Lagunitas’s new summer seasonal, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, was so mouth-watering that it left all of us wanting more when the supplies ran out last month. Well that is exactly what Lagunitas gave us when they released A Little Sumpin’ Extra earlier this week. When we asked our waiter at dinner last night if he’d like to share some of the bomber with us, he was enthusiastic and let us know that he really had wanted to try this one at Brixie’s Beer Bar a few weeks ago, but the keg had blown before he got the chance to enjoy it. We explained to him that A Little Sumpin’ Extra is not the same as A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, it is in fact an entirely different beer. Nevertheless, we were all excited to try something new from one of our favorite breweries.

Besides coming from a 22oz bomber and having the word extra in the name, not much seems different when eyeing the two beers. The same good looking cartoonish girl sits atop the word sumpin’ , while Lagunitas’s trademark dog makes an appearance underneath. But when you observe the fine print and realize that the extra version is 8.74% ABV as compared to 7.7%, it quickly becomes apparent that this beer will be an entirely different experience. Despite what many may think, that 1% ABV can cause a world of difference.

A citrusy, tropical fruit nose teases the palate. Sweet malt, piney hops, and a hint of bubblegum are also detectable in the nose. A quarter inch of head leaves impressive lacing throughout the experience. The taste is an explosive blend of melon, pineapple, and grapefruit combined with a faint sweet malt backbone. These flavors dissolve into mellow hops as they arrive at the back of the throat, as you are left with a placid bitter coating of the palate. One from our group marveled at the difference in flavor profile as the beer traveled from the front to the back of the mouth.

I’d like to jump back to the juxtaposition between the Sumpin’ Sumpin’ and the extra version for a moment. The original Sumpin’ Sumpin’ was a hopped up wheat beer, while none of us detected wheat in the extra. The extra also lacked a lemon zest flavor that the original release flourished in, but the extra excelled in the other tropical flavors, like the above mentioned melons and pineapples. While both beers are reminiscent of one another, both are spectacular in their own unique ways.

Lagunitas seems to continue to impress just about everyone, and it comes as no surprise that their latest beer is on the road to being a huge hit. On top of that, just about every Lagunitas 22oz bottle is only $4.49, a price that is a far cry from some of the more expensive breweries. When it comes to a value buy, the Lagunitas bombers are second to none (especially when Ted puts them on sale for $3.49, wink wink.) So we appeal to all the hop heads, Lagunitas fans, and all beer lovers: Do yourself a favor and go pick up a bottle of A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Extra before it is too late.