A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

dgilks

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear light golden colour with a small, white head. Good head retention. Awesome lacing.

Big, rich, piney, resinous hop aroma with a touch of sweetness.

Sweet malt with an odd herbal bitterness. Musty hops. Really quite weird.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Good.

An interesting beer to be sure. The aroma is great too but the flavour is herbal and strange. I just don't quite get it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 06:12:29 | More by dgilks

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew was served from the tap at MacGregor’s Grill and Tap Room in Canandaigua, NY. This serving arrived in a dimpled mug and showed a golden honey color. It held a film of a head that was white, and on the thicker side. Lacing was also thick, and what little head there was showed slow recession. Carbonation appeared normal, and a faint haze was about the brew, with no outright sediment. The aroma exploded with sweetness, but not overly so. It had gargantuan notes of pineapple, mango, and an acidic tangerine. Malts appeared to be caramel and slightly darker in origin, but interspersed with paler inclusions. Hops were also robust, with a predominantly citric vibe. There was an additional bubblegum estery sweetness, but this was rather faint. Even further there was a brown sugar sweetness, with cutting steely yeast and a bittering orange peel. As we sipped, the taste opened up with sweet bubblegum esters, brown sugar sweetness, and bittering citric hops, with bitter wheaty grain. The middle moved us forward with cleaner caramel malts and honey/nectary sweetness. The ending notes were even cleaner with a washing of booze and caramel maltiness. The aftertaste breathed of bittered wheat and yeast, tangy citric hops, an alcoholic bite, and a faint metallic flavoring. The body was medium and the carbonation was standard. The feel to each sip was cooling and absurdly soft, with wonderful slurp and smack. Coating was thick, with an unfettered froth throughout. The abv was appropriate and drinkability was phenomenal.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was both how sweet it was and was not. By this we mean that both the aromas and flavors were fruity and sweet, but at no point were either of them overwhelming. This was in part due to the big hop and alcohol characters. In the end this is a superb beer, with an unmatched aroma, correspondingly remarkable flavor, and a glorious feel, making this something that we could drink all day long.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 22:08:33 | More by TheBrewo

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

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

A: Light amber body. Puffy white head, some lacing in spots.

S: Has a delicate wheat note, and candied citrus hops, smells pretty sweet, a touch bitter due to hops.

T: Sweet, but not overwhelming. Has a slight hop bite to it that doesn't dominate. Getting an orange and lemon Pez candy flavor from it. Incredibly well balanced wheat and hop taste, one of the best in the style.

M: Sharp, crisp, light to medium body, the carbonation has a subtle tingle to it, enhancing the flavors.

O/D: Finally got to try this, and a leader for "APWAs."

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 03:36:08 | More by mostpoetsdo

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

I stopped into the Portsmouth Brewpub on Saturday, 09JUL11, before heading to Kensington, NH, to see The Stanley Cup. After a pint of Portsmouth Wit, I opted to try some Sumpin' Sumpin'. It was served in a 20th Anniversary tear-drop style glass, perhaps about 12oz worth, at $6.50 per serving.

Color was a slightly hazy golden honey. Slow-moving, widely-dispersed carbo was present, aimlessly winding its way towards an off-white, rocky, fluffy head. The topping lasted quite well, and lacing was A-1! Nose had plenty of nice citrus with some rindy action thrown in for good measure. Body was a bit more than the standard medium, and it had a smooth feel on the tongue.

Flavor had a light touch of bready, crackery malt, and was a touch dry and crisp. Lots of citrus was present, with rindy, pithy characteristics aplenty. Pineapple and grapefruit came into play in this solid offering. The hoppiness in the finish was long-lasting and pleasant. Reminded me a bit of Schneider-Brooklyner Hefeweizen. Good stuff!!

4.2 rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1350

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 20:46:49 | More by Bierman9

Pharkle

Virginia

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

On tap at Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA. I had no idea this was a wheat until I read about it. I would consider this an almost ideal American Pale Ale. Nice appearance in the glass, slight haze, plenty of head and lace on the glass. Bursting with American hop aroma, excellent malt/hop flavor balance, smooth and silky mouthfeel. A great beer that may win over those who shy away from "hoppy" beers. I was so impressed by the quality of this beer that I had another despite the large selection on tap at Beer Run. One of the best.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 02:37:00 | More by Pharkle

avaldivia

California

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

On tap at Lagunitas.

A: Golden straw lime color. Really nice head and lacing considering that it is a wheat beer and the few I've had lately have had little to no lacing.

S: Hoppy. Definately a citrusy floral note with a hint of wheat.

T: Nice mango and citrus flavors. Wheat hits at the end.Very well hopped.

M: Medium body. Crisp with a bit of a dry finish.

O: One of my go to beers. I am not typically the biggest fan of wheat beers but this is fantastic when fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 05:28:02 | More by avaldivia

peacebone116

California

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

Poured from my tap directly into a Delirium snifter--lines were cleaned within 2 days of the following review, taken in mid-May 2011.

A: Cloudy golden straw color. Thick finger of head that stays for days!

N: Pineapple, mango, & grapefruit.

T/M: Crisp hoppy citrus dominates, much like the nose. There is not much malt flavor to speak of, and the beer's body only further support this interpretation; the beer has a very light mouth-feel, which is most attributable to the heavy wheat bill this beer has.

Most people that I have shared this one with are incredible surprised to find out that is an American Pale Wheat...but after they learn that, they are not surprised by the categorization as much as they are impressed with Lagunitas's execution. If it were not for such an incredibly high ABV, this would the ultimate summer beer! It does not fill you up, it is crisp and refreshing on a hot day, but it really does creep up on you fast! At 7.5%, this beer may drink just a little too easy!

Overall, another winner from the good people of Petaluma!

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2011 19:09:51 | More by peacebone116

CHickman

New York

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

Pours a hazy gold color with a creamy 1 finger off white head that faded extremely slowly and left excellent lacing; a great looking beer.

Smells of big sweet floral hops up front, followed by flowers, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus hops, lemon, mango, sweet malt, caramel, wet bread and brown sugar; great citrus hoppy nose that smells like an IPA, so it’s funny to see this classified as a wheat beer.

Tastes like grapefruit, citrus hops, orange peel, lemon, floral hops, flowers, piney hops, brown sugar, sweet malt, light grains, wet bread, cinnamon and some other delicious light spices that were not clear as I drank it last night, but I must now assume were wheat or coriander since this is a wheat ale; this is very pungent and tasty, even refreshing for such a hoppy beer. The Sumpin’ special must be the amount of hops used to make a wheat beer taste like an IPA – crazy concept, but it worked well.

Mouthfeel is creamy, smooth and oily slick, with light fizzy carbonation, a light to medium body and a bitter zesty finish. A high recommendation for a great beer that is extremely drinkable as I had 4 on tap last light. I look forward to drinking this again soon as it was excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 04:01:43 | More by CHickman

challenja

Virginia

4.97/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Gorgeous deep orange with golden rod tones.

S: DAMN SON!!! The most aromatic Wheat Ale of all time!
Tons of citrus, tropical fruits, pineapple, fresh jungle honey, and rich flourishing malt. It stunk like some good Icky Icky. The most aromatic hop-ale that is not rated an IPA.

T: Tropical fruits, citrus (Big time Red Grapefruit, tangerine, lemon), and a nice crisp wheat finish. I was surprised that its not rated as an IPA. Very Close but not as tangerine and aromatic as their Lucky 13 beer which is also amazingly good.

MF: Medium body, silky, crisp, and sweet west coast hop sticky icky. It was a really delicious spring time beer. Good medium carbonation.

Overall: This can be considered one of my favorite drinkable Lagunitas beers. Lucky 13 is also a great summer beer. But this one of my favorite looking and smelling beers of all time.. Truly Exceptional.

Serving type: On Tap
Serving type: Bought bottles as well. Its better on Tap, more aromatic as well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2011 18:34:33 | More by challenja

ArrogantDeadGuy

Virginia

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

Hazy brass colored pour with a slight head that leaves little to no lace. The brassy hued brew is only mildly carbonated. Great hopa nd malt balance. Really nice hop finish behind a sweet malt overtone. The piney hops don't overpower the malt sweetness but rather compliment the malt profiles. Very tastey and drinkable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2011 02:37:35 | More by ArrogantDeadGuy

PGHeppJr

New York

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

From Notes 02JUN2010

On draft at Kickback's GastroPub, poured into a .3L weizen glass.

This is a wheat beer? Could have fooled me. Would've never guessed, outside its light and slightly cloudy color this wasn't an American Pale Ale. Grapefruit all over the place, eeeasy drinker, surprising for weighing in at the 7.5% ABV. My only wish is that the balance leaned more towards wheat than the pale ale side.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2011 18:31:25 | More by PGHeppJr

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

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

Had this on tap at Poor Phil's in Oak Park, IL. Golden color with foamy head with good lacing. The smell is floral hop, with citrus notes. You think from the smell that it is going to be a hop bitter blast (which I don't really care for), but I was surprised that it was very smooth and well balanced with sweet malt husk and yeast flavors. Very well crafted recipe. Extremely drinkable. Definitely not a hop-tea that totally covers up the rest of the ingredients. This one exemplifies what an American IPA can be.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 03:16:51 | More by OttoPeeWee

Burt

Rhode Island

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

Served in a pint glass filled to the top.

A. Yellow orange that is hazy. Head is white and thick. Left a thick coating of lace all the way down the glass.

S. Big hop aroma, loved smelling this beer

T. Nice hop taste taste up front, had a little sweetness in the middle with a nice bitterness at the end.

M. Some carbonation, with a smooth coating, at 7.5% the alcohol is well hidden.

D. Was surprised how good this beer was very easy drinking and dangerously addictive. Hop heads beer for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2011 02:47:10 | More by Burt

jjboesen

Maryland

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

Here we have another interesting beer, a hoppy wheat, from a brewery whose name I have yet to learn how to pronounce. Is it Lah-gun-itas? Lah-goon-itas? Lagoon-eetas? However you pronounce their name, their beer is always well crafted. "Lag-you-nitas?

The "Little Sumpin" opens with a thick glob of a head atop a light golden body, within which rise a sporadic school of carbonation bubbles. Lay-gun-ee-tus? Upon raising your glass for the initial sip, the nose is immediately overwhelmed by a hearty aroma of grapefruit. This grapefruit theme continues on to the palate; however, there is perceptible malt finish here. As for the mouthfeel: it is moderately chewy without any identification to discern it to be a wheat ale - in fact, one could mistake it for an IPA, albeit one with a lighter body. Lagoon-it-is?

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 22:09:13 | More by jjboesen

gkunkle

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Apex in portland out of a standard pint glass. It is a transparent golden orange color with visible carbonation and a one finger white head. Smell is very hoppy, with floral and grapefruit notes. As far as smell goes it doesn't share many attributes with a standard wheat ale, it smells more like an APA or an IPA. The taste has a little more wheat in it, but the emphasis is still on the hops not the wheat. Mouthfeel is good, very crisp and refreshing. Overall this beer is similar to gumballhead, but i think I like gumballhead better. I am not sure how I feel about this being a "wheat beer" as there isn't a lot of wheat in the taste. If you want a wheat beer then go for an american knock off of a hefeweizen, but if you are looking for an APA or IPA that has a touch of wheat in it then this is what you are looking for.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 02:28:44 | More by gkunkle

Bfarr

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear golden orange with medium tan frothy head with good retention and lacing. Citrus aroma. Crisp sweetness with light citrus hop bittering and a splash of spice and wheat. Moderate carbonation and even mouthfeel.

Seemingly yet another variation of their IPA. Still a good beer you can't go wrong with.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2010 14:22:59 | More by Bfarr

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

Vdubb86

Illinois

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

Served in a pint glass on tap at The Barley House in Algonquin, IL

This beer pours a hazy orange color with decent lacing from the frothy white foam head. The smell is of lots of hops, particularly the pine and lemon aroma derived from the hops used. The taste is honestly not nearly as hoppy as I had expected, and as a matter of fact that was a good surprise. There's not a hell of a lot to the taste, but the main components are citrus (lemony) and hints of banana. It feels really nice on the tongue and is one of the better drinking beers I know.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2010 08:23:41 | More by Vdubb86

Lillenk

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Grill One Eleven.

Appearance was very nice. Nice golden color with a really nice white head.

Smell was huge. Lots of citrus (grapefruit) and hops. Very aromatic.

Taste was good. Very mush like an IPA with a little bit of wheat flavors. Very complex and very nice.

Mouthfeel was pretty big because of all the hops so you probably would want to drink more that one or two.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2010 18:34:59 | More by Lillenk

hophead247

California

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

Pours a pale orange with modest white head. Aromas of grapefruit, honey, flowers, and peaches. Lightly sweet subdued malt backbone with medium tart strong citrus middle and lightly bitter grassy hops. Medium body with average carbonation and slightly chewy texture. Juicy and citrusy with a great complex fresh hop finish. Whether it's a wheat ale, or IPA, I did it....

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2010 04:16:29 | More by hophead247

ComputerBeer

Massachusetts

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

I guess that this is a west coast American whet beer. There is nothing that would identify this as a wheet beer. If I didn't know I would have just thought tint be a unfiltered pale ale.
But... It us a good pale ale. Filled with American hops. The classic flavors and aromas of citrus. The beer was served very cold but it seemed to have a fine mouthfeel and tasted fresh and clean.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2010 20:52:10 | More by ComputerBeer

soupyman10

District of Columbia

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

This is a wheat beer? I honestly couldn't tell. When this one was going down, my impression was that it was another hoppy IPA-ish brew (also called, "Strong" from what I've seen). On tap at Founding Farmers in DC, most noticeable factors in this light yellow beer were its huge fruitiness, which is mainly pineapple and citrus. These help bring some sweetness to the fairly strong hop presence. A light beer, light body, pretty high in carbonation. Overall, a respectable beer, but not standard for the style, in the least. Solid.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 02:55:41 | More by soupyman10

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale on tap at Mellow Mushroom in Columbus, Ohio,

Appearance: Hazy orange color, fluffy head, almost no lacing.

Smell: Citrus and more citrus. Orange. Some spice. Can't detect any wheat.

Taste: Initial citrus blast. Some sweetness. Hops all around but "under control", not pungent.

Mouthfeel: Light but just right. Very good carbonation, not too filling. Nice resiny feel to the tongue.

Drinkability: Super refreshing, somewhat light body but full flavor. Extremely drinkable!

A very cool and innovative mixture of pale ale and wheat. Love it!

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2010 19:29:43 | More by DoubleSimcoe

jrallen34

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On at tap at Bodega on the patio, a server's suggestion that was right on the head, served in a pint glass. A lightly clear with good retention and lacing...The aroma is nothing special, pretty light honey a little hops on the back. Easy to drink and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2010 23:15:21 | More by jrallen34

mithrascruor

California

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

On tap at Callahan's, San Diego.

Pours a slightly hazy dark hay color with a slightly rocky white head. Nice fresh citrus aroma, with a lot of lemon. Good flavor of refreshing citrus and hop spice. There's a bit of wheat at the finish. Light-bodied with light carbonation. Overall this is neither an IPA nor a wheat beer, but something very in-between, though leaning towards the IPA. It is really refreshing, which I like, and easy to drink. Could be a good introduction to hops for wheat beer lovers, or a nice "staycation" for IPA lovers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2010 00:54:55 | More by mithrascruor