A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Cole's. Surprising light colour for a hopped up beer. The hop aroma is certainly there. Good lace. Taste of moderate grapefuit. Big mouthfeel. Served too cold, a rare brainfreeze from beer. Above-average carbonation. Drying finish, with a mint-spice aftertaste. IBU must be high.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2009 18:23:18 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Autumn leaves orange with a crystal clear countenance. The creamy crown is toasted peanut shell in color and gains a good bit of character as it melts. Honeycomb-like lace appears on all available surfaces and looks fantastic as well.

This American pale wheat ale contains a big olfactory burst of citric hoppiness to the tune of 64 IBUs. It really smells like an APA, but then wheat malt doesn't have a chance in hell with this much grapefruit zestiness in the house.

Throw any considerations of style right out the window. When this many hops are dumped into the kettles, the type of malt almost doesn't matter. If this sucker is this bright and bold now, it must have been even more buzzsaw-like back in May. Hard to imagine.

The malt tastes mostly pale with a smidgen of something more toasted. Again, any wheat flavor that might have been present is blasted into oblivion by tidal wave after tidal wave of pink grapefruit, lemon and orange peel. Any hopheads looking for an aggressive alpha acid 'bite' will find it here. The finish is as tight and as focused as a laser beam.

Any beer that makes me look forward to the next mouthful while the current one is being swallowed deserves a high drinkability score. The mouthfeel is close to medium for the style and is much more silky smooth in the bottom half of the bottle. Lightly lush even.

Knowing that it was more hoptastic than most APWAs, I had a pretty good idea that this would be good beer. Truth be told, it's hoppier, more delicious and more drinkable than imagined. If you crave the little green cones like I do, A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale joins Three Floyds Gumballhead on the top of the American pale wheat ale pile. Thanks to mikey711 for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 12:23:17 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

another gem i found on tap at barleys last night, thrilled again to be able to try this one fresh i ordered it up right away. served cold an poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 08/14/2010.

really a nice well rounded pour with a medium amber color that had a good bit of cloudiness to it. smooth little head of white comes up about to an inch before setting back down to earth.

really great aroma here, tons of grapefruit, lemons, hints of light orange are hitting me in the face all at once, near flawless execution here. warming brings out a light malt touch to it but a hop driven ipa for sure. flavor follows through almost exactly albeit it a little lighter overall. crisp and clean hops lead the way with a smooth, steady and even carbonation that keeps it all in check. light dancing of bitter citrus and a good dry finish sealed the deal for me.

overall this was as solid as they come. really just a great example of the style and something i would do again in a minute.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2010 01:25:59 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: The pour is a golden brown color with nice some orange tint. The head is surprisingly minimal.

S: A lot of pine and citrus notes from the hops, with only a slight touch of wheat (not that I'm complaining). This is more of an IPA or APA from the nose, anyway.

T: The flavors are very similar to what the nose would indicate. Good citrus (orange) and bitter hop flavors, a touch of sweetness on the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium in terms of body with a nice crisp, refreshing finish.

D: A much better take on the Pale Wheat Ale than the usual "hefeweizen" that American breweries make. The hoppiness really makes this a great refreshing brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 01:53:31 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Pours a slightly-hsazed golden with a nice white head.

S: Smells very nice. Loads of citrus hops and a little bit of wheat briskness. Reminds me a bit of Gumballhead.

T: Lots of citrus hops and a little bit of pine character. The wheat seems to contribute a bit more to the mouthfeel, but I won't complain about the hop-forward nature of this beer.

M: Medium bodied and nicely dried out by the hops.

D: An absolutely fantastic summer beer and one of the best I've had from Lagunitas.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2010 21:47:53 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazed, orange-gold body sporting a full inch of off-white foam. Light lacing on the descent.

Smell: A nose smelling of wheat fused with some fine hop notes, an aromatic blend of citrusy lemon and grapefruit, some floral orange blossoms, and a small hint of pine.

Taste: Lightly sweet, crisp, plainly crackery malted barley and wheat flavor in the fore. Fairly bold hop tastes of flowers, dried herbs, citrus fruits and even some pine. Moderately bitter. Small touch of alcohol in the mix. Finishes dry with a sparse amount of lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: To be honest, this one quietly slipped in under the radar as I hadn't heard so much as a peep about it before coming across it at the Brick Store Pub recently. A pleasant surprise and a pleasant combination of wheat and India Pale Ale qualities. Nice job, Lagunitas.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2009 01:14:26 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poura a slightly hazy amber color with a creamy head that leaves a fair amount of lacing

Smell: Citrus wafts above the bready elements

Taste: A bit of wheat bread up front and then this beer thinks it's an IPA, with a citrus an pine assault that continues into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Nice hybrid style here; very refreshing

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 12:57:27 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a semi-clear light honey orange color with a small 1 inch off-white head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Decent rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smells of sweet grains, honey, and citrus zest hops. Taste is of sweet honey, grapefruit juice, biscuit, and citrus zest. The honey flavor is really noticeable to me and it's very delicious. Very, very mild hop bitterness on the palate after each sip. Mouthfeel is good with a nice level of carbonation that makes form a crisp and clean feel. Overall, this is a good beer with a surprising honey taste. I am surprised to see that it is a wheat ale. I am not too sure if this one is past it's prime (I have been sitting on it for months) because the hops aren't too overwhelming but this is good either way.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 03:45:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a lightly hazy dirty amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of West Coast hops is noticeable though not too powerful. Taste is also a good mix between some citrusy hops with a nice bitter presence and a good malt backbone though wheat is hardly noticeable. Another easily drinkable beer from Lagunitas with not too much complexity.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2010 02:38:01 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Taking some liberties with wheat additions and a plethera of citrusy hop character, Lagunitas hits a home run with a solid and strong Pale Ale that's decidedly balanced toward the hops.

Pouring a medium hazy, bright golden color with a tinge of orange, the beer has an overall vibrant and appetizing look. A froathy off-white head caps the beer and offers great staying power and lace. Nearly ideal on all fronts.

Very citrusy-sweet to the nose. Ruby red grapefruit pulp, lemon zest, tangerine, and pineapple notes abound- all wrapped with a thin cararmel scent that keeps all the spicy hops in check. Not an overstated aroma complex, just simple and supple.

Flavors certainly deliver on what the aromas promise. Early malt sweetness is shaped with thin caramel, powdered sugar, waifers, and freshly baked light bread crust. Sweetness is met with crisp and clean citrus notes of sweet and bitter grapefruit pulp, tangerines, pineapples, and the zest of freshly grated fruits. Neutral yeast contributions keep any/all spices, fruitiness, or otherwise off flavors under threshold for a very clean and refreshing taste. A late return of malted wheat provides a soft bready note just as the citrusy hop bitterness begins to fade in finish.

Dangerously smooth, crisp, and clean- Sumpin' Ale's thin early sweetness has a quick fade to the drier and crisper hop flavor and bitterness that continues to develop headed into a snappy and savory finish. Dryness from hop resin and alcohol adds a partly-warm, partly minty-cool to close the session and with a subtle return of herbal teas and lemongrass.

An overall delicious ale that nestles comfortably in the American IPA style, and doing so in a confident but non-boastful manner. The kiss of wheat offers a welcomed bready finish and slightly elevated creaminess in body that I didn't see comming. A great variation to a style where you thought you'd seen it all.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 16:58:54 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Great to see another limited release offering from one of favorite brewers here in my area.I poured two into a imperial nonic with it coming out a clear lighter golden with a 1/2 finger white that was quick to fade.Ahh yeah bigtime in your face citric hop in the nose along with a touch of sweet alcohol and very light toasted wheat malt,the hop profile in the nose is just great.Intense grapefruit rind and tangerine hop flavors hit up front on the palate and then some caramel toffee shows thru along with a fading toasted what touch in the finish.Yeah it has bigtime hop wich kicks arss but there really is more to it.My new favorite American pale wheat its slightly better than Gumballhead in my book.The drinkability is just awesome for the ABV%.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 21:29:59 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Miller Lite shaker pint glass at The Barley House.

Who doesn't love gettin' themselves a little sumpin' sumpin', eh? This potential entendre pours a cloudy straw topped by two fingers of white froth. The nose comprises grapefruit, melon, light onion, flowers and light caramel. The taste is more of the same, with some light clove, pepper, nutmeg thrown in for good measure. The body is medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a semi-dry finish. Overall, a very nice bit o' brew, something that I'm upset I took so long to try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2010 07:09:25 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Hazy, golden hue, slim ivory head.

Citrus and spicy aromatics, pithy lemon with bits of pepper, and a side of melon, potent and risible.

Tastin'...Juicy right from the start. Followed by a palpable burn down the back of the throat. Again....pungent, palpable, and pretty easy to pass down the gullet. Delicious. Zesty!

At 7%, not too strong, but still big enough to make it much more interesting than the average wheat ale. I'll keep reaching for this until it disappears.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 04:44:34 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a beautiful gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has an excellent pale and wheat malt scent along with a wonderful hop aroma. It's basically an IPA brewed with wheat. The taste is great as well. It has a smooth pale and wheat malt flavor; easy drinking with a kick ass hop character. It's malty with an equally bold hop appeal. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a delicious beer. It's a bolder American wheat ale with loads of hop; my kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 00:20:25 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, dark yellow, strong hop aroma, dense head, fall away as you drink and leaves lacing (although I don't consider that important some on this site do). Sweet malt, hop bitterness and alcohol in aroma. This is a warming beer. The bitterness is the first thing I notice when I drink it. Second, a brightness associated with high alcohol beers. The alcohol is noticable, not bad, just noticable. Bitterness also builds as you drink. I'm very pleased with this beer. A good IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2009 04:31:19 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, golden-yellow color with a one-finger, white head of fizzy foam. It left wispy traces of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of citrus, wheat, pine and some caramel. Great aroma for a wheat beer.

T - It tasted of wheat, yeastiness with a good dose of citrusy bitterness and pine flavors.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is one of the best wheat beers I've ever had. Don't know why it took me so long to buy some of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:09:00 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is clear golden yellow in color and poured with a thin white head that quickly faded away, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface. There is a moderate amount of carbonation.
S: There are moderate aromas of citrus hops in the nose.
T: A mild to moderate amount of hop bitterness dominates the overall taste; the hops are well balanced by the underlying malts, which contribute a slight amount of sweetness in the finish. Like the smell, there are lots of citrus flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation
D: The beer is very drinkable because the alcohol content is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 19:07:52 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A vigorous pour produces an almost three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The beer is a pretty, red copper color that shows a brilliantly clear, bright copper color when held up to the light. The aroma is nice and hoppy, fresh, citrusy and with a touch of raw herbal notes that is quite nice. There is a touch of malt backbone in the nose as well, supporting crystal malt character provides a hint of caramel and there is a nice, toasted malt towards the finish. The hops contribute aromas of tangerine, candied citrus peel as well as some tropical fruit notes; the hop fruit notes seem to become more noticeable as time goes on too.

Lightly sweet tasting, but with a biting hop character from the get go. This is fairly smooth for all its hoppiness, especially up front. The lingering finish has a clean, biting, though not overwhelming, big bitterness that really lingers on the tongue. A touch of peppery carbonation and a light body (with just enough heft to carry the ample hops) make this quite the quaffable IPA; almost more of an over-the-top hoppy Pale Ale. A touch more aggressive hop character provides notes of pine, a touch of menthol, and just a touch of dank, raw hop flavor. This definitely has a nice balance of hop flavors to it; I like that the citrus / fruit notes dominate with notes of tangerine, bergamot, lots of lychee and floral tropical fruit flavors.

This really needs to be in a bigger bottle, a 12oz bottle of this is not nearly enough. Quite tasty and a nice surprise, this sits nicely as a quite drinkable beer from this brewery along with Hop Stoopid.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 04:20:14 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, wheat, citrus and light caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus and caramel that is quickly followed by a strong but not over-powering hops bitterness and some wheat breadiness. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice hoppier than average wheat beer worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 22:00:25 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a nice looking golden color, the head is strong and fluffy looking. The lacing isn't bad either. The smell is hoppy, I actually thought this was an IPA not a Wheat Ale. The taste of the beer has a light wheat flavor but finished with a hoppy bitterness. The mouthfeel on this beer is smooth and crisp, it's got a good bite to it. Overall I found this beer to be pretty good all around. Worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 19:58:31 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.83/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours an effervescent honey color with 2 fingers of cream colored head. Great lacing & good head retention

S: A riot of hops, lemons, grassyness & pineyness, plus leafy hops too

T: Grapefruit, breadyness, a touch of honey & dryness up front. Leafy hops & grapefruit as this warms, pineapple, pear & slight grainy bread sweetness with a touch of honey too. Finishes slightly juicy, with leafy hops, a little bit of honey sweetness & pineapple as well

MF: Medium bodied, low carbonation, superb balance

Drinks great, easily the best American Wheat beer I've had, I believe, maybe off style a tad, but I don't care. This goes on the MUST buy list for Summer & Fall!

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 03:08:26 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours golden with a soft white head, nice lacing.

S: Vibrant orange and pine hop notes.

T: The great hop presence from the nose comes through in the flavour, mixing with the light wheat and bread to create a great flavour. Definitely hop dominated.

M: Smooth and refreshing, crisp, medium-bodied.

D: I liked this ale from Lagunitas a lot, I'm glad I finally got to try it, I just hope I can find a bottle around here. Clean, refreshing, would make a great summertime beer, cliche I know, but it's the truth.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2009 22:06:00 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours golden with creamy off-white head that leaves lacing.

The smell is of orange, pineapple - very citric.

The taste is of citrus - orange, pinapple - balanced by mild sweetness and a dry breadiness. There is a slight alcohol touch. Finishes dry and refreshing.

Medium-bodied.

This is one hopped-up wheat "summer" beer. And a nice one at that!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2009 23:07:53 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, with 'fridge' spelled 'frige', very reminiscent of 'frigo', en francais...

This beer pours a slightly hazy pale golden hue, with a multitude of foamy white head, which leaves a more or less solid paint job of lace around the glass as it melts away. It smells of creamy orange citrus, a bit of good ol' barley malt, and some stronger citrus/pine hop notes. The taste is bitter pine and citrus hops, caramel malt, a bit of spicy wheatiness, and some mild sweet booze warming. The carbonation is averagely sedate, the body strongly(?) medium weight, smooth, and not uncreamy. It finishes with the main players still quite game - sweet caramel malt and brash pine and citrus hops.

American Pale Wheat Ale my pale Canadian ass. If this is made with wheat grain, then, ok, because the rest of the story screams out tasty WC IPA, and I'm not going to fault a damned tasty beer for being cast in the wrong category.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 01:04:20 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Spinnerstown Hotel. $4 for a tulip, not a bad deal. It appeared hazy yellow with a tall white head. The aroma reminds me immediately of orange soda, but then pineapple kicks in to make it more of a tropical citrus fruit punch. The flavor is equally juicy at first, but they dries out with a bit of plain malted wheat and peppery hop bitterness. This beer reminds me of the short-lived Middle Ages Imperial Double Wheat - it's big, hoppy, but not terribly bitter. All in all, a pretty tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2009 21:11:17 | More by tempest