I think that the issue that I have with many west coast beers is hops. Now don't get me wrong, I love hops, but not beers that blast you with hops for hops sake. Most are so bitter and astringent that they immediately dry your mouth and pucker your face, making it difficult to drink more than one, or two at the most. Lagunitas is one of the breweries that I have always kind of liked their products, but really though of as kind of a one trick pony "What kind of beer do you want to make next?" "I don't care just as we dump a shit load of hops in it". 
Little Sumpin' Wild goes a long way toward making me want to give them a second look. This clear golden ale pours with a head that persists for a bit and leaves nice lacing on the glass. The smell has the piney, floral notes that you expect with a hoppy beer, but you can also smell the bananas from the Westmalle yeasts and the malts. Of course the first thing you taste is the hops, bitter and strong, but with a nice follow of sweetness and maltiness, the hops become prevalent again on the finish. The flavor of the beer completely hides the high alcohol content, so be careful. I would say that this is more like a Belgian IPA than the typical west coast double IPA, with much more balance than you usually find in a west coaster, but true balance is still not there, it is still too hoppy to be a great beer. A decent beer all in all and probably more enjoyable on a hot summer day.
Lagunitas Brewing Company
1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA 94954
http://www.lagunitas.com/home.html
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