Levitation Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

ehammond1

California

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

Cask

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Dark copper and amber with a thick, creamy consistency from the cask. Soapy, thick off-white head and sheets of the same running down the glass.

A powerful punch of citrus (grapefruit) in the nose along with some sweet caramel malt. A wonderful explosion of hops in the aroma--finally, a hopped up amber that delivers the goods!

Slightly bitter, plenty of citrus flavors, along with a hefty amount of caramel and bready malts. Well balanced, yet an incredible hop punch for a low-alcohol amber.

Medium to thick, somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Love this stuff from the cask.

My favorite amber so far. It's got plenty of hops, plenty of flavor, and is light enough to drink all day long. This beer accomplishes all it seeks out to accomplish.

Serving type: cask

07-18-2011 17:23:35 | More by ehammond1

simpliciter

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - deep copper w/ thick creamy head from the nitro pump. it takes strong arms to run a cask...
S - very piney, but pleasantly so.
T - pine transitions to citrus and sour flavors
M - well balanced and smooth, fits the hop character. as good when not on cask?
D - dangerously so! :)

Serving type: cask

06-19-2010 23:13:57 | More by simpliciter

augustgarage

California

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hand pulled cask at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood. Served in a nonic.

Hazy copper body with amber highlights. Two fingers of beige foam with superior retention and thick sudsy lacing. No legs.

Very light caramel, toast, grassy hops, not much else...

Digestive biscuits, earthy hops, mild wheat bread flavors. Faint citrus and more malt in the finish. Mild bitterness throughout.

Pillowy, ethereal body (as expected by the name!).

Low ABV and a mild pleasant flavor coupled with a soft yet just-substantial-enough body makes this immensely sessionable.

Serving type: cask

01-22-2010 06:13:58 | More by augustgarage

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

atr2605

New York

3.54/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a red amber with a big fluffy off white head with nice retention
S-citrus, pear, and white grapes
T-lemon and citrus bitterness up front followed by white fruit sweetness from the malt bill
M-light bodied
O-interesting take on the style, very drinkable and great flavor, perhaps a bit hoppier than many other red/amber ales. I would have expected a bit more malt presence

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:59:43 | More by atr2605

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Clear amber with 1-2 fingers of white head. Excellent retention and low carbonation.

Nose
Caramel, candied citrus and pine.

Taste
More hop forward than the nose lets on. Candied orange, lemon and pine needles. A light drizzling of caramel and bread to balance it out. The pine comes back full force in the finish along with some grapefruit zest.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp, smooth, dry, bitter and refreshing.

Overall
Not bad. A lot of hop bittering action in the tiny 4.4%.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 19:43:19 | More by justintcoons

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.76/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Levitation is a great name for an ale that poured a thick creamy head on top of a mass of bubbles. Gorgeous amber hue with a silky complexion.

Nice aromatic hoppy nose , I got little to no malt or barley scent. There was a hint of lemon or grapefruit at the back.

The taste follows the nose, light hoppy flavor with a lemony backdrop. The taste is smooth and flavorful but again no malt or barley taste. Gives the feel of a weak IPA and not a hearty ale.

Overall, I like it but I'm left wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 22:56:46 | More by KYGunner

Chadhowie

California

4.11/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Levitation Ale is pretty much the lightest beer Stone offers, and is a great light beer. It's probably still on the stronger end of the spectrum of American Ambers, which is to be expected from Stone. I've only had this once, because it's difficult to find in my area.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 23:56:02 | More by Chadhowie