Levitation Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

socon67

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Amber colored pour with an off-white foam. Webs of lacing round the glass. Cloudy in appearance.

S - Scents of caramel, dry hops, and earthy spices. This is a very fragrant beer. Lots of complextiy here.

T - Taste is almost like a beefy IPA, but with notes of caramel and spice. The hoppy vibe is tempered by the underlying sweetness. Flavors concentrate as the beer warmed.

M - A very tasty beer but the distinct flavors muted over time. Not sure if this is a one drink type of beer, but I didn't find it sessionable despite its mild ABV.

O - Good variant of an amber that stands on its own. I'd have it again. Just another solid brew from the folks at Stone.

Serving type: growler

05-13-2012 00:53:31 | More by socon67

One2Remeber

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Snifter

A: Off-white head, crystal clear body. Ruby, licorice red color. Dark red up top.

S: Sharp candy sweetness with a pine, forrest hop aroma.

T/M: Tons of flavor for a sessional beer. A hop forward pale ale with a caramel sweetness from red ales. Sharp cherry, acrid tones. Light body to say the least.

O: Hop water with hints of caramel sweetness. Body feels more like water as drinking at room temperature.

Serving type: growler

04-08-2012 20:47:52 | More by One2Remeber

hippityhophead24

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a growler of this today. Wasn't thinking and I thought it was the Ruination IPA, but got home and realized what I had purchased.

Appearance: hazy amber reddish color. Thick frothy white head with very very nice lacing.
Smell: malt, fruity figs and grapefruit, and citrus hops. Very nice for a small abv Stone beer!
Taste: very light on the taste. It’s there, but has more potential I guess. There is a burst of citrus from the hops and a slight sweet malt ness to it.
Overall: good session beer. Again, wasn’t thinking, so I thought this was the ruination IPA, but it’s definetaly not.
Glassware: FRESH growler into snifter

Serving type: growler

09-01-2011 23:56:52 | More by hippityhophead24

acurtis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler fill from Cask at BierKraft 10/1
Stone Leviation Ale Dry Hopped with Amarillo on Cask poured into Verboten Tulip Pint glass.
A- Beautiful hazy copper color. Little head but great carbonation.
S- Huge floral hop aroma escapes from the glass.
T- Extremely flavorful, very hoppy with a hoppy grapefruit finish. Very smooth with little kick. The hoppy finish may last too long.
D- Exceptionally drinkable. Goes down smooth and easy. Excellent brew!

Serving type: growler

10-02-2010 22:14:52 | More by acurtis

mudbug

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear reddish brown with a nice 1/2" fluffy cap, laces nicely as the level drops.
Aroma is floral hops and fresh bread
Taste is hop bitterness up front, citrus and grass with a weak malt backbone, dry astringent on the aftertaste
Refreshing and easy to drink, the ABV is just right for a quaffer
Not as in your face as the Arrogant Bastard, a nice afternoon quaffer thirst quencher
Very Good brew!

Serving type: growler

03-13-2010 22:13:44 | More by mudbug

Gmann

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy brown copper color with a small yet dense khaki colored head. The aroma is fantastic. Nice juicy hops, grapefruit, fresh pine with hints of honey or caramel. Beauty. More of a bittery resiny hop in the flavor, some grapefruit. A weakish caramel malt struggles to support the bitter hop flavor. The body feels a bit thin, almost watery. I was expecting a bigger body but at 4.4%ABV I guess that is a trade off. The carbonation is on the softer side; finishes a tad bitter. A fantastic smelling brew that slides in taste and feel. I appreciate the low abv but this could use a bit more of a malt presence.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2009 01:53:33 | More by Gmann

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A-Poured a little hard so got a big 2 1/2-3" off white head. Clear Amber color with bits of brown in it. Good head retention and leaves a bit of a lacing that sticks to side of glass.
S-Mix of floral and citrusy hops. Malts balance it out pretty well. Grassy and piney smells come through as well.
T-Grassy and piney tastes follow the smell. Malts help balance it out and a bit of citrus hop flavor lays under neath. Almost like you have to search for it. Nice light bitterness in aftertaste that grows from the piney flavors. Bit of a dry finish.
M- Bit low on carbonation compared to the bottle and the taster from the brewery. Medium body.
D- It's a very good beer. Goes down with ease and its a good job since I have a 2L growler ahead of me.

Serving type: growler

09-24-2006 19:20:44 | More by BlindPig

Siriusfisherman

Montana

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

L: Deep red with an off-white head, very good lacing. Plenty of carbonation streaming up from my nucleated glass, aiding the retention.

A: Grassy citrus, pine, and a touch of spice from the hops, very rounded malt backbone with some burnt caramel sweetness. Neutral yeast character.

T/M: Big bitterness upfront for a beer of such light strength, moves into a nice showcasing of west-coast fruity/pine hops with a grassy edge. Malt is somewhat aggressive, attributing burnt sugar notes and a subtle base malt. Not very sweet considering the amount of crystal used, has a slightly acid dry finish, in a good way.

Overall, a delicious session ale. I can think of very few beers less than 5%abv that can stand up to the intensity of flavor, and balance of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 00:05:06 | More by Siriusfisherman

stella77artois

New York

4.04/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into pilsener glass.

A - Very sharp looking beer. A quite dark golden amber with lot's of carbonation visible. Plenty of bubles coming up for the duration of the pour. Very thick white head, which stuck around for a while, morphed into some cool shapes, and left a good amount of residuals.

S - Like a light IPA. Hops, but not too powerful. Smelled nice, just not a ton going on. Maybe a hint of grapefruit, too.

T - Interesting. As was the case with the aroma, tasted more like a light IPA than an Amber/Red Ale. Didn't notice much malt, but some general frutiness was present. Hops flavor intensified in the aftertaste. Very pleasant.

F - One of the beers strongest features. Very light and crisp feeling with a strong aftertaste. No bloating or heavy feeling. A good beer to drink on the golf course or in any instance when you're going to have more than a couple.

O - Not my favorite Stone brew, but it's still a very good beer. A perfect beer for anyone who likes the taste of hops, but doesn't enjoy the bitterness and explosion of a ton of hops. I do enjoy beers like that, but there are times when I want a lighter, more crisp tasting hoppy beer, and this beer does the trick. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 20:12:34 | More by stella77artois

obywan59

Virginia

4.01/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours coppery to reddish copper with a substantial 2 1/2 finger off white head that becomes chunky as it recedes, leaving awesome thick, sticky lacing.

Piney with citrus, especially, overripe citrus, and rich caramel malts.

Citrusy tart, but not totally dry. Just a touch of sweetness. Caramel malts and bitter hops linger on the tongue.

Medium full bodied. Peppery and crisp. Lightly syrupy but drying on the tongue, and a light burn in the throat.

This beer has a lighter ABV than any beer I've had from Stone, but it still packs a flavor punch. A good summer offering, in my opinion, even with it's thicker body.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2013 01:41:12 | More by obywan59

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, red amber colored with a tight off white head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: fruity hops, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange

T: slight bitterness up front quickly fades to a caramel malt, toasty bread

M: on the thinner side with high carbonation

O: a refreshing red ale, low abv but high in flavor

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 00:36:57 | More by M_C_Hampton

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful transparent amber color with a fluffy tan colored heading. Very alive looking and a full of lacing after every sip.

Heavy caramel malts with a grassy and medicinal hop profile to match. Little bit more of a sour dough malt is dominant in the finish.

Both malts and hops are dead even in this pairing. A blast of that malty base really pulls through at first with an earthy,wood character but the bitter and grassy hops kind of take over for the finish.

Light-medium bodied with excellent balance, great carbonatin and a slight diacetyl slickness in the finish.

Very hard to believe this is 4.4% ABV. Very tasty and filling. This a perfect session beer for any time of year.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 20:14:14 | More by TheFightfan1

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Deep amber color with a tan head that has nice retention and lacing

S- Caramel malt base, some citrus hops, but a little less than what I normally get from Stone.

T- Solid flavor depth for 4.4 abv. Orange peel, apricot, and pine work together nicely with the caramel malt base. Some toasted nuts also come through. Good balance. Bitter finish.

M- Certainly a dry finish here. Light to mid body, while maintaining fairly creamy. Super drinkable.

O- A well done hoppy amber. Low abv makes this one of the more favorable sessions I've had. Not quite as bold as most from the Stone line, but a solid beer nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 02:16:32 | More by Bosoxfan20

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Looks a deep copper-red. Great lacing. Head gushed up at about two fingers... beige in color. Looks great.

Awesome earthy hop nose. Loads of spruce, minerality, grapefruit pith, and dried apricot. Rugged toast that doesn't sideline with any booze, due to the low ABV. Stays true to the nose, no extra maltiness to get in the way.

Gruff earthy hops and crisp orange and toast notes. Roasty, actually, with bitter pith and flavorful pine woodiness. So smooth and wonderful in the mouth. Chewy with a presence of dextrins, but light enough to never coat and always deliver with that spiky carb and gentle hop oiliness on the tongue. American hop heaven for a lighter early evening opener. Magically drinkable. Exceptional stuff, certainly deserving of all the accolades.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 02:27:18 | More by thecheapies

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From 12 oz bottle...poured in a Stone tulip glass.
Pours a dark amber with significant amber head.
Aroma of amber malts, light hops.
Moderate carbonation and penetrating mouthfeel.
Flavors of bitter hops, grapefruit rind, persimmon, grassy hops, white pepper. Despite the relatively low abv this brew has significant flavor and punch. A respectable hoppy session brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:57:43 | More by DenverLogan

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle on 4/18/13

Levitation has a low ABV, plenty of citrus/pine hop-forwardness, but a light, dry mouthfeel that isn't hollow. Boy, does "session able" ever get overused by this reviewer when drinking 7.9% double hopped malt-bomb blasts. Forgot it. THIS beer has the "slug back a couple" qualities that are appropriate for a light-red.

Dig this brew - it's not going to impress anyone at a beer-drinkers hipster party, just a solid drinkable beer for a session.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:11:04 | More by brewsclues

PaleZombie

Arizona

3.84/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pored from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Amber copper color, very clear about 1 finger of head that vanished fairly quickly.

S - Great citrusy hop aroma, grapefruit, lemon, slightly tropical with a decent amount of caramel malts.

T - Bitter grapefruit starts, caramel malts in the middle with a somewhat floral hop note at the end.

M - Fairly light body, medium to high carbonation with a fairly dry finish.

O - This was pretty tasty. More hop forward than I was expecting which was nice. The only place it fell short was in the mouth feel which I cant ding it to much being such a low abv. This would be a great session beer that I could drink all day and not get too hammered.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 20:43:01 | More by PaleZombie

Mojo

Alabama

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

There is nothing unique or exciting about this beer, but dang if I didn't enjoy it. It poured up a deep amber/copper color with a small head, not a lot of lacing, but decent retention. The smell is very pine, floral, bready, citrusy. Taste is about the same as the nose. Citrus is the predominant flavor and it is all I can do to savor and enjoy it. It's sort of like a SNPA. It's hardly thr greatest beer ever brewed, but it sure is enjoyable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 03:28:26 | More by Mojo

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear dark copper. Head is off-white and slightly creamy. Drops to a thin cap with a slightly larger dense collar. Sheets and streaks of lacing.

Smell: Slight hints of citrus. Caramel malts add a layer of sweetness. Slightly bready. A touch herbal. Pretty mellow with a slight roasted and toasted profile. A hint of earthiness in the back. A decent hop complexity.

Taste: A straight up replica of the nose with a backing bitterness. Some herbal and earthy notes under a bigger hit of grapefruit. Nothing aggressive. Slight bready sweetness. Caramel malts. Slightly toasted. A bit watery as it warms. Clean malt profile.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a moderate carbonation. Clean.

Overall: I'll fly you to the moon and back.

Nicely drinkable with a good balance. Worth picking up when you just want something easy with enough flavor to be worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:25:03 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Rope

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This has been a go to beer for me. A drinkin' beer, not in terms of quantity rather I don't need to give all my attention to enjoy it.

Appearance-
Rich brown, with a yellow head that disappears quickly

Smell-
The expected hop hit known with Stone, but a rich caramel malt as well

Taste-
The bitter hops really shine through, but the malt balance is a lot stronger than most Stone beers.

Mouthfeel-
Clean and carbonated

Overall-
Great for an afterwork and unwind beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 17:13:47 | More by Rope

pkalix

California

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

finger of head, which dwindles to only a layer. an orange tea color throughout.
smells citrus-y; still cant get used to 'citrus-y' beer, but i suppose that's what the public wants. some grapefruit and dry, eraser-like bitterness.
taste is just as above. grapefruit. sandpaper-like dry bitterness. some orange in there.
overall, just another stone. bitter, hoppy. great-looking beer, the taste is notable (if not my preferred style), but not one i want to continue on with. not bad, but not my preference. still want to visit the brewery, though . . . .

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:41:53 | More by pkalix

mattkoon

South Carolina

4.09/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a lot of ales i've had have that hoppy bite- which is good, but this levitation ale from stone is just smooth, and drinkable and somehow full flavored. it has great color and a nice smell....smells like a good ale. this beer doesnt have the bite that a lot of stone's beers have, but sometimes you dont need to be drop kicked in the face. i like this beer a good bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:56:12 | More by mattkoon

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A finger and half of head on a clear, dark straw colored body.
The aroma is a rich malt, which is nice.
The taste has a bold bitterness with a strong malt backbone. Straightforward and good.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
A good drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 04:19:35 | More by Fatehunter

BaltimoreBeerLover

Maryland

3.36/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a wine glass from a 12 oz. bottle. $2.39/ individual bottle from Shawan Liquors.

Appearance: Dark brown with a touch of red. When held up to the light the red comes through much more visibly.

Smell: Predominantly a rich, toasty, and very sweet malt smell with a hint of hops.

Taste: Not quite as sweet as I was anticipating from the smell. Slight hoppiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation. Pleasant aftertaste of malty goodness.

Overall: Didn't blow me away by any means but this is a solid beer for sure. Nothing too special about this beer but definitely an overall enjoyable experience. 3.7/5

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 04:00:35 | More by BaltimoreBeerLover

dar482

New York

4.06/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is of a deep, deep, almost brown, amber. A dense foamy head. It has a lot of lacing. The aroma is of sweet malt, almost like candy, but not very strong.

Tasting it, it has a good light malt flavor. It’s quite drinkable as that leaves quite quickly onto its finish.

It’s light ABV comes through with the finish that doesn’t last long, though there’s definitely a bitterness there. It does however leave an earthy and almost herbal like taste. A very strong resin presence. It does have a good mouthfeel and a great roundness in flavor.

I definitely enjoy this has an amber that has good balance. It isn’t a hop bomb, nor is it a sticky malt beer. The resiny stick at the end is interesting. It almost tricks you into having a much bigger ABV, like Sixpoint Resin, but it’s smooth and decently drinkable.

I wouldn’t go crazy chugging a bunch of these or return for many times, but it definitely is a good example of a resiny amber.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 08:29:27 | More by dar482