Stone Levitation Ale

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

The best part about this beer is that it resembles a great IPA but is only 4.4%. A great feature if you like to have several! Nice rich dark amber color with a tan head. Tons of grapefruit and floral hops. Tastes is a combination of dark malt and bitter grapefruit, and the palate is refreshing and fruity. Excellent beer overall.

Pours a slightly hazy ruby with no head and a lovely hoppy sweet aroma. Plenty of sweet malt flavour, oily hop but without the bitterness, and an odd chinotto-like cola finish. Quite carbonated, thin body. Not sure what to make of this... not really roasty at all, plenty of citrus but no bitter kick to the hops. Interesting beer, I will have to try it again.

A deep amber color a very consistent color all the way through. A light tan head forms on top, a half inch high, lacing slowly down the glass. A strong grassy and pine fragrance stands out from the glass. That is followed by a slight sweet malty scent. A bread, malt and cracked grain flavors starts out the taste. That is followed by the grass and pine flavors, bringing a tobacco flavor at the end. A strong grassy hop flavor lingers, long after each taste. A medium bodied feel, that gradually gains weight slightly, finishes with mild dryness. This may be the most hop flavored session beer I have had, period. The colorful and enticing look, along the unforgettable aroma and intense flavor, make this the hop heads choice for a session beer.

The following are notes from the tasting session: two hours into it: Yeah... now this is much more like it.... finally a beer that is well above all others today. Nose is fruity an reeks of hops. Big bodied and rich. Hard to tell at this point how big this critter is since it is my 10th or so beer. But the balance between the nose body and finish is quite delightful....candidate for kegerator ifn I can find it.

Dark golden brew with a thin antique white head, lots of roasted malt in the bouquet, very hoppy flavor, fairly dry, quickly dissipating malt on the finish

poures out dark oarnge with a dark maroon body and a finger thick white head. there is some lacing but its not sticking and the head is staying steady. the smell is soft but has a nice hop aroma that is breaking through. nice maltiness with a hoppy bitter semi sweet aftertaste that is mellow and doesnt linger on. very drinkable and an every day drinker type of beer.

Poured an attractive clear amber color with a dense, creamy tan head. Good lacing. Aroma is of citrusy hops and sweet caramel malts. The flavor follows suit. Noticed a bit of sour twang on the backside that was a bit unpleasant. Mouthfeel was on the thin side and it was very a very drinkable effort. Tasted like Stone. If that makes sense.

On tap, at first I thought it was very close to a ruination ale, but i could soon tell why this ale does not get a higher rating. The hoppiness is great, usual of Stone, but then there is this malt kick at the end that leaves the finish too sweet. One of those beers that tastes great at first and your really sick of by the end.