Stone Levitation Ale

Sampled at Dark Lord Day 09. Thanks, Andy! Hop profile is intense. Smells of NW US hops. Smooth drink/malt profile with nice, crisp bitterness. At 4.4% ABV, this makes a nice session beer.

Dark amber colored with a lasting thick tan head that leaves quite a bit of lacing. Aroma is full of fresh, juicy hops, purple grape juice and some pine. Flavor pretty much follows the aroma, lots of citrusy hops, not a whole lot of malt to balance things out. A tad thin and metallic in the finish. I appeciate the attempt at a session ale from Stone, but this is way unbalanced. If I wanted an IPA, I would have bought one. (12 oz. bottle)

The low ABV confuses because the beer is full of flavor. Subtle malt and pleasant hops. The ideal session beer.

On tap alt Cole’s in Buffalo. Ambar colour with slight head and lacing. Slightly hoppy aroma. Hoppy slight malt falovour, noticeable carbonation. Bitter aftertaste.

16 ounce pint - $5.75 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia. Appearance: Clear, dark brownish-amber body with a smallish, fizzy, off-white head. Smell: Lightly toasted malt aroma and meager hint of dark caramel ushers in a pervasively earthy hop scents of citrus and even pine. Taste: Brief, fleeting upfront maltiness tasting of toast and dark caramel. Of note is the high attenuation, leaving essentially no sweetness remaining in the beer. Earthy hop profile along with tastes of citrusy grapefruit and pine (though only lightly). Medium-plus bitterness. We meet back up with the toast after the initial burst of bitterness as well as a vague nuttiness. Finishes expectantly dry with a light, lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Well, it’s definitely a hop-forward West Coast amber. Personally, I’d have preferred more (well, any) malt sweetness to temper the hop character. However, the 4.4% ABV is most appreciated!

12 oz bottle. Pours clear amber with foamy tan head. Aroma sweet and citrus hops. Taste bitter citrus hops and roasted malt with bitter finish.

Deep russet color. Hoppy nose, but not as in your face as many Stone beers. Body is light, but aroma hops once again shine through. Very little bitterness at the end. Very much like the Pale Ale, but without the bitterness. Nice beer.

12 oz bottle. pours a deep amber with an off-white, almost brownish head. Aroma is of malts, faint scent of grassy hops and pine. Body is light. Taste is malts, hops, pine, Not exceptionally bitter, but some in the finish. Not a lot in the finish really. Overall tastes like the other ales i’ve tried with a bit more of a pine note. Nothing spectacular but still quite good.