A Little Sumpin' Wild - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Butzen

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I'm tickled pink to see yeast treated here essentially as an ingredient -- just as some breweries take one of their existing beers and barrel-age it or add organic fair-trade dark-chocolate-covered coffee beans to it, Lagunitas took its tried-and-true A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale hoppy wheat wort and fermented it with the tried-and-true Westmalle yeast strain.

The result is an educational but also super tasty beverage with a fluffy white head on top of a sparkling deep-gold body. The aroma has what I call the "Lagunitas pop" of malt sweetness, but in this case it also holds a big, citrus hoppiness, plus some banana and coconut and Belgian-y spice notes. I also pick up what I can only describe as "wing sauce," but maybe that's just because I'm hungry.

The flavor has a wave of sugary, sweetbread malt up front, immediately followed by a citrus-y hop kick and some clove and fresh-ground pepper, finishing dry with a lingering bitterness. Tropical fruits, Belgian waffles, white peppercorns and medicinal phenols all make an appearance as well, though it's not really clear where the spicy/fruity hop flavors end and the spicy/fruity yeast flavors begin. In fact, this beer's seamless integration of the complementary and contrasting wheat, malt, hop and yeast flavors is nothing less than exceptional.

Read the full review with photos at http://vittlesandbrews.blogspot.com/2012/11/lagunitas-little-sumpin-wild-ale.html

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:01:05 | More by Butzen

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: Lightly hazed yellow orange color. Two and a half fingers of off-white creamy/frothy head. The retention is initially average, but the last finger is quite stubborn. Some irregular lacing. Small particulates floating uniformly throughout.

4.5 S: Tons of pineapple in this. Just tons. Peach, orange, and tangerine follow. Herbal hops. Good amount of phenolic clove and to a lesser extent pepper. There's also a sweet, candy like aroma in here not too much unlike peach rings. Very nice!

5.0 T: Good god is this tasty! The pineapple is a big player again, along with peaches in heavy syrup, Sunny D, and a thick citric fruit smoothie. Less clove than in the nose, but perhaps a bit more pepper. The Belgian yeast funkiness comes through well in the taste and works extremely well with the hop flavors. It's both earthy and exceptionally fruity and it works surprisingly well together. Bitterness is very low for how hoppy this is. A near masterpiece.

5.0 M: The mouthfeel is damn good as well. Medium to heavier medium body. Good spritzy carbonation from the yeast and awesomely creamy from the hops. Super smooth.

4.5 D: I never had this fresh, but I can't imagine it ever tasted better than it does now. Simply fantastic. This would be a damn tasty IPA by itself, but the Belgian character shines through and complements the hops better than I ever would have imagined. By all means, this is a Belgian IPA and easily the best one I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 01:18:47 | More by DavoleBomb

BB1313

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a bright transparent golden, small fading white head and decent lacing. Ok, the nose is spectacular. It's a fight between funky dank hops and belgian yeast, love it! The flavors match, tons of fruity hops, lots of pungent grapefruit and smooth bitterness. Lots of tropical notes as well. The belgian influence doesn't go forgotten in the flavors.. but it takes a backseat to the hops. Kinda spicy. Mouthfeel is good, very smooth and easy drinking. This one gets even better as it slightly warms. Very addicting beer, hard to stop drinking! I'd put this in the Belgian IPA category, and it's probably the best one I've had to date.

I love how everything Lagunitas brews is really just a IPA/DIPA in disguise! ;)

Funky dank hops and the Westmalle yeast makes this a pure winner.

Truly an amazing beer, it seems they raised the abv a tad from last year, but just as tasty, maybe even better.. dank! get some!

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 00:52:57 | More by BB1313

Dingalls123

California

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Finally felt compelled to review a beer on here. I'm a So Cal IPA guy with a taste for doubles and barleywines. Grabbed this sixer cause I like lagunitas and liked the standard sumpin sumpin. But this thing... Whoa, Great beer. Depth of flavor, sweet bitterness and balanced finish are Fabulous. I think Belgians would like this $hit.

Last one. Hope you enjoyed it too. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 06:54:43 | More by Dingalls123

MadScientist

New York

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Gold with excellent clarity. The head is rocky and white with a better than average retention time, leaving a a fine lacing on the glass.

S: Sumpin' Wild smells like a hoppy christmas with orange and peach like esters, pepper and light clove phenols and resinous and citrus hops dominate the aroma. There is a moderately-light sweet malt aroma and a light perfume-like alcohol aroma.

T: This tastes as great as it smell having the citrus and piney hops up front with a very high hops bitters and just enough malt sweetness for support. The orange and peach like esters fall behind the peppery phenols in the the taste. The balance is firmly bitter with a lingering hops bitterness and soem alcohol sweetness in the aftertaste.

M: A medium bodied beer with a medium-high carbonation. There is a noticeable alcohol warmth in the throat.

O: The is an excellent Belgian IPA having all the hops flavor, bitterness and malt support I love from the Lagunitas usual line up while adding the fruit and spice from the Belgian yeast. This would be a great beer to enjoying as a compliment to some bold Thai or Indian curry.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 20:31:35 | More by MadScientist

carlborch

Michigan

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a brilliant, medium-deep gold color with a barely perceptible haze. Off-white, creamy, 1-inch head forms, settles slowly, but persists at 1/4 inch. Beautiful, well-developed Belgian lace after each sip. The nose intermingles yeasty notes with distinct hops, tropical fruit, citrus, wood, and cloves. Light and delicious on the palate with excellent balance that hides the 8.8% ABV, but don't be fooled. The ABV is there! Lingers well but leaves a clean palate with hints of hop flavors, hop-bitterness, citrus, and cloves. Moderate carbonation with tiny bubbles. Expected more sourness given the "wild" descriptor, however, it is delicious! The moreishness increases as it rises to/above cellar temperature. Would be excellent with rich or fatty foods needing to be balanced with the increasingly evident hop.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 18:05:28 | More by carlborch

dedrinker

Kansas

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Golden color with a poofy white head.

Aromas of sweet grassy floral hops and fruity esters that reveal more Belgian yeast character as the beer warms up.+

All the great floral, tropical fruity, hoppiness that Lagunitas is known for dressed on a great tripel's yeasty esters of bananas and spice. This is in my book what a belgian tripel/ IPA hybrid should have been tasting like from the get-go, but I have not tasted until now - all the others have been garbage disappointments - clumsy hop profiles over alcoholic fizziness. The category has been vastly over-rated until now. This is it. Full 5 on flavor. I don't give them often. Even when I detected the alcohol taste it seemed to marry well with the hops and fruity yeasty esters so perfectly.

Medium bodied silky mouth feel that incites groans and moans as the flavors cruise in this velvet Cadillac over your tongue.

Greta drinkability. Sorry if you don't feel the same way.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 18:05:22 | More by dedrinker

aptea110

Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Upon trying Lil sumptin wild i was more then pleased by it! The smell of it was delicious hints of citrus and pineapple, the first taste was even better and was very drinkable even at 8.85% aloc. This has easily become a constant Brew that is in my fridge at all times! Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 13:48:20 | More by aptea110

schoolboy

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow. loved Little Sumpin Sumpin for its' unique mix of tastes. This is even better (maybe). It's different in that sticks to a single style better. I wonder which came first.

The two Littles are probably my favorites from one of my favorite brewers (I find most of their brews exceptional). This one has a great dark, yeasty taste, with more hopps than some of this style. Everything about it works quite well for me.

The booziness is well stashed under all the other goodness, but I dinged it a little for mouthfeel since I don't think I could drink more than a couple before being overcome by too much taste and alcohol.

Woo hoo. Another one that I truly love.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 23:28:03 | More by schoolboy

jizfiasco

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber to pint.
Tried this beer at brewtopia in chelsea last week and knew it was something I had to have again. Picked up a bomber and it was just as I had remembered near excellence. Poured bright gold like carbonated motts apple juice. Head was prominent but faded fast leaving a lasting film on the beer and glass. Carbonation level is perfect - just enough. Smells like an imperial IPA with mild malt backbone. But taste is totally different. Hops hit you but not as some high IBU bears this one is in the 70s but so complex you cant complain. As the taste settles you get the caramel flavor which if you look at the beer it seems to pale to have. Piney hops not very citrusy which I loved. Aftertaste is sugar coated grass and a slight alcohol sting. This beer is one of my top 5.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 19:08:26 | More by jizfiasco

BrewBra

Connecticut

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden Orange, a little lighter than I expected. Medium clarity.

S: Heavy Hop smell, very very nice.

T: The Westmalle yeast mixed with this IPA creates a delicious beer. Floral and citris flavors are very noticeable. Good dose of malt. Not a real boozy taste for being 8.8%.

D: Very drinkable. A beer that I really enjoyed. One of the best IPA/Belgian crosses I have had.

This beer is sweet I will surely be buying these in the future. Well balanced and tasty !

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 22:09:09 | More by BrewBra

Jemonster

California

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Orange gold body with off white head. Small bubble carbonation.

S: Smells like caramel and orange creamsicle. Malt and sugar.

T: Ripe orange sweetness, malt, brown sugar, and a little bit of hops.

M: Creamy and smooth, slightly tingly from the carbonation.

D: It's strong at 8.85% abv so it can't be a 5, but it's delicious! I want to keep drinking it even though it builds a buzz quickly. A great beer from one of my favorite breweries.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 02:22:09 | More by Jemonster

hosehead83

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a "bomber" bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear, tawny-gold in color, with a moderate head of eggshell-white foam.
Aroma-Fruity, spicy hop notes
Taste-Spicy hops, Belgian funk note, orange zest, nice hop bite throughout. Very well-balanced hops and Belgian spice. A bright, tangy, snappy very tasty brew. Highly recommended. Get some!!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 15:25:49 | More by hosehead83

jsdunlop

North Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a golden-amber with a sticky, frothy and full off white head. Excellent lacing after each sip. Smell consists of intense pine notes, grapefruit rinds, and just a touch of alcohol. Taste begins with toasted malt character, followed by a wave of caramel sweetness. Spicy resinous hops then barrage the palate, bringing those pine and grapefruit characteristics into full swing, with some lighter citrus notes tailing behind. Sweetness lingers around with this brew, lots of brown sugar and caramel noted. The finish is moderately bitter with just a slight alcohol presence noticeable. Hops leave a lasting impression on the tip of the tongue. The mouthfeel of this one has a lighter feel to it, much more than expected. Oily resinous hops leave a slick coating and the carbonation is moderate. Overall, this brew is super smooth. There is hardly any alcohol noticeable due to the seemingly intense focus on hop character. This beer is dangerously drinkable and affordable.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 05:19:55 | More by jsdunlop

cjgator3

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle

A- Poured into a snifter. Pours a nice golden orangish color with an off-white head with good retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is fantastic! A lot of tropical fruit in the nose with some spices and citrusy hops. The Belgian yeast strain is prevalent in the nose as well.

T- The taste like the aroma is very fruity with some malt up front. A lot of fruity citrus flavors in the taste too with a hint of spices good dose of citrusy hops in the finish. Wow, this is a great beer.

M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, this is one of the more enjoyable beers that I have had lately. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 03:38:52 | More by cjgator3

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright, golden orange colour and is topped by a two centimetre tall, foamy white head that has very good retention for such a strong beer; it lasts for a good couple minutes.

Pine hops and a sweet, yeast like aroma. There is yet more floral hops and a very fruity smell (pineapple and apricots along with a hint of orange and citrus).

Hop filled taste to this one to begin with, mainly floral with some light pine. There is also a lot of fruit present, some citrus and orange along with some apricot.

Strong carbonation levels & medium body and plenty of bitterness. There is a good, hop infused bitter finish and a nice sweet quality to it overall.

An amazing beer.The nose was outstanding and the taste was about the same, there is nothing I can say to fault this beer.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 09:34:01 | More by flyingpig

kdawg978

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is now one of my favorite beers This was the first time I have tried it. It is a limited release and I suggest giving it a go!

A - Clear yellow/gold with good head and lacing with a good bit of carbonation.

S - Citrus, mostly orange, with hints of vanilla and pine.

T - A nice hoppy and citrus front with a nutmeg and vanilla finish, great taste with subtle alcohol in the end. If I didn't know it was 8.8 I would have never guessed!

M - creamy feel. Feel thicker than it is.

O - One of the better IPA of any category that I have had. I will buy up the remaining bombers at my local store. I feel it is a hands down must try for any IPA connisseuor!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 22:13:00 | More by kdawg978

GJ40

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled on tap at the Raleigh Times in Raleigh, NC.

A - Gold and clear with a moderate head. Lots of lacing.

S - Loads of hop aroma with tropical fruit and grapefruit.

T - Hop oils with a citrusy bitterness and tropical fruit. There's some malt presence and a hint of Belgian yeast but the hops dominate. The alcohol is pretty well hidden.

M - Oily and thick with a moderate carbonation.

D - A fantastic hop explosion. I followed up the first with a second.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 14:57:53 | More by GJ40

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

650ml bomber.

It pours an orangeish gold with a tightly foamed white head that has a whispy top. It sticks for a good while and it finally recedes to some nice lacing.

The smell is awesome, it is nice and hoppy with a lot of citrus and a hint of herbs with a blast of spicy Belgian yeast. There is a bit of pineapple and sugar too.

It packs some flavor. It is nicely hoppy, but not overly bitter. It has some lemon rind, some orange, and some tropical fruit. A hint of pine comes in at the end. It carries a level sweetness throughout. The yeast isn't as prevalent in the flavor but it does add an extra oomph to an already great tasting beer. The yeast gets more prevalent as it warms.

The mouthfeel has a very active and prickling carbonation which i think works extremely well in this case. It has a medium body and is extremely drinkable.

This is one damn fine beer, hopefully it gets continued.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 05:39:39 | More by crossovert

zander4dawin

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - A great sticky head with an illuminous light amber body.
Smell - The Belgian yeast creates a spicy aroma that pairs well with the scent of the sweet malt body and floral hop notes.
Taste - An extremely complex beer. The Belgian flavors are up front and mouth coating with a snappy hop bite followed by a light fruity aftertaste.
Mouthfeel - Good crisp body and feel, works well with the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 16:16:44 | More by zander4dawin

PeteRock

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As if the original 'LITTLE SUMPIN' wasn't good enough...Lagunitas drops this bomb on us!!!

This beer has a caramel hued amber color to it almost identical to more mass produced ambers and a violent pour will not produce much more than a 1 & 1/2 finger head. The smell is of lightly roasted malts piney/orr citrus hops and maybe molases.
This is in a catagory all its own just like the original.

The taste is phenomenal and can almost be catagorized as a desert beer. Definitely not a session drinker for me.

THis beer is complex right to the border of barleywine country but it stops right there and lets you enjoy another one or two without knocking you out like other intense brews.

This is a winner for sure that will appeal to many differnet tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 15:41:47 | More by PeteRock

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottom line, delicious brew. Not a BSPA though.

A - The brew is an amber-gold hue, bold and translucent, with a looming crown of whipped white froth. The head falls quickly, leaving a smattering of lace that resembles intermittent snow.

S - As I encounter the brew, I harken to my first experiences with dank West Coast IPAs and the like. In other words, this beer makes an impression on me like SN Pale Ale did in, say,1993. There is a tremendous amount of confrontational and aggressive hoppiness; plenty of citrus, grapefruit and pine suggest a classic WC bitter hop bomb, in spite of the Belgian style association.

T - The taste delivers the humulin beatdown that the aroma suggests. The flavor is incredibly dank in a cannabis-like way. Grapefruit, pine, cedar and catty notes are discernible, but they generally form like Voltron to make a Cali-kind-ness. The pale malt backing makes nary a peep.

M - Sporting a weight-viscosity that is substantially skinnier and less sticky than your average IPA/DIPA, this brew is a real winner. Very creamy and light feeling for an 8.5% hop bomb.

D - The combo of ridiculously delicious hoppiness and the very high ease of imbibement due to sheer delectabilty makes this brew a dangerously desirable quaff.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 01:37:29 | More by ktrillionaire

hoplover82

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow! This beer is so good! But one thing to say in critique of this beer is that it seems to me like they used there house yeast, 002. I don't get much of the westmalle really. It has that same "Lagunitas" yeasty goodness flavor to it, which isn't bad, but I'd like to get the westmalle more imo. Note-looks like it's bottle conditioned...

A-Pours a crystal clear light rust color and the bubbles slowly rise to the top, letting you know that this beer isn't playing around. A creamy white persistant head leaves very sticky, beautiful lacing down the glass. Very alluring appearance fo sho.

S-Man I love the hop profile in this beer. After a good swirl in my sniffer glass, I get HUGE PUNGENT floral hops. Some alcohol, (could use a little aging I guess... I also get cedar wood from the hops! Now that is a nice note to have. I rarely get that from hops... The malt profile is sweet with mainly bready malts in the nose. Very aromatic, in yo face. This one is not shy at all!

T-The flavor is much like the aroma, first with a huge palate wrecker of pungent floral resinous hops along with a hefty/chewy bitterness to boot! The malts here are bready as well as sweet milky caramel sweet.

M-The mouthfeel is so milky/creamy and sweet. Huge body with a dry, crisp hoppy bitter finish, like it should be. The carbonation is medium to low, perfect!

D-This beer, being this large is exceptionally drinkable. I highly recommend this beer for any craft beer lover.

Note-my palate and nose are clean and in good order. I wonder why I'm not getting a lot of the westmalle esthery notes described in other reviews... Don't know, hmmm. Bit this was a darn good beer fo sho.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 01:00:43 | More by hoplover82

chickenflea

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer is tangerine orange color with a deep cream-colored head. Excelllent lacing and retention. The bear is slightly cloudy.

The aroma is nicely hoppy; with a orange peel dominating. The yeast and malt aromas are muted with the yeast slightly more noticeable than the malt. A hint of clove adds some complexity to the hop character.

The beer is lightly sweet with an ample citrusy hop fruitiness up front. But the complexity of this beer is a wonder. As the palate settles, I find juicy fruit bubble gum and bread. The finish has just a hint of clove and other spices.

Body is bordering on heavy. Texture is sticky and oily.

This beer is immensely drinkable. The complexity of the finish brings me back to the glass again and again. Although the texture is substantial, it is in no way overbearing. The beer reminds me of the Stone Begi-Calique with a reduced yeast profile. I liked that beer quite a bit as well, if I remember correctly. This beer is excellent. It combines two of my favorite styles: American IPA and Strong Belgian ales. Good job Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 18:14:02 | More by chickenflea

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-orange gold, good amount of white head

S-Absolutely the best smelling beer I have ever had...mmm getting a large presence of orange and hops. its a fairly strong scent. its quite a joy to sit down and just smell it.

T-wow this is just a great, great beer. hits with really tasty hops. they're very strong and crisp. it leaves with an almost creamsicle like taste to it. it has a real good bitterness at the end, its not too bitter.

M-medium carbonation. very creamy...just beautiful

D-very, i could have lots of this and i do want lots of this right now. its a great beer

Serving type: on-tap

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2010 05:53:01 | More by AdamBear