Stone Levitation Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Amber Ale
Escondido, California USA

Bottle at home from BoE ... Copper off white head ... spicy hoppy nose ... big sweet pine and grapefruit hop ...very juicy ... nicely rounded and nice to see a good mid 4% ale from the US.

I was really looking forward to this beer after I found out the alky content, 4.4%! Smell is hoppy but looks like a decent rootbeer. Clear brew. Wow, very hoppy initially on the palate, more than I expected. I used to think that the alky brought out the hops but now I know better. However, it does lack the volatile bite so common with the higher alky hopped brews. There is hop bite but it is more appreciated without the alky burn. Interesting for somebody who really does not care for IPA or DIPA. Big bitter lingering hop finish. Comes across much more than 4.4%. Not real enjoyable but I can enjoy more this more than most high hopped brews.

Wow. This is fan-freakin-tastic. This is my new favorite. Hoppy as all get-out. Citrusy, hits hard,grapefruit not subtle at all. Not for the faint of heart. Deep end of the pool. If you don’t love this, then shame on you. Bottle from local grocer. Best ever.

Sample at KLCC microbrew festival. Light brown pour with a huge fluffy white head. Light citrus and spice aroma. Decent citrus hop and an okay caramel malty backing, but just too thin and lacking that certain something I want from my beers.

Pours brown with a nice amber hue and a thick white head. Aroma is very piney hops with a slight citrus note and a sweet malt breadiness. As it warms the caramel malt aroma is becoming much stronger. Flavor starts with a nice rich biscuit malt and a subtle nuttiness. Gains a much needed hop presence and picks up quite a strong hop character for an amber, to the point of finishing like an IPA which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The flavors definitely meld as it warms and it finishes fairly smooth but still hoppy. Medium body and moderate carbonation. This is a nice all around beer that a lot of people could enjoy as a modest hop and malt presence. Could be a nice pseudo session beer at 4.4 percent abv as well.

Pours a amber brown with a medium sized head. Aroma is of citrus and spice with flavors to match. The more I drank it the more I enjoyed it

Bottle. Pours deep brown with a thin white head. Particularly hoppy without too much bitterness. I was struck by the light palate, a little too thin and watery feeling in my mouth. A good beer for a warm summer night.

A deep, dark clear amber with a nose of malt and light floral hops. This beer tastes fresh with small amounts of malty sweetness and a crisp hop finish. Very tasty, refreshing, a true beginner’s beer or one in which to savor outside on a hot summer day. I wasn’t expecting too much because ambers are not a favorite style of mine, but Levitation is balanced and even leans on the side of hops.