I recently had the surprise pleasure of enjoying a bottle of Lagunitas Brewery’s A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale.  This beer was one in a small selection of leftover bottles from a party that took place at my house which I, unfortunately, was unable to attend.  Presumably, these random beers belong to my father, since he hosted the party, but I have piratically commandeered them.  For posterity.  I’m happy to share my bounty with you, dear readers, by reviewing this delicious ale.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin Wild Ale

The July seasonal ale from the Petaluma, CA brewery poured a hazy light orange color with a large, but stunning head of creamy doughy fluffiness.  This head was gorgeous, and it’s lacing doubly so.  Each sip left a perfect ring of tight off-white bubbles creating what seemed to be a ladder leading down the inside of my glass; a ladder which I was currently descending into the depths of beer heaven.

Beauuuutiful...

However, before I took my first sip and discovered the glorious retention of this ale’s suds, I made sure to waft in the aromas.  The hoppiness came through clearly, which is not surprising for a beer with 72.51 IBU’s (International Bitterness Unit; 100 is the highest, and 72.51 is very high).  Forefront on the nose were strong fruit and citrus notes, very fresh and juicy.  Time to drink…

Amazing lace, how sweet the foam...

The high alcohol content of this beer (8.85%) must have been hiding back inside the bottle, because this brew was smooth and fruity with a pleasant medium mouthfeel.  The hoppiness wasn’t at all over-powering, and blended perfectly with the fruity maltiness.  The Belgian Westamalle yeast used in this beer bestows a fantastic lasting flavor that lingers on the palate long after a lucky drinker swallows.  This was a truly enjoyable beer, and enjoy it i did!  Were I to rate this beer, it would receive an A+.  I will definitely be scouring the fridge at hi-time wine for this wild ale come July…