A Little Sumpin' Wild | Lagunitas Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Lagunitas Brewing Company
California, United States
lagunitas.com
Style: Belgian IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.80%
Availability: Summer
Notes / Commercial Description:
Fermented with the Westmalle yeast strain
72.51 IBU
Added by femALEist on 04-28-2010
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 3,540 | Reviews: 940
Reviews by ccrida:
More User Reviews:
3.28/5 rDev -20%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Very disapointed. Worst of the lil sumpin line
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Very disapointed. Worst of the lil sumpin line
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3.73/5 rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a stemmed glass a slight chill hazed burnt orange with a big blooming white head that settled very slowly into a creamy mass.The first thing I notice is a big blast of citric hop,I detect some Amarillo I believe,then the phenols come rollin in with some clove-like spice.I really wanted to like the flavors more but I couldnt get myself to,started out great with a shot of citric and aspirin-like hops,but the phenols take over with slight funk and spice.Alot of people like Belgian yeast flavor...I dont.I like the hop profile and its a well made beer,just not a Belgian yeast fan.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a stemmed glass a slight chill hazed burnt orange with a big blooming white head that settled very slowly into a creamy mass.The first thing I notice is a big blast of citric hop,I detect some Amarillo I believe,then the phenols come rollin in with some clove-like spice.I really wanted to like the flavors more but I couldnt get myself to,started out great with a shot of citric and aspirin-like hops,but the phenols take over with slight funk and spice.Alot of people like Belgian yeast flavor...I dont.I like the hop profile and its a well made beer,just not a Belgian yeast fan.
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4.2/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the Oak Cafe. Poured a golden-straw color, highly opaque and hazy with just about no light getting through anywhere but the very edges. Big, fluffy, white head that lasts quite a while, a nice characteristic of many Belgian styles; moderate lacing along the sides. Slightly floral and hoppy on the nose - a decent balance of bitter greens and sweet citrus. This smells like it's gonna be good.
The initial taste hits first with a sharp carbonation bite followed immediately by hops that stretch to the back of the palate; floral-like with a mild pine character, hops are certainly abundant here. Then comes the sweetness - super huge profile of fruits here, the heaviest being pineapple and grapefruit, with a mention going out to mango and pear. Phenolic warmth from the alcohol ties the citrus sweetness and hop bitterness together very well. The aftertaste comes around as the hops cut back through the sweetness to give a highly bitter and yeast-filled finish. Low malt flavors overall, but enough to balance out the hops, though they also have some help from the citrus and yeast. Medium-thick body with a bunch of carbonation.
This is a great beer, and a great American-made Belgian-style IPA. The hops are balanced very nicely with citrus, yeast, and a bit of malt while remaining highly bitter and pungent - truly a hard combination to pull off, especially this well.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the Oak Cafe. Poured a golden-straw color, highly opaque and hazy with just about no light getting through anywhere but the very edges. Big, fluffy, white head that lasts quite a while, a nice characteristic of many Belgian styles; moderate lacing along the sides. Slightly floral and hoppy on the nose - a decent balance of bitter greens and sweet citrus. This smells like it's gonna be good.
The initial taste hits first with a sharp carbonation bite followed immediately by hops that stretch to the back of the palate; floral-like with a mild pine character, hops are certainly abundant here. Then comes the sweetness - super huge profile of fruits here, the heaviest being pineapple and grapefruit, with a mention going out to mango and pear. Phenolic warmth from the alcohol ties the citrus sweetness and hop bitterness together very well. The aftertaste comes around as the hops cut back through the sweetness to give a highly bitter and yeast-filled finish. Low malt flavors overall, but enough to balance out the hops, though they also have some help from the citrus and yeast. Medium-thick body with a bunch of carbonation.
This is a great beer, and a great American-made Belgian-style IPA. The hops are balanced very nicely with citrus, yeast, and a bit of malt while remaining highly bitter and pungent - truly a hard combination to pull off, especially this well.
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4.7/5 rDev +14.6%
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.
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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.
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3.4/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On tap at Brixies in Brookfield Il. Served in a shaker pint glass.
It pours a crystal clear amber with a 1 finger cream colored head. A medium amount of lacing clings to the side of the glas
Tangerine and grapefruit hop flavors are upfront and present. They aren't as heavy as I remember in other Sumpin' variants. The Belgian yeast is also present throwing some apple and peach esters in there.
The taste makes me want to categorize this as a Belgian IPA. Very bright tropical hop flavors with the added complexity of the belgian yeast. It's pretty straightforward flavorwise but still a good example.
Cabonation is medium and the finish is nice and crisp. Decent drinkability.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On tap at Brixies in Brookfield Il. Served in a shaker pint glass.
It pours a crystal clear amber with a 1 finger cream colored head. A medium amount of lacing clings to the side of the glas
Tangerine and grapefruit hop flavors are upfront and present. They aren't as heavy as I remember in other Sumpin' variants. The Belgian yeast is also present throwing some apple and peach esters in there.
The taste makes me want to categorize this as a Belgian IPA. Very bright tropical hop flavors with the added complexity of the belgian yeast. It's pretty straightforward flavorwise but still a good example.
Cabonation is medium and the finish is nice and crisp. Decent drinkability.
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4.49/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Little Sumpin' has been one of my favorite ales for quite some time. Essentially an IPA, but basically a wheat beer, it straddles the classifications, creating a space all its own.
This version, however, is a step up. Subtle, very complex flavors, amazing drink-ability, a sneak-up-on-you ABV that you don't even notice. The only drawback is that it's not a year-round release.
" The nose is moderately woody, dusty white grape. Marshmallow. Rustic yeastiness. The taste is super dry. Peach, pear, white grape. Slightly hot finish, but pretty elegant. Not overly cloying. Nice. Crisp carbonation, medium body."
This is the kind of stuff which I will never write, as I am a beer drinker, not a beer connoisseur (actually I had to look up the spelling on that word). But I contend, nevertheless, based on 50 years of beer drinking experience, that this is one not to be missed.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Little Sumpin' has been one of my favorite ales for quite some time. Essentially an IPA, but basically a wheat beer, it straddles the classifications, creating a space all its own.
This version, however, is a step up. Subtle, very complex flavors, amazing drink-ability, a sneak-up-on-you ABV that you don't even notice. The only drawback is that it's not a year-round release.
" The nose is moderately woody, dusty white grape. Marshmallow. Rustic yeastiness. The taste is super dry. Peach, pear, white grape. Slightly hot finish, but pretty elegant. Not overly cloying. Nice. Crisp carbonation, medium body."
This is the kind of stuff which I will never write, as I am a beer drinker, not a beer connoisseur (actually I had to look up the spelling on that word). But I contend, nevertheless, based on 50 years of beer drinking experience, that this is one not to be missed.
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4/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Clear gold color with moderate carbonation and a nice head.
S - Nice spicy penols are the first think I noticed because I didn't read the label to see this was fermented with Belgian yeast. There is also a sweetness to the aroma with a little breadiness.
T - Tastes like a American IPA with an accent. The hops are there and up front in flavor, but you are also met with some sweet pear like flavor, and it ends with some grapefruit. Great hop flavors, the yeast adds some nice esters, and the bitterness is there but low key in comparison to all that hop flavor.
M - There is a sweetness there and it is thicker than I would expect from a Belgian Strong Pale as this is listed, but I would say it is more of an...Imperial Belgian Strong Pale hybrid something??? I like the feel and don't know if I would want it any thinner.
D - This is an interesting beer that I think would appeal to people who normally are not big Belgian fans, but still hits a note for those of us that really like the Belgian beers.
Interesting beer and another winner for Lagunitas.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Clear gold color with moderate carbonation and a nice head.
S - Nice spicy penols are the first think I noticed because I didn't read the label to see this was fermented with Belgian yeast. There is also a sweetness to the aroma with a little breadiness.
T - Tastes like a American IPA with an accent. The hops are there and up front in flavor, but you are also met with some sweet pear like flavor, and it ends with some grapefruit. Great hop flavors, the yeast adds some nice esters, and the bitterness is there but low key in comparison to all that hop flavor.
M - There is a sweetness there and it is thicker than I would expect from a Belgian Strong Pale as this is listed, but I would say it is more of an...Imperial Belgian Strong Pale hybrid something??? I like the feel and don't know if I would want it any thinner.
D - This is an interesting beer that I think would appeal to people who normally are not big Belgian fans, but still hits a note for those of us that really like the Belgian beers.
Interesting beer and another winner for Lagunitas.
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4.75/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.03/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nice beer. In a pint glass the beer was gold in color with a thick white fluffy head. There was a good amount of lace.
Earthy aroma, fruity and spicy. Sweet aroma. There was a strong hops presence.
Funky taste, yeasty and spicy. Apples. Still pretty hoppy.
I thought this was a very nice example of a Belgian IPA. Good balance between the yeast and the hops.
I'll drink this beer anytime.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nice beer. In a pint glass the beer was gold in color with a thick white fluffy head. There was a good amount of lace.
Earthy aroma, fruity and spicy. Sweet aroma. There was a strong hops presence.
Funky taste, yeasty and spicy. Apples. Still pretty hoppy.
I thought this was a very nice example of a Belgian IPA. Good balance between the yeast and the hops.
I'll drink this beer anytime.
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A Little Sumpin' Wild from Lagunitas Brewing Company
4.1
out of 5
based on 3,540 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bomber poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, A Little Sumpin wild is gold with a big white head that leaves heavy lace.
Smell is some citrus hops and sweet malt. Pale ale.
Taste is similar, mostly bready malt, moderate west coast hops. Wild? I wouldn't call it if it wasn't on the label. Underwhelming.
Mouthfeel is dry, medium bodied.
Drinkability is ok, it's certainly smooth for the ABV, I'd definitely not guess it's strength by taste or smell. As a pale ale, it's good. As a Belgian IPA, it's passable. With the boasting of the wildness, combined with the usual dankness of Lagunitas' IPAs, I'm disappointed. However, like all their beers, it's an exceptional value relative to it's peers.
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