A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

ClarkHimself

Pennsylvania

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

I picked up a sixer of LSS from my local deli, not knowing what to expect. After reading the bottom of the carrier, I thought to myself "What the hell type of beer is this going to be?"

Pours an awesome, thick white head that sat perched on the brew like an albino hockey puck. Smell was straight citrusy hops, and that's all I could concentrate on. Upon first sip, I was HOOKED. This beer has a most deliciously hopped grapefruit pop to it that I love. Drinks like an amped up pale ale, with a bit of sweetness to it.

Once I got on BA to review, I was shocked to see that it's classified on here as a wheat ale... I've never tasted a wheat ale like this. But like the packaging says, labels are often confusing and arbitrary. I'll definitely be making A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale a regular in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 03:19:28 | More by ClarkHimself

DangQuesadilla

Illinois

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

I am lucky enough to be able to get this easily where I live. I have had it on both bottles and tap. I love this beer. This could be my everyday drinking beer.

The aroma is the best part of it. When poured into a glass, there is a fantastic citrusy aroma of it. It goes down smooth. I have never been disappointed with a Lagunitas... and this one is one of my favorites from them.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:28:57 | More by DangQuesadilla

amart79

California

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

A - yellowish golden body with a small white head.

S - fresh citrus is all over the smell, very crisp and fresh.

T - nice fresh pine, citrus notes with a little bitter hops at the very end. Taste doesn't hit you in the mouth but it's nice. Almost an orange tasting aftertaste.

M - DEcent carbonation. Nothing exciting about the feel though. Really just there and then gone.

) - Everything's there but maybe not as much as you'd like it to be. Definitely solid and I think it's a nice refreshing beer to have in the fridge at any given time.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:57:03 | More by amart79

Melikeydahop

New Jersey

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

Appearance: Pours a very nice deep golden color with about two fingers almost white head

Smell: I'd have to say the smell is my favorite part of this beer. Can pick up some grapefruit right away from the hops, yet upon deeper inspection I catch a whiff of some melon, maybe cantelope, possibly watermelon.

Taste: Very nice yet hard to explain...the best I can come up with is like a bitter yet fruity but not so sweet ginger-ale. Quite enjoyable..alcohol is well hidden for 7.5% ABV

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body..medium on the carbonation..very pleasant

Overall: Yeah..it's a good one..had a bbq last weekend...served this one up to some craft drinkers..got some positive feedback. If I had to classify this beer..i'd call it a summertime IPA. I will be buying this one again and I'd recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:12:03 | More by Melikeydahop

BeerWizard

Colorado

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Mmmm...this is friggin' delicious. Poured from a bottle into a goblet, and let me first say, love the pinup-girl label. All beers should have pinup-girl labels. Gave it a good pour, and didn't get much of a head there, but what was there was densely formed by lots of tiny bubbles. For a wheat, not real cloudy (I even gave it a swirl at the end, which I think did absolutely nothing), but really nice light amber color. The nose is great, pine, candy, berry, definitely some sour yeastiness. Love it. Flavor is great, sweet but nice backing bitterness from the hops and alcohol. Mouthfeel is pretty perfect, light with a punch. Overall, this is a kickass beer. Totally worthy of the over-ten-bucks pricetag, and I will definitely get this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:12:15 | More by BeerWizard

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

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

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

Pours a cloudy murky bright pale orange color. Lovely color and a nice 2 finger head is present. Big hopped up grapefruit aroma. Also some tropical fruit, maybe pineapple on the aroma. The aroma is very inviting and is dominated by the hops. Low smooth bitterness with a sweet hoppy finish. Loads of hop flavor, very tropical, citrusy, and overall just fruity. Finishes with a pleasant sweetness as you still taste the hops and hop oils coating your tongue. Solid mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. I love this beer, it has a little of everything. Its hoppy with fantastic flavor and aroma, without being over bearing with the bitterness (not that bitterness is bad, it just works well for this). It drinks very well and I could always grab another after the first.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 18:18:28 | More by ShemRahBoo

mjhorn

Illinois

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours a fairly pale straw to golden yellow. Little head that disappeared quickly. Smell here is great, hops right there in your face with pine and pineappley citrus. Taste has a nice bitter kick with a slightly sweeter finish with bread and wheat notes. Slight peppery bite as well. Has a slightly heavier body than I expected from based on its color and pour, but fits right in with the flavor profile. Nice and refreshing beer, leaves just enough hoppy bite to make you want another sip and goes down very smooth. By the end of the glass the alcohol comes out just a tad. First beer by Lagunitas and I definitely want to check out some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 00:29:37 | More by mjhorn

tbraun1

Maryland

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

-12oz bottle into a pint glass-

A - Golden brown hefe color w/o the sediment cloud. Nice carbonation with a two finger head and nice lacing that hangs on the glass.

S - Nice hop kick to the nose but not overpowering followed by a lingering sweetness on the back end.

T - Hoppy but well balanced; The hops do take center stage but there is a nice yeasty flavor that comes through.

M - Feels great on the palate and was smooth to drink.

D - Very well balanced; not too hoppy/not too sweet. Easy to drink and would appeal to many different people. Def would have another.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 05:32:30 | More by tbraun1

jordanblaskey

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A:
Looks like your typical APA. Amber with a one and a half finger head that forms into a lovely froth driven ring. Nice bubble movement.

S:
A wonderful hop bouquet dominates the nose. You also pick out grapefruit, orange and pine.

T:
Citrus-like fruity hops. Bitter in the best way possible. Malt and slight pine on the backend. Small amount of alcohol heat. To say the absolute least: incredible.

M:
Medium to medium-heavy in the mouth. Perfect carbonation.

O:
I never thought I'd say it, but I think A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' may have dethroned Gumballhead for my favorite in this style, and that says a lot coming from a guy who would defend FFF to the death.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 08:09:59 | More by jordanblaskey

donovanneb

California

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

The category says American Pale Wheat Ale, but I would put this under the pseudo-IPA, really not supposed to be an IPA, but tastes, smells and feels like an IPA. Brimming with flavors and smells, everything is well made and refined. Excellent beer that I would definitely get again, but then again I have 5 more bottles to enjoy.

Maybe not as in your face as the Lagunitas IPA or left hook in your face with the Hop Stoopid, but definitely a step up from what I would consider a Pale Wheat.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 18:13:37 | More by donovanneb

TheFightingMongooses

New Jersey

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

Poured into a tulip.

Appearance: Nice glowing straw color. A half inch of lily white head lasts with sticky lacing all over the glass. Carbonation is nil; I can seriously count on one hand the number of CO2 bubbles rising through the brew at any given moment.

Smell: Very piney hops on the nose. As I inhale deeper, it turns into concentrated evergreen sap, with a little sweetness. Like a Christmas tree, very oily and perfumey. I like it!

Taste: Same hops in the nose dominate the taste. Bitterness is certainly there. The malt is lightly sweet and toasty, barely present enough to balance the beer and keep it interesting.

Mouthfeel: Sort of rough. Light to medium bodied. There is a bite/sharpness that is different from the typical hop bitterness. It is hard to explain, but it is definitely detrimental to the drinkability.

Overall: Well, I have had a 6 pack that has taken me almost a month to drink (this is 5 of 6) and this time was the most I enjoyed it. Granted, I'm drinking this immediately after I enjoyed a Sixpoint Resin, so my palate is presumably altered.

In general, I like the hop flavor but the bitterness is too much, or there is not the right malt sweetness to back it up. The quality is there, it's just not quite my taste. Not sure if I will get this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:26:05 | More by TheFightingMongooses

rev3rb

Virginia

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

Bottom Line Up Front: This is one of my favorites from Lagunitas. A very drinkable beer with wonderful hop flavors and aromas.

Decanted 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: A pale golden beer that has high clarity. Pours a beautiful head and nice sticky lacing around the glass.

Smell: floral hops, bread, something sweet. It just smells really good!

Taste: Citrusy hops with a good medium body and a light finish.

Mouthfeel: Right amount of carbonation and smooth feel on the palate.

Overall: A great beer to drink. I typically get this as a treat every so often since it is one of my favorites and typically a few dollars more than Sierra Nevada. A real good beer and I really like A Little Sumpin' Wild as well if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 20:30:30 | More by rev3rb

barondebourgogne

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Beautiful deep straw to light orange color with exceptional clarity for a wheat ale. Head disappated quickly for wheat. Did not have the expected foamy tight, white head.

Smell: Booming hops swirling with sweet malt in the aroma. Citrusy, piney and fruity. Loads of pineapple and ripe peach.

Taste: Here is where the wheat makes it appearance with a refreshing tart bite on the first sip that counters the malt backbone. Hops enter stage right behind that tartness, followed by a sweet, candy malt finish.

Mouthfeel: Hop bitterness, malt sweetness and wheat tartness battle for front stage on the tongue. A very unique and gratifying mouthfeel experience!

Drinkability: A unique and fun limited release from Lagunitas. A bit "big" all around for a summer ale. I would have enjoyed this more if the gravity was toned down so that I could enjoy on a hot summer day. Does not quench the thirst with a crispness as I would desire. Still a great beer that everyone should enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 01:40:00 | More by barondebourgogne

jduffy21

Pennsylvania

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

I like this American pale wheat... In fact it is my first. It pours a hazy golden yellow. The head is thick and sticks around all the way to the last sip. The smell is that of an american pale ale. There is a just enough hops, but not that big bite... Very pleasant and very drinkable. This went down fairly quickly. I want more of these. I thought this was a very unique tasting beer. If you like apa's and wheat beers this is a great choice .

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 01:23:53 | More by jduffy21

hrmhrm

California

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

Tastes like the wonderful bastard child of IPA meets summer lager. Incredibly complex while remaining light enough to enjoy on a hot day by the pool. Beautiful combination of hops and malt. I don't do the citrusy-melon-tarball-bootheel-plum thing, but to me too many Lagunitas brews are ruined by an overpowering taste of burned sugar. Not this one. A real classic. Best Lagunitas I've tasted thus far.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 01:25:57 | More by hrmhrm

pratyk

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz Bottle

Appearance: Clear, Amber colored ale with a moderately thick head.

Smell: Probably one of the best smelling beers out there. A nice tropical fruity aroma (Peaches / Pineapple) with some hoppy undertones.

Taste: Tropical Fruits + Citrus + Hops at first with a Malty finish that's on the sweeter side. Very good taste.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with medium carbonation. Does not feel like a 7.50Z% ABV beer. Very easy to drink and might I add, easy to over-drink if not careful :)

Overall: Great Great brew. Tastes and feels like an IPA but as easy to drink as a Wittbier. One word: Stunning!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 23:47:00 | More by pratyk

EA728

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear yellow with very little head.

S: Apples and oranges with a subtle grain/bread aroma

T: hoppy with a fruity feel. apples and citrus again. not too bitter, but could be called an IPA. didn't really enjoy the fruity flavors much

M: easy to drink, with average moderate carbonation.

O: better than average Wheat ale, nice hoppyness, but the fruityness ruined it for me. I would drink again if offered, but I wouldn't go buy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 16:54:18 | More by EA728

thebornotaku

California

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle in to a Lagunitas mason jar style pint glass for authenticity. It's how they serve them at the Lagunitas Tap Room and Beer Sanctuary, so that's how I'm gonna drink it!

Color is gold-amber. Minimal head because I pour deliberately to avoid head. A little cloudy, probably because it's a wheat beer.

Smell is hoppy. Very similar to their IPA in this regard. I don't know what kind of hops they use specifically but it does smell like the same kind in their IPA. I also pick off a good amount of wheat and citrus.

Taste is VERY good. Quick hops on the front, followed by the wheatiness in the middle and it finishes off with crisp citrus. Each note plays off the last and there's plenty of subtleties. Not excessively bitter given how well balanced it is. A lot more drinkable than their (lower IBU) IPA. The IPA is 50 something IBUs and this is 64.20, but this is way easier to drink. Sweet, cirtusy, wheaty, hoppy, and I'm picking off a little pine too. Absolutely wonderful.

Mouth feel is good, a little more body than their IPA, well carbonated and overall just pleasant.

Overall this one surprised me, it has a lot more citrus and wheat than the nose lets on and it's incredibly good. I was reluctant about trying it before because it costs $9.89 at my work but this beer is fantastic. Definately a Lagunitas brew because they did it proper with the hops, but also really flavorful and balanced. I feel like this beer would be just as "at home" next to the pool on a hot day as it would be with a nice meal or even sitting at your computer and just enjoying a beer. Versatile, complex and most importantly, delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 10:12:02 | More by thebornotaku

Beerevity

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

A - Pours a golden yellow with a white head. Plenty of bubbles rising in the glass long after the pour and great lacing.

S - Passionfruit and strawberry. The combination of wheat malt and hops aroma is utterly amazing.

T - Clean, fruity and slightly bitter with just the right malt backbone. A great change from your average IPA. I haven't ever tasted a beer in this category with such pronounced fruit flavors.

M - On the lighter side with great carbonation. Highly drinkable.

O - This is a wonderful beer and I'm glad I finally gave it a chance. I would have no idea it's a 7.5 on the ABV scale, it's very well hidden by the sensational flavor and drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 04:48:32 | More by Beerevity

buddha5050

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

Pouring out of a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Nice finger of white head that dissapated fairly quick. Nice golden amber in color with tiny bubbles streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

S: Citrus fruit, hops, stone fruit undertones, grassy nice all around scent.

T: First thing is a nice citrus taste, with a nice hops bitterness like you would expect from a beer like this. Nice carbination on the tounge.

M: Nicely carbinated, med mouth feel.

O: First time having this beer and I must say I realy enjoyed it. Nice and refreshing not overly hopped. Worth buying on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 01:14:31 | More by buddha5050

smittyjr

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Recently drank a bunch of Sumpin sumpin at the City Pages Beerfest in Minneapolis. Great beer, was one of the staples besides surly at the fest. The apperance was a golden orange, decent head. The smell was heaven, grapefruits and hops, with a little malt to it. Tastes just like it smells, grapefruit, hops, sweet finish, citrusy! Mouthfeel was slightly oily with a tiny bitterness. great american pale wheat ale. not much wheat to it which was surprising to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 01:53:22 | More by smittyjr

imwalle

Ohio

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

Appearance: Orange with a white one finger head.

Taste: HOPS. that is the first thing that comes to tongue. it is followed by a tropical note.

Smell: Hops yet again, like an IPA

Mouthfeel: Just like an IPA

Drinkability: a very drinkable beer that is slightly dry. i would love this beer in the summer or early spring.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 02:28:31 | More by imwalle

Triglycerides

Rhode Island

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

Pouring out of a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a golden colour with a two finger wide head which dissipated fairly quickly. Leaves brilliant lacing.

S: Nose dominated by a pleasant hoppy aroma. Somewhat resiny with citrus in the background as well.

T: Citrus is a bit more prominent than in the smell. Definitely a fair amount of west coast hops which provide a nice crispness to the beer. There's also a clean finish on the beer with lingering hops. Taste is rather difficult to throw into any singular category, although there's definitely nothing wrong with this one.

M: Feels nice and smooth, definitely makes you want to head for another sip.

O: A very spot-on beer I'll certainly be coming back for somewhat regularly. Definitely has great flavours for the value of the beer. As I said, this beer does not easily fall into a specific category, but it's certainly a great brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 23:04:01 | More by Triglycerides

xabyss

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Big three-fingered fluffy white head. Clear, golden body with sporadic traces of carbonation trickling to the surface. Superb head and lace retention.

S: Big, juicy pine hops. This is an "I love beer" kind of beer. It's big, bitter, fruity, hoppy and all sorts of fun. Somewhat sugary and candy-like. Not really picking up a lot of wheat. It's there, but I'm distracted by these wonderful hops. I wish I smelled like this beer.

T: Oh so wonderful. Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. Much more wheat here, but citrusy hops are still the dominant force. Perhaps not quite as bitter as the nose suggests, but palate-cleansing enough. Juicy orange and grapefruit intermingle with the wheat in nuanced ways. Finish has traces of wheat and pleasant bitterness.

M: My central complaint is that it goes down way too easy. I'm more than halfway through the bottle already as I write this line.

O: One of my favorites, and certainly my favorite wheat beer (in that it tastes like an IPA).

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:44:41 | More by xabyss