Mike and I do not review EVERY beer we drink.  If we did, you would get bored and this site would end up being strictly a review site, which was never its intent.  Thus said, when we review a beer, it’s for good reason.  Partly in response to the SWUS beer, which was any beer from your home state (Michigan’s close enough right?), and partly in response to my reaction to this beer, I had to review Leelanau’s PetoskeyPale Ale.

Unless you live within a decent proximity to Michigan, you’ve probably never heard of Leelanau Brewing Company.  But you may have heard of Jolly Pumpkin and brewer, Captain Spooky Ron Jeffries.  Ron Jeffries, from what I understand, is also the brewmaster for Leelanau.  When I saw the 750ml bottle in the store a bit of sticker shock set in.  I paid $16 for a 750 ml bottle of Leelanau’s Petoskey Pale Ale…a steep price for a 5.5% beer.

I am not of the mindset that a good beer has to boast a steep ABV, just typically, the higher the ABV, the more grain was used, and thus a higher price.  But reading up on this beer, I see why it was in a higher price bracket.  It is aged in Oak Barrels, it is brewed by in limited quantities, and it is very handcrafted, brewed with Petoskey stones native to the brewery’s region.  The aging alone vindicates the price.

As this video clip suggests, and their web site states, there is a certain intimacy between brewer and the beer that you just don’t get with the miles of factory-esque piping and massive fermentors of other breweries:

The Pour:

Good God, this is the most beautiful pour I’ve seen in ages.  My camera is broke, so I am utilizing the image of the Breweries website the replicates what I saw in my glass.  The beer is reddish orange and builds the most extravagant American head I’ve see to date.  It seriously reminded me of the beautiful cloud formations I saw when flying over the Pacific Ocean back in my more youthful days.  The beer is a tad hazy…I am guessing wheat was utilized.

The Nose:

I haven’t tasted this beer and I’m in love with it.  The beer smells like a fresh summer day.  Hay, lemons, fresh cut grass, flowers, etc.  There is a distinct Brett/Funk aroma that can only come from little goodies that leached through the oak, since Leelanau claims that no wild yeast are pitched into their beers.  Awesome.  Now that is dedication.  I was very surprised to pick up on sweet candy aromas, since 1) the beer is lower in ABV and 2) usually aged funkiness destroys these pleasantries of beer.  There is a bready quality too, that reminds me of Saltine crackers.

The Taste:

This beer is absolutely refreshing.  It is thin, but has a pleasant body.  Light and airy, it glides over the tongue.  The beer’s flavor is as layered as the aroma.  The funk is not over bearing, and it is neatly balanced by intact lemony hops.  Notes of sweet candy, maple syrup, lemondrops, and a very distinct (as my wife pointed out) Dandelion quality reminiscent of your grandpas Dandelion wine.

Overall thoughts:

I was sad when the bottle was gone, that is how much I enjoyed it.  Petoskey Pale Ale bucks the trend that says a beer must be thick, malty, and highly alcoholic to obtain high levels of complexity.  For this reason, coupled with my overall enjoyment, I am giving this beer a rare five star rating.  I must say that it inspired my own lower ABV American Pale Ale.

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★★ 

Among other American Pale Ales: ★★★★★ 

Interesting to note:

After writing this post I meandered over to Beer Advocate to see what others thought of the beer and noticed that BA recomended drinking this brew out of a pint glass or mug?  What?  Note Petoskey’s recommendation below.