A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Racoon Red pint glass

Pale Wheat Ale? Oh no. I bought a six pack despite there being no indication on what type of beer this was - if I had known it was a pale wheat, I probably would have passed.

A - pours a dark yellow, crystal clear with one finger of head that just doesn't dissipate. Leaves sheets of lace as I drink.

S - Beautiful bouquet of citrus and pear. Smells fantastic!

T - Yum! Great hop flavor, and a substantial bitter kick at the end - I am really digging this beer. There is enough residual sweetness to help bring this beer into balance.

M - creamy smooth texture, high amount of carbonation. The texture reminds me of an English cask ale.

D - This beer just goes down easy. For over 7% ABV, you would never know it.

Well this beer has been a pleasant suprise! Truly outstanding. I'll have to give other wheat beers a chance if they can taste like this. There is no banana clove flavors at all, just a creamy, hoppy masterpiece

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 02:33:19 | More by FickleBeast

dukew456

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into my Lazy Magnolia glass

Pours a bright clear golden color with light amber highlights. A half-inch head forms and eventually dissipates into a modest cap, leaving plenty of lacing along the way.

Smell is instantly of juicy citrus, namely tangerine and grapefruit. A very tangy hop aroma is slightly tipped by a sweet malt presence.

Taste follows suit, with grapefruit bursting out in front of the pack. The citrusy twang of the hops are offset by a slightly tart and sweet yet rich finishing malt backbone. I just glanced the 7.3% abv on this, and I'm shocked. The medium carbonation and excellent balance make this beer dangerously quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 02:27:29 | More by dukew456

wyattshotmaker

Ohio

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

whoa,totally blown away by this beer.poured into a pint glass with lacing that could match duvel's.giant fluffy white head that levels out to a short head that sticks throughout.

smells of citrus and pine with a slight scent of hay.very appealing.

palate is a massive rush of centennial hops.grapefruit and citrus dominate and finishes with a pronounced wheat character.awesome summer beer!

mouthfeel is moderately carbonated.

i could have a few of these.honestly i wasnt expecting much from this beer,but it's an awesome summer offering from lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 00:58:52 | More by wyattshotmaker

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle acquired in trade with bu11zeye (thanks for the extra IPA I haven't had before!).

Poured a medium and slightly hazy golden color with an averaged sized white head. Aromas of juicy oranges, pine and floral hops. Tastes of citrus, floral hoppiness, some toasted graininess, and a lighter sweet caramel in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 00:33:13 | More by hopdog

jwinship83

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. no freshness dating, but its a recently released seasonal.

A- this one pours a pretty clear golden orange colored body with a small but lasting bright white colored head that leaves small rings of lacing on the sides of my glass.

S- very muted wheat smells with plenty of hops. pine and citrus mostly.

T- again, a very mild wheat like taste upfront. theres plenty of hops at the end. lots of citrus/grapefruit and some resiny pine.

M- medium bodied with a high level of carbonation.

D- an interesting take on an american pale wheat ale. enjoyable and easy to finish, i found myself reaching for a second without much thought. check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 20:17:13 | More by jwinship83

Shaw

Florida

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A gift from co-worker and fellow BA thryn. Thanks!

It's a bright gold in color with a sticky head.

It has a great hoppy aroma. Huge citrus and sweet notes bombard my nose.

The taste is all about the hops. Herbal, grassy and citrus flavors all mix with a good bitterness, but not in a hit-you-over-the-head way. Thryn said this reminds her of a lighter Hopslam, and I agree. I can't detect the wheat malt in this.

The body is light, slick and oily.

Overall this is a fine beer, especially for hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 03:24:54 | More by Shaw

kirok1999

Ohio

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

Pale wheat??? What wheat? This is a hop bomb and is absolutely delicious. A hazy light gold with a small head.
Smell is sweet and hoppy, it promises a nice balance between hops and malt. I guess there is a grassy, wheat note in there somewhere.
Tastes wonderfully sweet, notes of grass, wheat, pine, sticky and juicy hops. Finishes dry and makes you want another sip.
Feels smooth and has a nice amount of bitey carbonation. This is by far my favorite wheat of any style.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 01:09:36 | More by kirok1999

belgbeerdrinker

Colorado

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

a: clear golden color, moderate head settles to half finger, lots of lacing, minor bubbly streams spread around
s: difficult to make out at first, but light sweet malts mix well with lightly spiced hops and a sweet citrus aroma
t: nice interplay of sweet citrus and malts to piney hops throughout with a crisp/light hoppy finish
m: medium body with crisp carbonated finish
d: highly drinkable with a nice balance all around

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 00:21:00 | More by belgbeerdrinker

arepwhotravels

Michigan

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a wheat beer? Wow! It has a Krystal wheat beer appearance and displays the essences of part wheat beer/part harvest ale/part super hero. Sumpin' tastes like fresh hops were used in the making, kind of like a Sumpin' Sauvignon Blanc on Acid.

Lagunitas' seasonal offering reflects genuine ingenuity, style and a touch of madness. I don't understand how you could classify Sumpin' as an American Pale Wheat Ale because Sumpin' positions itself in a category of it's own (come on, Oberon and this are light years apart). I don’t often review many beers unless they deserve it and I can't wait to try A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' on Tap, which I know should be very soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 22:48:17 | More by arepwhotravels

hube

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Wow. What a surprise. I can legitimately say I was blown away by this beer right off the bat. I was expecting something much closer to an IPA when I picked this sixer up this afternoon, but what I found was much sweeter, balanced by hoppy bitterness. An excellent summer beer, very light and fairly sweet, with that hop bite coming in at the finish, keeping things from getting too syrupy or sugary.

The only thing I would improve upon here would be a tad more carbonation, though that's due to personal preference.

No real complaints on this one at all. It's a re-buy and a must-buy.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 02:02:25 | More by hube

HitokiriNate85

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 16 oz. pint.

A - Poured a fairly pale orange with a frothy, slightly tan head. I was expecting it to be unfiltered since that's what I'm used to with wheat beers, but, well, I get the impression this isn't going to be typical. The head faded to a thin cap and didn't leave any lacing behind.

S - Some piney hops stick out, but there's a noticeable sharpness or tang(that's more of a taste description, but it came to mind). It's almost...lemony.

T - Pretty unique. I was expecting more of a hop kick in terms of taste. I mean, it's hoppy, especially for a wheat, but the hop profile itself isn't all that impressive. Slightly citrus-y, but more along the lines of lemon with a slight bit of pine. It blends well with the wheat, atleast, which seems to be giving it a bit of a tang. Kind of grassy.

MF - Thin and enough carbonation to make it refreshing. Definitely works well with the warm weather outside. A bit sticky on the finish.

D - I could have a few, but I'd be more inclined to go with an IPA or a good German wheat than this for a second drink. I was looking forward to trying this, but I was a lot more impressed with their IPA and Maximus. This is interesting, and I can appreciate it, but I wouldn't really go out of my way for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 02:00:58 | More by HitokiriNate85

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served in a 12 oz nonic glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: The beer is lightly hazy and is golden/orange almost tan in color. The 1/3" off-white head recedes soon but also leaves some nice speckled but sparse lacing early on. Sipping continues to leave speckles of lacing for a while be eventually they are gone before the beer is finished.

Smell: The aroma is fresh and definite with a bit of pine and lots of citrus fruitiness: grapefruit, some lemon and some tangerine.

Taste: The flavor is clean crisp and fresh and pretty much what would be expected from the aroma but it is also more complex than the aroma. The grapefruit blends nicely with the tangerine and the hint of lemon while the pale malt and wheat provide some nice balanced sweetness to keep the hops in check.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is light bodied and silky with a fair amount of prickly on-going carbonation. The finish is medium long and is a nice mix of sweetness from the grains and bitterness from the hops. Its hard to decide if the finish is dry or lightly sweet.

Drinkability: This is definitely a very drinkable brew. I could easily have had 2-3 more. However, the alcohol is so well hidden you don't realize just how high the abv actually is. I will definitely be putting this one on my wheat beer shopping list, probably by the case

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2009 00:59:33 | More by drtth

marlinsfan4

Maryland

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

Heard a lot of great things about this beer, and being one of my fav breweries I was excited to try this one. Pours a semi see-thru orange, good head with a moderate amount of lacing. Not too much there for aroma, but time for the important part.. the taste. Wicked smooth beer... just nice and creamy with a nice hop kick to it, although it is a tad bit subdued. Nice and balanced and way too drinking for 7.3% ABV... and this is a pale wheat ale??? damn, they're doing something at this brewery right because this is downright delicious. I agree with a past reviewer that this tastes like a Hop Stoopid light... great description, hoppy but still has the nice easy goingness of a wheat/cream ale... great beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 00:35:52 | More by marlinsfan4

elniko

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into Sam Adams perfect pint.

A: Rich amber with a nominal head that turned a little oily. Some lacing apparent along with nice carbonation.

S: Wonderful nose, I would expect nothing less from Lagunitas. Piney, lemony zest with just a hint of the wheat backbone.

T & M: Wow...this is one fine brew. I wasn't sure what to expect with a hopped up wheat but Lagunitas pulled it off. Nicely balanced and nicely bodied as well. Finish is just a touch on the sweet side with the hoppy tones coming through too.

D: Heavens yes this is drinkable, I will be picking this one up again. Lagunitas is quickly becoming my favorite brewery due to quality of the brews and the price too.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 18:38:51 | More by elniko

GRG1313

California

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a lovely medium clear orange with a thick pillow white head.

Nose is fragrant orange, lemon and honey with some floral tones. Nice.

Mouthfeel has nice body and character. Complex and layered flavors of lemon, oranges, malt and then to pine and grapefruit bitter. Sweet orange and fruit in the front and mid palate and grapefruit/hops on the back palate and finish. You want to keep going back for more. Long grapefruit skin hop finish.

This is an all around excellent drinking and food beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 07:29:25 | More by GRG1313

qchic

Maryland

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

Fun name, fun label. I like Lagunitas more and more all the time. Upon pouring, it appears a slightly hazy gold with a huge meringue-like head that for a few moments sat higher than the rim of my glass. Immediately, lots of piney and citrusy hops in the aroma, and a touch of banana. While quite bitter, the flavor is balanced by sweet malt, almost honey-like, but the hops never stop asserting themselves. There's also some tangy orange/tangerine. Searching for wheat, I failed. Perhaps it keeps the body on the lighter end of medium, but it's not even on the label where ingredients are listed. Anyhoo,the carbonation is gentle and the hops give the mouthfeel slickness. As with some other Lagunitas brews, I find the aroma to be its best characteristic, but it's also quite drinkable. Light, but packed full of hoppy flavor. I could go for another.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 03:54:46 | More by qchic

JAStheAce

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sumpin sumpim pours out a clear bright shiny golden lemon with a decent amount of head. Smells piney, fruity, hoppy, and perfumey. Big oily hop taste as well as some citric zest and a colossal bitter aftertaste. Light mouthfeel with balanced carbonation. A solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 23:35:16 | More by JAStheAce

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Nice two fingers of head that slowly recedes to sticky film of foam. Nice lacing on the inside of the glass. Light, clear amber and honey color with good bubbling. Lots of hoppy mellow citrus aromas. Resiny bitter palate pushes too much of the sweet wheat and fruity yeast away. Interestng combination of flavors, bitter and wheaty, but isn't my cup of tea all the way. Good resiny that coats the tongue nicely. More like an IPA in my opinion than an American pale wheat ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 22:46:13 | More by scruffwhor

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a bright orange copper hue with a foaming huge white head leaves thick chunky lacing behind, supposedly this one is brewed with some wheat.

Aroma is all grapefruit and citrus peel with a bit of pine hop nectar going down. Sugar coated grapefruit blends nicely in the lighter toasted malt character. Big West Coast hop characteristics going on.

Flavor has grapefruit, herbal weed, and pine cone bittering hops working in full cohesion. A juicy sweet sugar coated hop entwined malt profile exists here not much accent from the wheat utilized this is a hoppy as American Pale Wheat if that's what it is.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with hop oils lubricating the palate completely, carbonation levels are moderate and carry the beer pretty easily.

Drinkability is great, but this is a strange brew. Hop burps are plentiful but it's such a weird experience I'm getting from this hop-centric brew. Hoppier than Gumballhead or Southern Tier Hop Sun, but it's so different from those two. There's no question about their wheat ale tones. If given to me blind I couldn't tell you this has wheat ale written all over it.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 16:34:07 | More by WVbeergeek

firkinhophead

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Let's put some ice on it and keep ourselves elevated for awhile." Nice!

Pours a glowing, gold with a creamy-looking, two-finger head of egg-white yellow foam. The slightest bit of haze, but mostly clear and inviting. Head sticks around briefly, then settles to a tight cap. Some good stickage.

Aroma is of piney, citrusy hops. Very fresh aroma with no hint of alcohol. Some cookie-like malts in the background are barely perceptible. No yeast component typical in a wheat.

Taste is like no other American pale wheat, and not sure it even qualifies. This is all about burb-inducing piney hops. The wheat may serve to lighten the body, and there is a hint of breadiness mid-palate, but a firm, fruity sweetness carries the hops aloft, and all else drops away. The hops linger nicely, with only modest bitterness, and the final impression is of a fruity white wine with some grainy tannins and palate-drying resins.

Mouthfeel is sticky, but soft, yielding to a drying alcohol and hop finish. Medium-light body doesn't seem watery or thin. Carbonation is medium, but is not intrusive. Dryness wears hard after a spell.

A bit puckering for easy-drinking, it still hides its alcohol well and is thankfully not overly sweet or bubble-gummy.

Another interesting concoction from Lagunitas. A pale wheat for hopheads, what else? Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 03:23:57 | More by firkinhophead

froghop

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours semi-clear orange-yellow with a small egg shell head, very good lacing.

smell is of hops, floral, and citrus.

taste is tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, a little caramel, and a touch of wood bark, end is very hoppy but not over bitter.

very nice brew overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 02:09:50 | More by froghop

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

dbexpert

Massachusetts

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

a.golden,1/4 inch foam arrives on pint glass poured on a tilt, dissolves to a thin layer
s.wheat penetrates crisp citrus sour notes of hops
t.sweet tastes of wheat are wiped away with grapefruit hops, lingering long finish, an interesting style as many new hopped styles give your palate time to adjust to the approach of this brew, definitely a plus to try if you can find it!
m.balanced, with solid hop notes to stay intrigued in identifing the front
d.64.2 ibu's, 7.3% alc., gota sixer, rare where i live but definitly a drinkable brew!

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 23:46:03 | More by dbexpert

Maction

Illinois

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

A: Poured into an imperial pint glass, it appears wheat-field golden brown with orange highlights. The head pours into a tight 1" meniscus, and leaves curtains of small-holed lace down the side.

S: The aroma is white grape juice, sour lemons, and earthy vegetable garden notes.

T: The first flavor I would describe as sweet balsam, although I doubt that's what it would taste like I actually put a balsam branch in my mouth. I also get flavors of zucchini bread, rye, and herbaceous peppercorn. There is a long bitter but sweet lemony finish.

M: This feels heavier than the golden appearance would indicate. The finish gets drier as it continues, but is not sticky or unpleasant.

D: Bitter and piney but not tongue-burning, and sweet but not cloying, this is a balanced and refreshing beer. I went through two bottles quickly, and found myself wondering if this would be even more sterling right from the tap.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 15:01:09 | More by Maction

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was really surprized by this beer. The bartender told me it was a wheat but the hoppiness knocked my socks off, in a good way.

A: very little head, light cream colored some lacing. A very pale yellow in color.

S: You can tell immediately this is a hoppy beer you can smell the aroma hops inches away.

T&M: Very sharp hoppy bitterness. Crisp mouthfeel. I felt like exclaiming "aaa" after every swallow.

D: I could drink this stuff all day but you have to give your mouth a break!

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2009 14:16:13 | More by ImusBeer