Levitation Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

LyonsHead

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Amber in the finest since of the word with a perfect 1 finger head and some of the best lacing I've seen all the way down the pint glass. This beer was crystal clear and looked perfect!

S: Big hop aroma of the earthy, woodsy, piney variety. there is a nice floral complexity as well. Deep in the background there is a malty, yeasty bread character and a subtle sweetness

T: THe hops are at the forefront with a character spot on with the aroma, there is more malt in the flavor than the aroma however. here you get a good caramel character coming through.

M: good "meaty" body, almost chewy at some points. pleasantly surprising as it combined with a dry finish

D: Could have had this one all night. I found this beer to be one of the more enjoyable beers I've had, not technically flawless but it was just fantastic. The dry finish with the wonderful ballance of hops and malt allows you to drink several.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2010 18:48:18 | More by LyonsHead

Echosolace

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Carmelly and red with darkish yellow tones around the thinner areas of the glass. Nice head, but I drank it too fast to keep track of how big it was.

S - A strong flowery smell I expect with a lot of hops. Smells pretty pleasant, a sign of things to come.

T - Solid. I would just leave it at that, but for the sake of the review - The hops don't really kick in for me until most of it has made its way down my throat. Something else lingers on my tongue in the meantime, a lot of bold character in the form of some kind of malted grains. It's awesome. The hops, strong, but balanced with the rest of the drink.

M - Usually for me, I'd say the fizz lets me down in most beers, but this one seems to have it right. I want to describe it more, but it's all gone.

D - This could be an every day beer for me. It would be spectacular if I had a keg lying around the house for my own use. It's so boss.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 01:03:02 | More by Echosolace

SMILLIE

Arizona

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Stone pint glass

Appearance: Very dark golden brown, cloudy. Thick creamy three finger head that stays around for quite a while. High amount of lacing, one of the best I’ve seen. Very nice!

Smell: Strong aroma (could smell as soon as I cracked the bottle). Dark malt, hops.

Taste: Very smooth taste of malt, hops. Bitter on the end.

Mouthfeel: Very nice body to this beer, not exactly creamy or thick but quite satisfying. Very high amount of carbonation.

Overall:. Excellent brew, another great one from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 04:49:42 | More by SMILLIE

wages

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

appearance - 4/5 - Has a nice transparent red hue and almost seems a little golden. Thin head with little retention or lacing.

smell - 4/5 - Clean floral aroma.

taste - 4.5/5 - Kind of like a mild with a lot of earthy hops. Maybe a little grapefruit tartness too.

mouthfeel - 4.5/5 - The carbonation is right on. It lets you taste everything but refreshingly goes down smooth leaving only the earthy grapefruit hops behind to linger.

overall - 5/5 - I feel it is more than the sum of its parts because it's a session beer that tastes like an IPA but looks like a red.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 00:36:02 | More by wages

dpend

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz. Bomber

I enjoyed this a bit more than the Arrogant Bastard.A bit lighter but still impecable.Once again, cool label.

Thick,sticky,puffy head with glue like lacing.The appearance is almost like a shiny copper candy bar wrapper.Great balance of sweet candy and citrus aroma.Great flavor which finishes with a nice and easy hop kick.Suprisingly easy drinkability which helps the beer live up to its name.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2003 18:38:07 | More by dpend

mzwolinski

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Stone's contribution to the Amber Ale style, this beer reminds me of Sam Adams Lager jacked up a notch or too. The aroma is very hoppy, with a distinct citrus, rather than floral, boquet. The citrus really dominates the first few sips as well -- there's a lemon-like character to it which seems a bit too much for the style. Beer begins to feel a bit more balanced as it warms and the malt undertones strengthen, but still perhaps a bit much for a session beer. Medium body with a mildly dry finish. I'd love to try this on draft -- I have a feeling it'd be quite something.

---

Re-reviewed after recipe altered (numerical ratings reflect currently available recipe)

Well, even the guys at Stone mess up every once in a while. Let’s give ‘em a chance to see if they can earn a gold star for responding to constructive criticism (why do I have a hard time imagining Greg Koch being contrite?)

Sparkling amber in color, and swirling with carbonation. A fair sized, light tan head sits atop the brew, leaving a lovely spiderweb of lace down the glass.

Aroma is pleasant but mild, some orange and lemony hops dominate. Very refreshing and inviting.

Ah yes, this is much, much better. The malt has been kicked up a bit now, creating a slightly sweet middle to the beer, which lingers with just a hint of nuttiness in the aftertaste. A swirling eddy of hops dances around the mouth from start to finish, with a teasing tingle leading into a slightly sharp lemon-like flavor at the finish. As the beer warms, the malt flavors gather strength, and a toastier quality. The mouthfeel is almost creamy, despite the abundant carbonation. I can see now what they were going for on the first run, and they’ve nailed it. Good, good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2004 06:30:01 | More by mzwolinski

goschool

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: The pour is dark amber with fiery red highlights and a medium-sized fluffy white head.

Smell: The nose is super hoppy for an amber ale and the malts smell almost like a brown ale. Piney and spicy hops with a hint of grapefruit lead the way in front of nutty malts.

Taste: Chinook hops are out in full force in the flavor profile. They come in strong and finish crisp. The malts start out nutty, slightly chocolaty, and develop a caramel sweetness by the end of the mid-palate and through the finish. It tastes like some sort of pale ale, amber ale, brown ale hybrid. I've had many beers claiming to be APA's and IPA's that aren't as bitter as this session amber with plenty of toasted malts.

Mouthfeel: It's light-bodied and ever so slightly aqueous with lively carbonation that isn't rough at all considering the hop level.

Drinkability: This has to be the premier American session beer. It manages to be low abv and super drinkable without sacrificing hop bitterness or a solid malt backbone. Good work Stone. Thanks for not pussyfooting around with this style like so many other breweries have.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2007 07:53:49 | More by goschool

botham

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at the brewpub in Escondito. pours a deep chocolate brown with fiery amber highlights and a single finger of eggshell colored head. heavy lacings and good retention.

aroma is piney and caramelly with a great balance and a lightly sweet character. the hops are piney and lightly spicy; very fresh.

taste has a more pronounced hop quality with a smoothing bready malt base. almost ESB-like in balance. the malts creep up on the palate with a subtleness that allows the hops to endure into the finish.

mouthfeel is medium bodied with a semi-sweet character and wonderful balance that has just enough of a dry finish to remove the sweet malts from the palate.

drinkability is great. easy going, concentrated, fresh and dangerously session-able. cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2009 01:16:26 | More by botham

GilGarp

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

After having many great Stone beers and with many more cellaring in the basement (VE and others), I decided it's time to try some of their year round offerings.

Best enjoyed before date... rubbed off. Oh well.

Poured from the printed 12oz. brown bottle into a pint glass, it has a great redish brown color with very good clarity, thick creamy head, and very nice lacing left behind. Only a small amount of fine suspended sediment noticeable in this beer keeping it from a 5.0

Aroma is very pleasant with a dry-hopped meets caramel malts character. Hops are earthy and piney.

Flavor is excellent with a surprisingly hearty malt base for a beer of 4.4 abv. Well bittered with hops and well balanced as a result. I'm shocked a beer of this strength can have so much great flavor. Not overly complex but very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is medium-light in body and more carbonation than I would prefer. In fact, this would be awesome on a nitro tap. Great session beer. I could drink this all night. A fantastic hoppy amber from long before that was the rage.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 23:21:15 | More by GilGarp

fsimcox

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a transparent, but deep amber color. Big fluffy white foamy head that stays firm for some time. Very nice lacing.

Strong hop smell, some hints of pine and citrus. A crisp refreshing scent.

Taste is hops! Some malt hints in the background, and a mildly bitter hop aftertaste. The hops linger.

Mouthfeel is a hint of creaminess upfront, some carbonation, and a dry finish.

A bold beer for such a low abv. Very drinkable if you enjoy hops. My introduction to Stone, and well worth $9.99 a sixer!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 00:29:31 | More by fsimcox

vacax

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Stone Levitation, the misunderstood baby brother of the Stone family. Pours a ruby amber with a creamy red-hued tan head with very good retention and lacing. Aroma is tea-like with a floral nose, grapefruit, toast, and caramel. Tastes of geranium, grapefruit, earth, pine. Finish has more flora, and a dry cookie taste. Medium with a prickly carbonation. I drank this pint well, and will do more in the future. Levitation is a fine, fine beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 03:39:22 | More by vacax

cbarrett4

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into pint glass during Portland Mighty Mites small beer festival~

I didn't think it possible to get this much flavor, intensity, and character into a beer at less than 5% abv! Was the superstar of the event and a beer that I will regularly be buying.

Pours with a massive amount of head that dissipates nicely into a good lace. Aromatics are nice but straight forward with hops taking the front seat and mild citrus and malt backing.

The palate is richly flavored and complex with a variety of nuances from the hops (Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Crystal). Malt peeks through, some spice and herb notes too. Very nice. Body is full yet not over the top. Can't believe that this is only 4.4%! Finish is long, with a good dose of bitterness.

Despite the intensity, this is a supremely drinkable beer. It reminds me of an Extra Pale Ale since the hops are more aggressive than most amber or red ales I have tasted. Pretty amazing stuff here.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 21:04:51 | More by cbarrett4

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another winner from Stone. They can do no wrong. Pours a nice bronze color with some distinct red tones. Head cascades up to a nice level even with a soft pour. It drops to leave rings of lacing that mark your way down the glass. Smell is typical Stone west coast hops and ohhhh so good. Citrus and nice piney notes. Taste kicks in with a nice caramel malt balance. The malt becomes more and more prominant as you drink more of this one but the hops never goes away. Taste becomes bready and earthy. Mouthfeel has a perfect carbonation level. Beer finishes with a light bitter aftertaste. Overall a very nice beer. Of the Stone I've had only the IPA is comparable as an every day drinker. With the low ABV this is my new choice for drinking more than a couple in a night.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2006 02:20:30 | More by beermanbrian

jjboesen

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted this exceptional style at the Oregon Brewers Festival and found it a delighful amber.

It pours a thick head atop a cloudy dark amber body and offers heavy lacing with minimal clingage. Detected notes of citrus, orange ester with subtle vanilla hint.

And the hops? Pow! Levitation has four of 'em: Magnum, Crystal, Simcoe and Amarillo. All this means a powerful hop blast to the palate followed by a mild and malty finish. Doughy and nice. Yet, I would still quaff it as a session beer given its crispness and relatively low abv.

Makes for a nice quaff on any warm afternoon, especially a warm afternoon being spent at a certain beer festival.

And since this was tasted from the OBF sample mug, further research is required.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2008 00:10:03 | More by jjboesen

Brew33

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had a couple of pints of this at BJ's Brewhouse. It had to be better than their beer.

I am NOT a fan of Stone's beers. None of their beers have been anything but average to me. Levitation was excellent. I was very impressed.

The aroma was nice, smooth, slightly hoppy. The taste was very well balanced nice smooth malt character with a nice dry finish and hop bite.

Incredibly drinkable. Nicely balanced. Really enjoyed this beer.

Woo Hoo! I found a Stone beer I like!

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2009 20:52:18 | More by Brew33

UDbeernut

New York

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap poured into a stone oversized wine glass

A: translucent ruby red 1/2" foamy head

S: earthy and citrus hop aroma

T: strong malt background, slighty caramelly. Balanced well with citrus hops. Nice

M&d: medium body, light abv makes this a hop based session beer

Cheers!!!

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2009 18:14:16 | More by UDbeernut

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This 12 Fl. Oz. small bottle was purchased online from the Beers of Europe, a friendly and efficient beer shop in the UK. No freshness info. is found on the bottle, served cool (not as suggested by the bottle, "refrigerated") in a straight pint glass. NOTE: Given my limited experience with American craft beers, this is by far the second lightest (in terms of abv.) I've tried, only next to Anchor's "Small Beer".

A: pours an elegant bright copper hue as of moderately-infused roasted tea, coming with restrained but constant input of tiny fizziness and a beige fluffy head with pretty decent retention, leaving uneven sheets of lacing as it retreats.
S: the richly lychee-ish+elderflowery+grapefruity hop aroma is backed by an equally rich malt backbone of burned sugar, syrupy longan-fruits, dried berries, some oily-textured cream, and sweetened cold black tea... Very very pleasant indeed and pretty complex as well, while a swirl gives rise to an utterly attractive edge of really fat and fresh overripe lychees to underline the whole aroma. It ticks all the boxes for an ultra-delicious hoppy ale, at just 4.4%abv.!
T: lightly tangy and tea-stem-like sour-bitterness (from the hops) and a bitter tea-ish flavour of roast-/crystal-malts manifest themselves from the first second onwards, laced by a clean and fine sour-spicy-piney edge as of yeasts+hops or something beyond my imagination. The hop flavour is well balanced by the caramely & lightly buttery-nutty malts in the background, so it's not as hugely flowery or lychee-ish as on the nose, but the level of hop bitterness deepens extremely well, rendering a long, semi-dry and satisfyingly chewy finish, where more hop legacy - in the form of old dried grapefruit peels and Chinese roast tea-leaves - earmarks the lingering aroma at the rear and wings of the tongue.
M&D: quite soothing on the carbonation, though a tad fizzy for my preference, while the body remains medium to echo the balanced flavour profile. This low-gravity ale (by the US standard, of course) packs loads of hops with a surprising balance, a factor that greatly appeals to me in person. Be it "American Amber Ale" or "English Premium Bitter with a US twist", this proves to be one of the most quaffable and lovely hoppy beers that I've had recently. I'm really happy to have tried it, but I uphold my opinion: "Better serve it cool"! The bottle also bears the mark "2007 Gold Medal Winner - The Great American Beer Festival" - a well-deserved award, I think.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 20:11:52 | More by wl0307

WalrusJockey

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip.

A- dark, almost brown, orangy-red. Creamy tan head.

S- caramel roast malt, with fruity, floral hops aromas. Very juicy smelling, very tasty smelling.

T- bitter hops, with a slight juicy, fruity background, while the malt is sweet, but mostly savory, roasty and nutty. Slightly watery swallow, which I don't mind, with a fruity, sweet hop aftertaste.

M- light, juicy body. solid enough to not be thin, but definitely on the light-and-refreshing end of the spectrum.

D- high. This is seriously sessionable, and also a must-buy-again.

Very good beer, and thanks to everyone in this thread (http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/2077723) who recommended it!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 00:51:33 | More by WalrusJockey

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in an Imperial Nonic)

A- This beer has a crystal clear but dense auburn colored body with a sticky antique white head that is supported by a strong carbonation of tiny bubbles.

S- The aroma of green pine hops has some strong pineapple weed pungent notes and some pale malt aromas in the background.

T- The slightly sweet pale malt flavor bends to the juicy green pine hops with some citrus notes and earthy qualities that all end up with a bitter hop punch.

M- This beer has a medium light mouthfeel with a soft fizz and no alcohol heat at all.

D- This beer is a bit softer than most Stone beer I have had but it would make a nice session beer that still has plenty of flavor and aroma hops. It goes down really smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2009 21:07:11 | More by rhoadsrage

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

on tap @ the Thirsty Monk in Asheville.

Pours a deep copper, almost amber color, and very clear. There's a dense off white head sitting on top, which leaves good lacing throughout the drink. The smell is almost pure Amarillo on my end. There are resins, quite a bit of grapefruit, but the pungent smells are almost leafy, grassy, and earthy. Way more in the smell than you would expect from a 4.4% beer. Though there isn't as much of a malt presence from an Amber ale, a bit of some toasty sweetness though. Still, I'm exited to taste after smelling. The taste starts out a little toasty, but become very heavy on the breadiness, with a nice kick of caramel sweetness. A lot more malt body to this than in the smell. There are tons of sticky resins, which combined with the smell, suggests that there is quite a bit of dry-hopping going on in this beer. There's a nice bit of orange juice sweetness thanks the the malt combining with the hops, but a great balance and fairly low bitterness. The mouthfeel is just great for such low ABV. It's quite full, without ever being too sweet. And I just love the resnious feel. This one is a great American session beer. Not as low in ABV as some of its British counterparts, but still very impressive. The flavor entirely delivers, and deceives you into thinking you're drinking something much stronger. You have to love a beer like this. I know I do.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2009 16:11:39 | More by taylorhamrick

BeerSox

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle into nonic.

Slightly hazy and very dark amber color, with just a touch of red tint. A one finger tan head slowly settles to a thin cap, leaving behind some sticky lacing.

Lots of resiny citrus aromas, with a bit of a minty note.

The hops are sharp and bitter, with a little bit of tart grapefruit, but also a little bit of sweet n' tart pineapple. The malts don't say much, and maybe add a little bit of a toasty flavor in the background. Full bodied.

Wasn't sure what to expect with this one as American Amber/Red Ale is an ambiguous category. With one whiff I knew exactly what I was getting. The great thing about this ale is the amount of hops, but it's also in the sessionable category with a 4.4%ABV rating. Usually I find these to be 6% or above. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 01:34:32 | More by BeerSox

shanecb

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Nice red color, a little like burnt orange. Had a nice off-white head when poured, that stayed about halfway through the glass. Nice lacing, also.

S - Nice and fresh! Mainly citrusy hop smell with a little bit of pine. There's some sweet malty aroma to it as well that seemed predominant when swirled.

T - A lot of the same things in the smell. A nice hop character up front that stays in the back of your throat after swallowing. Very nice.

M - Wonderful mouthfeel! I usually have a problem with thin beers, but this doesn't seem thin to me at all.

D - In my opinion, perfect. It's such a good balance of flavors that it goes down really smooth and tastes great!

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2009 04:41:21 | More by shanecb

cvfish

Louisiana

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - This beer poured an orange copper color that produced a fluffy light tan head that had good retention and laced the side of the glass nicely

S - The aromas produced by this beer had a great mix of caramel malts, some nutty characteristic, and a citrus/pine mix of hops

T - The taste of this beer was right in line with the nose of the beer, caramel malts, a slight nutty taste, and a mix of citrus and piney hops

M - The mouthfeel of this beer had a medium body and a moderate amount of carbonation

D - The taste of this beer was fantastic, this overtook Red Seal as my favorite Amber Ale, thank God Stone is here, I love these beers

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 20:31:19 | More by cvfish

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Damn fine product! Poured a small to medium sized light copper tan frothy head that mostly faded and some lace. Color is a clear copper amber. Aroma is hop caramel yeast caramel old leather roasty. Flavor is like aroma and quite tasty. Not overly hop fruity thank god. Good body and carbonation. Great finish that's like flavor and of medium length. Most definitely a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 20:47:11 | More by drpimento

jhtipton

Spain

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of my Father's day gifts. Pours about 1/2 inch foam into the stemmed glass. A nice coppery near brown shade. Wonderful piney smell and an equally piney hoppy citrusy taste. Nectar of the gods. Extremely drinkable, I could have three or four at a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 08:15:34 | More by jhtipton