A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' is an American Wheat Ale by the Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, CA.

American Wheat Ales cover a broad range of flavor profiles. Their ancestor is the German Hefeweizen, but for the most part the American versions have gone in various directions away from the standard German flavors like banana and cloves.

Beers like Coors' Blue Moon, Lost Coast's Great White, North Coasts' Blue Star are perfect examples.


Every July Lagunitas releases A Little Sumpin' Wild, which takes the flavors of Sumpin' Sumpin', adds more malt and Belgian yeast and creates a bigger version at 8.7% ABV. Over the years there have been various plays on the theme - A Little Sumpin' Extra, A Little Sumpin' Fuzzy, A Little Sumpin' Pale, A Little Sumpin' Stoopid, and A Little Sumpin' Weizen.

I got this fresh off the line from the Lagunitas Brewery. It has an ABV of 7.5%.

The beer pours a clear golden color with a thin fizzy white head that leaves nice lacings. The aroma has strong fruit and light floral hops. The taste hits you upfront with deep fruity and floral hops, followed by a gentle hop bite and crisp wheat finish. The finish is slightly dry, but light and refreshing. There is a slight lingering wheat taste that pops up a bit. The mouthfeel is medium light with good carbonation.

Overall, this is a very good beer. It's simple and straightforward, but full of flavors packed in a light body. This is essentially a lighter IPA. This is a very different Wheat Ale. Same great hop flavor, but more crisp, refreshing and light. You can't even tell it's a wheat beer until the very end, and even then its masked. I tend not to like strong wheat flavors, so this flavor profile works for me. I suggest you Try It.