracker, toasted biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, and sticky/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 6.2%. Overall this is an excellent IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp to drink with the moderately bitter/resinous/drying finish; not overly aggressive. Awesome Simcoe, Ekuanot, Mosaic, Loral profile. Extremely vibrant, dank, earthy, and fairly juicy hops; with a nice clean bready malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on West coast style example. No complaints. Loved the hop profile as expected.
Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.09 by Taybeh from Minnesota

Aug 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by ghasting from Washington

Jul 29, 2019
Photo of bilbobrewer
Reviewed by bilbobrewer from Oregon

3.77/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
6pk cans purchased in Wenatchee grocery store.
canned on Mar. 29/19 (7 weeks old)

Pours clear gold, foam head disappears fast. Not much bubble action.
Hop flavor is reserved, subtle, mild. spicy not fruity.
6.2%abv is light in the mouth, easy to drink.
No sticky or resiny aftertastes. Clean.
Would be a good choice for a session IPA.
May 14, 2019
Photo of Oh_Dark_Star
Rated by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I love Bale Breaker IPAs but buy/drink them within the first 4 weeks from canning if possible. They drop in quality quickly.
Apr 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.18 by Wookieboy1 from Texas

Apr 12, 2019
Photo of mintzmeet
Reviewed by mintzmeet from Washington

3.62/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Mmm, i love this. Strong and bitter in a sinus-clearing way. Piney hops. Nice lacing and clear color. Average mouthfeel. Perhaps some citrus notes hidden.
Mar 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.73 by johnnyboy76 from Oregon

Mar 20, 2019
Leota Mae IPA from Bale Breaker Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 85 ratings