Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Extra

The other day I wrote about the investment deal between Firestone Walker and Duvel, and mentioned that outside of a few vocal opponents most beer lovers have accepted these deals as part of the modern industry. A notable exception to this trend occurred this month when Lagunitas announced that they were selling a partial stake in their brewery to Heineken, which resulted in outcry and even mockery from many in the beer community. A part of the outcry is due to the purchasing brewery, while Duvel is known for making a number of well-respected beers Heineken is known for their eponymous beer and Amstel Light, which are ummm, less well regarded by most beer snobs. A much more significant issue brought up by many on social media were previous tweets by Lagunitas owner Tony Magee ripping other brewers for “selling out”. I have no problem with the Lagunitas deal itself, but I completely understand why Magee is being called out for his hypocracy. This stands as a good reminder that everything you post online lives on, so be careful what you say/tweet/post. Lost in all of the noise is the reason why I won’t boycott the breweries that sell to big beer, most of these breweries make high quality beers. One of Lagunitas’ most popular releases is Little Sumpin’ Extra, a bigger version of their flagship Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ ale. Little Sumpin’ Extra is a double IPA with a twist, it’s brewed with a generous helping of wheat along with mounds of hops. It is available in the late summer/early fall on draft and in 12 oz. bottles.

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' ExtraLagunitas Little Sumpin’ Extra pours a deep hazy orange with a moderate white head. The scent is a mixture of floral hops and a little booze. The beer is hop-forward, notes of lemon, pine, grass and orange along with a solid hit of bitterness. This is balanced by a full malt body, touches of whole wheat bread, caramel and some alcoholic sweetness. You know this is a bigger beer right away, there is no effort to hide the 8.5% ABV, but it still drinks relatively easily. The finish leaves a little bite on the tongue, from both the hops and the booze. Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Extra is an interesting beer, mixing a large dose of wheat malt with DIPA level booze and hops, worth a try if you are a fan of those styles. Hoppy Boston score: 4.0/5.

Previous Lagunitas Reviews:

Lagunitas Day TimeLagunitas Night TimeLagunitas Sucks

Leave a comment