A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

NuclearSoAndSo

Ohio

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a beer mug.

Appearance: Pours to a two finger off-white head with a golden/orange body; looks really great.

Smell: I smelled plenty of the expected citrus and pine notes; plenty of grapefruit peel.

Taste: Acidic citrus, very floral and hoppy with a malty appearance at the tail end. Crisp and tart overall.

Mouthfeel: Quite carbonated; smooth and refreshing.

Overall: Really great; I would buy this one again. In all honesty, I'm more inclines to buy some Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster, but all the same this is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 22:56:34 | More by NuclearSoAndSo

Murrhey

Montana

3.61/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a standard pressure-cap bottle into a conic pint glass in high elevation Kalispell, Mont. Reviewed live.

A- Two-finger fluffy off-white head with gripping lacing and large bubbles near the edge. Semi-cloudy golden color with lazy carbonation. Nice looking brew.

S- Floral hops, guava, fruity, tropical, maybe some gum, wheat and pomegranate. What a lovely, rich, full smell.

T- Wheaty, some alcoholic flavor, fruity and citrusy hops. Grapefruit. Kind of a clouded feeling beer.

M- Dry finish. Syrupy bodied.

O- Taste doesn't live up to the promise of the smell, but certainly not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 04:05:27 | More by Murrhey

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a myriad of colors from golden to orange even brown to copper. Beautiful coloring but the head was too quickly fleeting to access it's true character.

The scent was luscious fruits like grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, apricots and a touch of Orange. Some malt scent was available but was set deep in the smell.

Described as a Pale Wheat Ale, I'd rival any DIPA with the fruitiness of the hops here. Tons of character as tangerines, grapefruit, peach, apricot, lemon and orange burst onto a backdrop of floral pine. The back bone wheat is lost in a juicy fruit array. This is so well done, so good and tasty, I'd put it against so many of the top dogs.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 12:16:56 | More by KYGunner

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle purchased in the greater Washington D.C. area, 2013 vintage (unknown bottling date but in my fridge for about a month), poured into my FFF Teku tasting glass , drank on 6/13/13 over a half-hour.

A: 4.75 -golden-brown coloration, impressive clarity (can see through but difficult to read through) with little hop haze, 1/2 finger head on pouring quickly dissipates into a subtle glass lacing, minimal alcohol legs on re-swirling --> a beautiful appearing American wheat ale

S: 4.50 - impressive hop (albeit attenuated from my recollection of a fresher bottle) and malt aroma throughout: hop - grapefruit, lemon, organe; malt - oatmeal/wheat, biscuit

T: 4.50 - slight bitterness on the front of the tongue that opens the taste bds; in the middle of the mouth, citrus-forward hop notes predominate with some wheat characteristics more subtle behind; on the back end, there malt character kicks it with some wheat and caramel notes, little residual sweetness consistent with a West Coast IPA --> one of the most impressive tasting American wheat beers out there

M: 4.50 - moderate bodied, >7% is hidden within; decreased carbonation relative to other American wheat beers, but, to my palate, that's acceptable

O: 4.50 - I was initially of the impression that Laguintas was one of the most overrated West Coast breweries but, suffice it to say, my opinion has changed dramatically with several of their recent offerings including this one; this is a really refreshing American wheat ale with lots of the West Coast IPA characteristics; I could put several of these done without feeling full and enjoy every taste; this is also exceptionally reasonably priced for a 6 pack for this caliber

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 04:46:11 | More by MNishCT77

utopiajane

New York

4.01/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours light gold and clear with two fingers of foam that won’t fall down. Lots of clinging lace. The nose is grapefruit, pine and a little resin. As it warms it smells like wheat and honey. The malt is a surprising standout in the glass. Bready and lots of biscuit. The hops are vigorous earthy and herbal. Their spiciness is tamed down by the big malt character. What a surprise this beer was. A celebration of hops without being overly fruity or bitter. A celebration of pale malt that was straightforward and not overly sweet . Robust yet easy to drink with a lightly oily mouthfeel and a long dry finish. This beer really does have a little sumpin’ sumpin’.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 16:42:35 | More by utopiajane

Roman5150

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottle into duvel glass

appearance: clear golden orange with 1 finger white head, lots of lacing. I prefer wheat beers to be unfiltered.

smell: wheat, floral, bready notes, citrus

taste: earthy, piney, herbal hoppiness fades into a smooth wheat backbone, with some citrus and grapefruit notes along the way. very floral overtones with a dry refreshing finish.

mouthfeel: decent amount of carbonation, pretty full bodied for a wheat beer

overall: A great wheat ale, smooth yet hoppy, Lagunitas struck gold with this one. One of the better American wheat beers, this packs a punch that wheat beers normally lack. Will be buying again, one of my favorite Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 23:22:59 | More by Roman5150

Tonmeister

Georgia

4.19/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle into 16 ounce Goose Island Glass

Appearance: light amber with a medium thick white head.

Smell: Hoppy, citrusy, piney,

Taste: piney, citrusy, citric, breaddy, bitter-sweet. It goes down very smooth and it's very refreshing.

The mouthfeel is medium thick and highly carbonated.

Overall, This is a great hoppy beer. I'm not a big fan of Wheat Ale's but the hop presence in this one doesn't disappoint. It is definitely one of my favorites Wheat Ales.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 22:29:11 | More by Tonmeister

TownDunkel

Texas

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - aww yeah

Appearance - Gold and sparkling. Head is brilliant white

Smell - Cascade like hops smell, citrusy and grapefruit

Taste - Big bitter than a nice fruity sweet that matches the smell well. I enjoyed the mellow aftertaste of coppery bitter.

Mouthfeel - Long lasting taste and medium carbonation.

Overall - This beer is so close to Dog Fish Head 90 min rating it is crazy. I would probably drink this one more due to the fruity scents but DFH had slight better carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 04:01:21 | More by TownDunkel

magictacosinus

California

4.26/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a weizen glass from a 12oz bottle. Bottling date is listed in a Julian code as "120," or May 1st. Relatively fresh, so this is exciting.

Pours a classic Lagunitas look as far as all of their hoppier beers go, complete with a golden amber color that is as clear as they get, filled with bubbles that rise playfully to the top, and about 2 fingers of head that eventually go down to a third, but one that never seems to let up. Lacing is slightly present, although not as much as expected. With the wheat malts, I expected this to be slightly cloudy, but instead it looks like a straightforward West Coast IPA. Can't really rate this to style, but it is appealing on its own.

The aroma consists of a lively, vibrant combo of hop resins atop some slight breadiness and graininess. While I can't make out too much of the malts or wheat here (aside from the bread flavors), this is awash with warm citrus aromas, such as orange and limes, as well as pineapple, mango, and touch of grapefruit. Everything is really breezy, instead of super dry and astringent, and definitely doesn't assault the nose in the same way, say, Gumballhead does. A touch of crispness, as well as sweetness, balances things out a bit. Awesome stuff.

Right at the front, there's an immediate rush of citrus and floral notes caused by the hops that drench the tongue in hoppy resins, and then let go to make room for the bready crisp flavors that lie underneath. I'm getting oranges, tangerines, pineapple, as well that awesome mango/passion fruit tropical combo that I also get with Sucks and Hop Stoopid. As soon as the resins die down a bit, the bready, slightly wheat-y factor comes in, although it's so subtle I may as well continue to hype the hop flavors. As this warms up, it definitely reveals itself, often resembling faded rye or wheat characteristics. A little bit of buttery flavors creep in from the malts, and it definitely makes everything far more chewy. The finish is semi-dry, with a dab of sweetness from the malts and oiliness from the hops that makes this very easy to drink. Definitely an ideal summertime beer - I could sip a bunch of these in a row if it weren't for the scarily hidden alcohol.

This is most definitely the Gumballhead of the West Coast, and I love how affordable and easy that this is to find around these parts. Flavorful, juicy, but ultimately very refreshing. Works well for the warm weather. What's there not to like? I think with this one and ton of past successes I've had with Lagunitas, I can officially call them one of my new favorites. Well done, keep it up as always!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 03:51:41 | More by magictacosinus

Skwalk47

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - slightly opaque orange, nice clean white head

S - grapefruit, lime and other citrusy hops, fresh and without a lot of pine.

T - hops, citrus, a nice malty balance from the wheat that plays a supporting role without coming in to the spotlight

M - light and fluffy, a slight bitter feeling emerges towards the end of the second beer

O - excellent beer, taste and quality closer to some of the better DIPAs than other wheat beers in this class

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 02:51:08 | More by Skwalk47

Jmamay22

New York

3.78/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

The beer pours a copper colored orange with a soft ecru colored head. It smells faintly of grassy hops mixed with a very fruity ester quality that is thoroughly enjoyable. Notes of pear with perhaps banana and lemon.

The taste is less distinct, but begins with a slightly bready character that gives way to a bitter citrus hop taste moving to a touch of caramel and finishing with a grassy hop bite. Medium bodied mouthfeel with a very fine level of carbonation. Enjoyable all around.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 22:29:13 | More by Jmamay22

sweemzander

Illinois

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

12oz. bottle poured into a nonic glass.

(A)- Pours a hazy orange color. Produced a nice cap of white froth; decent retention.

(S)- A bright citrus aroma. Lots of lemon, lime, orange, and pineapple. Hints at pine too, but a superb overall juicy citrus aroma.

(T)- A nice combo of piney citrus meets a subtle sweet caramel malt backbone.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. The pine and citrus meet well in the middle with a good play of bitter and sweet on the backend.

(O)- Definitely a solid beer for the style. Everything in the right place and well balanced, if not a touch more hoppy than the norm.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 19:06:10 | More by sweemzander

Uncle_Jimmy

California

4.29/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance pours a sparkling orangish yellow. White fine bubbles in a very clingy head.

Aroma- pineapple passionfruit citrus boquet with an underlying soapyness. A slight yeast quality with some hints of jolly rancher green apple fruit candies.

Taste- Great balance of lightly toasted malt and fruity citrusy hops. The whole thing finishes a bit sweet but it is very pleasant. It follows the nose quite a bit.

Mouthfeel- crisp and refreshing for a lighter bodied beer. The hops stick to the mouth lik ethe lacing in the glass. Alcohol?! what alcohol?! no burn or warmth or boozy taste.

Overall- a great daily drinker despite the higher ABV. I would have another with a side of Thai food or Jalepeno Poppers.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 16:04:14 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

CMUbrew

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is a slightly darker straw-gold color and is surprisingly very clear. A great looking three finger head was obtained on a moderate pour. Stickage to the glass is abundant.

S: Mostly floral nose with a lemony orange citrus edge. Not even really as hoppy as a pale ale might smell, but easily the most hops I've ever smelled on a wheat beer.

T: Hop flavors are most prominent. Lemon and other citrus zest and floral notes. The taste of the wheat malt is obvious, but plays a supporting role to the hops.

M: Has a substantial body as many good wheat beers do. Carbonation feels a bit low, but that may be due to the big head I poured.

O: Wheat beers typically aren't my thing, but it's hard to dislike anything Lagunitas hops up. Easily my favorite wheat beer as of now. Sumpin' Sumpin' is surely deserving of the praise it gets.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 03:21:36 | More by CMUbrew

tittymcj

Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Very clear beer with a orange-red hue to it in light. Good head which recedes and leaves very nice lacing on the glass.

S: Very piney and hoppy, good bite to it. Has good balance though, in that the malt backs it up with a good bread smell.

T: Lots of hops, good amount of malt, but very mellow taste overall. Almost a hit of vanilla flavor in there as well, which helps to damper the bitterness of the hops.

M: Light and refreshing, in spite of how complex and full the flavor is. A bit spicy, but goes down smoothly and doesn't linger.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:00:16 | More by tittymcj

stella77artois

New York

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A - Powerful. Dark amber with a thinnish white head that stuck around for a while. Not much carbonation visible.

S - Smelled exactly like an IPA. Lot's of pine, and average amount of hops. Even a touch o' mint. Had a dank smell too, sort of sour. But wasn't necessarily bad. Dankness more prevelant when beer warmed slightly.

T - Pretty darn good. Very similar to an IPA, but a bit more sour, and slightly less hop "punch". Some malty sweetness evident as well. Alcohol warmness when warmed, but not unpleasant. Very good tasting beer.

F - Not terrible, not great. Kinda dry, and made me thirsty. Good carbonation feel, though.

O - A beer I will certainly purchase again. It's nothing that I'm going to buy all the time, but it's a damn good beer. Great taste, appearance and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 12:58:24 | More by stella77artois

PaleZombie

Arizona

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a wine glass.

A - Very clear golden color with some tinges of orange coming through. About 1 finger of white pillowy head leaving decent lacing.

S - Instant aromas of tropical fruits (pineapple, mango maybe some apple) some nice citrusy quality (lemons and grapefruit) followed by a light wheat note in the end.

T - Some slightly bitter grapefruit and lemon in the beginning, followed by very mild tropical fruits and a somewhat strong wheat finish.

M - Medium feel leaning more towards the lighter side. Fairly big carbonation that prickles the tongue a bit. Somewhat dry finish.

O - This is pretty good. Its very interesting almost like an IPA with a tad bit of wheat added. If you see it give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 04:59:18 | More by PaleZombie

BeerNutz324

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

Ap- pours predominantly clear goldish yellow with a bit of haze. has about an inch of frothy white head with pretty good retention

Ar- citrusy hops especially lemon, biscuity malts and light wheat

T- wow, crazy complexity going on here. starts off tasting hoppy like an APA with citrus/piney hoppy notes up front and then finishes off with a touch of lemon tang from the wheat I presume. Solid biscuit malt backbone balances this brew nicely

M- medium bodied, good carbo for the style, a bit sticky on the finish

O- I love this beer, well balanced, refreshing and easy to drink. The alcohol is hidden well and the pricing is spot on...another win for lagunitas

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 01:30:21 | More by BeerNutz324

macrosmatic

Florida

3.99/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Russian River pint glass.

A: Pours a mildly hazy gold, with lots of visible carbonation and 1 1/2 finger's worth of white head.

S: Light biscuit and cracker malts, pine, grass and citrus hops.

T: Follows the nose, with just a bit of multi-grain bread graininess. It's fairly balanced but nicely hoppy (pine and citrus primarily). Citrus (lemon, grapefruit and rind bitterness) in the hang.

M: Light body, a fairly bubbly mouthfeel, and only a bit of alcohol presence - impressively hidden for this ABV in this style.

O: This was really solid for a style that can be underwhelming so often. Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 14:28:02 | More by macrosmatic

DRTBrewster

Arizona

4.01/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A fun somewhat fruity beer that is easy to drink, certainly some caramel specialty mixing with several other grains on a two solid row base to create a flavorful ale that is sneaky good. This Ale is great for those new to craft beers but will not satisfy the strong robust pallets.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 21:30:33 | More by DRTBrewster

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Golden orange, fair amount of white head some lacing as well

S- Piney hops, citrus hops, very floral

T-The grains soften out the hops a lot, piney hops, citrus, sweet malt, nice level of bitterness

M- Medium bodied, well carbonated, medium bitterness

O- Very good beer, great nose, nice and easy to drink, right amount of bitterness, definitely worth trying

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 04:33:45 | More by Kmat10

hoppytobehere

Colorado

4.01/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. Bottled a little over a month ago, says the Julian code.

A: Looks similar to their IPA, Sucks, and Hop Stoopid. Clear bright copper body, nice head and sticky lacing.

S: Hops, lots of sugar, almost like cake frosting. More wheat and malt as it warms up.

T: Exactly how I'd expect a hoppy wheat beer to taste. Nice balance of bitterness and breadiness (if that's even a word).

M: Carbonation is at an adequate level. For a higher ABV beer, you wouldn't notice it much.

O: Solid offering from Lagunitas. Don't see myself picking this up too often though.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:09:51 | More by hoppytobehere

fcbrew

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

This beer can best be described as sort of a wheat IPA. It pours a beautiful golden orange with minimal lacing. The aroma is very nice with flowery hops notes, citrus and grapefruit. The mouth feel is a little thin, But, after all, it's a wheat beer. The taste is like a light wheat IPA. This is one of my favorite summer beers. It is much more interesting than other wheat beers and will please hop heads- well hopped but not too bitter.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 18:13:38 | More by fcbrew

bpasquini

California

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: Golden orange in color, leaves a very nice white head so don't poor too aggressively, leaves some lacing as well

S: Some piney hops, more citrus hop smell though, and some orange, can't tell if it's yeast or zest though, and a hint of some sweet malt

T: Pine hops hit first, then you get the citrus hops as the bitterness comes, and it leaves with orange yeast and a hint of sweet malt flavor in the after taste, very nice bitterness level in this beer, overall good balancing of flavors and bitterness

M: Nice and light, very drinkable, a hint oily, leaves your mouth a tiny bit dry but it's nice, if I didn't look at the ABV I would have thought this was a session beer

O: Great beer, good smell, taste, bitterness, if you haven't tried this yet definitely pick it up next time you see it, definitely worth the buy

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 00:27:09 | More by bpasquini

lawlerj

Nebraska

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a weizen glass.

A - Translucent golden amber. Big fluffy off white head. Appears to be strongly carbonated.

S - Fruity and citrusy hops dominate the aroma. That's most of what I'm getting, but I like it. Definitely a different take on the style.

T - The softness of the wheat set against the sharp hop flavors really stands out for me on this beer. It's really different, and I really like it. I get a bit of caramel sweetness up front, and the bitter flavors come out more strongly as the beer slides back.

M - It does seem to be well carbonated, which gives the beer a nice prickly mouthfeel. It is on the lighter side of medium bodies, which I also like.

O - Overall, this was not what I was expecting, which was great. I really really liked this beer, and it is probably my favorite of the Lagunitas beers that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 23:32:30 | More by lawlerj