Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Petaluma, California USA

Intense floral hops. Lots of bitterness. Intense alcohol. Intense taste. Loved it.

Really captures all the goodness of hops, almost has a fresh hoppyness to it. I am a fan of DIPAs without the extra malt/ grossly overhopped IPAs and this is perfect for that style. Hop flavor has a sticky/citrus flavor. Lagunitas knows how to use hops to the fullest and they did in this brew.

Pour is nice with a sparkling clear, orangey-copper color with a moderately full, white, creamy, fluffy head which is moderately lasting and leaves some drippy lace. Nose is hoppy... notes of pepper, bitter oranges, light floral and herbal notes, some honeyed breads, and a bit of tangerine peel. Flavor is similar with moderately high bitterness and light, underlying malts; notes of the same pepper dominance, very citrusy with bitter orange peels and tangerines, lighter notes of floral, honeyed breads, and hints at mint and herbal notes. Palate is light to medium, lively, and refreshing, and a bit watery. Finishes somewhat short, still spicy but with some of the bitterness and citrus notes disappating. I have seen quite a few of these beers recently, Mighty Arrow from New Belgium, and St. Lupulin from Odell’s; a light, honeyish malt base and a ton of finishing hops. Not really the bittering hops of an IPA but that is not to say that this was not bitter, more like an over-hopped, light APA with an increased ABV. I do like the beer, but something in the flavor seems to be a bit offputting, I just cannot pinpoint what that is...

12oz bottle via Chris C-Pours a hazy amber with a large compact off white head. Nose is citrusy and subdued. Taste is spicy...pepper, perfumegrapefruit, orange rind. Astringent metallic aftertaste with a very very dry finish. High carbonation, medium body. Over-rated.

A vigorous pour produces an almost three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The beer is a pretty, red copper color that shows a brilliantly clear, bright copper color when held up to the light. The aroma is nice and hoppy, fresh, citrusy and with a touch of raw herbal notes that is quite nice. There is a touch of malt backbone in the nose as well, supporting crystal malt character provides a hint of caramel and there is a nice, toasted malt towards the finish. The hops contribute aromas of tangerine, candied citrus peel as well as some tropical fruit notes; the hop fruit notes seem to become more noticeable as time goes on too.

Lightly sweet tasting, but with a biting hop character from the get go. This is fairly smooth for all its hoppiness, especially up front. The lingering finish has a clean, biting, though not overwhelming, big bitterness that really lingers on the tongue. A touch of peppery carbonation and a light body (with just enough heft to carry the ample hops) make this quite the quaffable IPA; almost more of an over-the-top hoppy Pale Ale. A touch more aggressive hop character provides notes of pine, a touch of menthol, and just a touch of dank, raw hop flavor. This definitely has a nice balance of hop flavors to it; I like that the citrus / fruit notes dominate with notes of tangerine, bergamot, lots of lychee and floral tropical fruit flavors.

This really needs to be in a bigger bottle, a 12oz bottle of this is not nearly enough. Quite tasty and a nice surprise, this sits nicely as a quite drinkable beer from this brewery along with Hop Stoopid.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Tap at Rattle n Hum: Slight haze to the effervescent golden pour topped by a white film of head. Fresh aroma- straight forward cascade/centennial herbaceousness with mild pale malt undertones. A bit prickly in carbonation (I’d prefer less CO2) Decent flavor- it does have a touch of saccharine like suggestions in it’s sweetness with a citric hop character. Some perfumy orange notes and a mild cookie malt background. Not bad.

Bottle from 3 Sons. Very fragrant hops, golden cloudy color, not much head or hops but fragrance and taste were great, with a hint of Belgian

Goof earthly pine and floral notes on the nose. Orange body with thin white head. Good grapefruit flavor with some sticky cirtus resin lingering on palate. Cool and crisp on palate. Good refreshing brew.