Levitation Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From: Hyvee, Council Bluffs, IA
Date: None on bottle
Glass: New Belgium globe glass

Stone's Levitation ale is a fine, well-crafted brew that offers moderately strong citrus hop flavor in a low ethanol package. While a bit one-dimensional at times, this is certainly an excellent session brew for hop-enjoying people.

Pours a 2cm, light tan head, composed of small and medium-sized bubbles. Retention is above average, gradually fading to a thin cap atop the body. Lacing is exceptional, significant blotches and patches of foam stick to the sides of the glass. Body is a dark amber to copper color, with active carbonation visible from the bottom and sides of the glass.

Aroma of citra hops primarily: grapefruit rind bitterness on top of a mild base of modest caramel malt. Well-balanced, if not a bit two-dimensional.

Tasting overall reveals an amber ale that comes across as more of a heavily hopped American pale ale than anything else. Enjoyably bitter and grapefruit-like, if that's your preference. Front of palate picks up modest grapefruit rind and bitterness with modest malt sweetness undertones. Mid-palate continues grapefruit rind bitterness with further modest caramel-colored malt sweetness. Back of palate picks up modest grapefruit and hop bitterness, which also lingers into the aftertaste.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with medium to low levels of carbonation. The beer could stand to be a bit more carbonated without suffering. The resultant mouthfeel is slightly fizzy, crisp, somewhat smooth. Closes dryly.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 07:14:44 | More by falloutsnow

zrbeer1579

Illinois

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

My first review

Pours a deep amber brown with a half inch head.

Aroma is a strong grapefruit and pine.

Taste is mostly grapefruit and pine. Some roasted malt. As the beer warms, the pine becomes stronger.

Mouth feel is thin. The finish is dry and bitter . Carbonation feels right.

Overall: I kind of like this beer. Especially since it has a low ABV and has some nice hop flavors. I wish it was thicker. It's basically a light IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 20:30:56 | More by zrbeer1579

LeRose

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Compared to Ruination, this is a "nice, friendly" beer? Orange/bronze pour with an IMMENSE foamy head. Herbal, pine/resin, definite grapefruit/citrus taste, but not so much in the aroma. I found it more in the taste versus the aroma. Very light mouthfeel, a little dry on the finish. Drinkable and enjoyable. Hard to avoid comparison with Ruination. Levitation maybe more drinkable overall, but for the money I would treat myself to the big bad brother... Would buy again, just not sure how much I liked it, but good stuff.

Reviewed from notes

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 19:26:25 | More by LeRose

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bottle to pint glass. Pours a rich dark amber with half a finger of foam. Poor retention, moderate lacing. Smell of hops, citrus, caramel, and a biscuit malt. Tastes of hops, brown nut, and caramel malt. Thick body, very chewey. Overall it's not too bad, pours red but taste is reminiscent of an ipa. Not a lot of flavor going on, though. Unless I'm looking for a session ale I don't think I'll be drinking much of this

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:27:47 | More by lordofstarside

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Amber/caramel hue with a one finger off-white head.

Aroma: Sweet caramel malt and a hint of bready malt.

Taste: Watery and bitter. Some nice earthy hop flavor making it almost a Red Ale/IPA hybrid. There is just a tiny bit of roasty flavor in the aftertaste that makes the palate a little more robust.

Mouthfeel: Just below medium bodied with good effervescence. Easy drinkability.

Final Thoughts: It's nice that Stone released with low ABV beer and they definitely prove the point that 'light' beer doesn't have to be light on flavor. Would I drink it again? Possibly on tap during a session.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 22:22:29 | More by JamesMN

genitempo

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a shiny, leather body. Minimal white cream head with heavy lace.

S - Inviting citrus aroma, dulled hoppiness.

T - Bitter hops, citrus, and pine, that seem to turn on fairly early, reach a pinnacle at a nice point, but wash out very haphazardly. So much potential to end on that note.

MF - Impressive weight for such a low ABV.

O - I was excited to try this beer. Friends mark this a one of there "go-to" session suds. I'm hesitant to do so, so quickly. I am impressed with the amount of flavor packed into such a low ABV brew though.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 08:48:18 | More by genitempo

mattbk

New York

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a deep, dark red, in fact more of a brown ale almost, which is a surprise to me. Nice head, appears well carbonated, very clear.
S- Citrus, mostly grapefruit. Maybe just a slight hint of caramel in the background. Present, very clean, not overpowering. I kind of like the simplicity in it.
T- Hmm, pretty interesting. Certainly bitter, sharp hoppiness, flavor hops as well, which is a mix of fresh pine and grapefruit. Some caramel, almost roastiness, which adds to the bittering quality of this beer. The hops in this beer nearly overwhelm the back of my throat. It is a good tasting beer, but somewhat overpowering for the malt base.
M- Mouthfeel pretty thin in this beer, which makes sense with the low abv. My belief is that this is intended to be a high flavor / easy drinking beer - but instead it's a bit odd, with a beer with this much flavor and almost no body.
O- I like this beer, and would recommend it. But I think the intent of this beer was missed - the low malt backbone makes the hop flavor and slight roast flavors so high that it makes the beer fairly unsessionable and to me (right now) borderline undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:22:52 | More by mattbk

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass.

Appearance: Dark amber color with about one finger of off-white head.

Smell: Faint smell of hops and citrus, maybe some malts.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Medium bodied and smooth. Taste was good, hoppy for a red ale.

Overall: Again I am not a huge fan of reds, but this one is ok. Credit were due for a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 14:20:48 | More by Cavanaghty

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this red ale from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a clear amber color, produced a thick creamy off white head. Excellent retention and lacing left on the glass. The aroma consisted of toasted malt, and earthy hops. Medium in body, this ale has a foundation of fresh baked bread, roasted malt, citrus and piney hop flavor. Overall a nice example of this style, well balanced. Great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:41:20 | More by GossageBrewery

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this is the most flavor you can possibly get into a beer under 5% abv, im convinced. it pours clear dark amber in color, surprisingly dark after a swig from the bottle. theres a fluffy lazy white head patiently fading. smell is red malts without the sugar, fresh resiny hops, some grapefruit. lots of hops for a red. flavor is balanced amazingly, malt flavors and aromas first, hop bitterness at the end. almost fresh from the vine hops, really pungent, dank, and yummy. some copper in the aftertaste, minerally, long lasting. theres great carbonation, feels likghter than it really it. this is one of the better session beers ive had, a 10 dollar 6pack is a perfect monday night football pick. cant believe i waited so long to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 03:11:01 | More by StonedTrippin

brystmar

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

True to the style, this pours an amber/red body with minimal white head. Smells of hops and malt, leaning on the sweeter, maltier side. Toasty malts and minimally intrusive hops comprise the flavor profile. Bready. A kiss of hoppy bitterness at the end before a clean, dry finish. Body is slightly more viscous than expected, which is great.

There's nothing particularly captivating about the anything here. If you want a session beer that's an amber ale, you could choose far worse brews -- in both the craft and macro worlds -- than Levitation. You can also do much better.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 03:19:43 | More by brystmar

RussBecker1

3.13/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Fascinating layering of colors in this brew. Almost looks like a black and tan with a much darker juxtaposition of the top vs the bottom half of the pint. Very unique and intriguing.

S- Pretty much all malt and hops here. Balanced very well with maybe some refreshing melon and earthy undertones.

M- Frankly the mouth did not sit right with me and it proceeded to ruin the beer. the viscosity rushes towards the back of the throat and clings to your palate coating it to a good degree. This would be fine if the beer were a stout or even a porter, but in the case the ale contradicts itself as the feel masks a number of the flavors that the beer presumably has to offer.

T-Much like the nose there is a balance of darker caramel like malts with a smooth rush of hops to accompany it, but due to the mouth my palate was not really able to pick out many of the flavors that may be included.

O-One of my least favorite Stone's...that says a lot about the brewery, but not too much about the beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 13:17:49 | More by RussBecker1

rlee1390

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear ruby amber, not much carbonation, one finger head.

S-Caramel, grass, pine, malt, good deal of hops and balance in the nose.

T-Starts with caramel and other malts. Grass, citrus hops flavors take over and ends with mild bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, some carbonation, almost watery but not quite though.

O-Was expecting more from Stone, with Red Ales such as Nugget Nectar and Red Rye PA from Founders there are better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 20:56:29 | More by rlee1390

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber. Cloudy. Pieces of hops floating around. Nice lacing.

Strong hop aroma. That of a double IPA. A little surprising.

Strong, bold flavor for such a low gravity beer. Nice, upfront hop flavor. Bitter finish.

Medium bodied and refreshing mouthfeel. Soft, but lingering bitterness.

A good amber ale for hopheads with low alcoholic content, but high flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:19:48 | More by UnderPressure

bmwats

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Medium dark brown. Pours about a 1 finger, frothy, brown-white head. Settles slowly leaving a thick blanket and a substantial beer ring. Medium spider web lacing.

S: Soapy hops. Sugar cookie, and a little lemon citrus.

T: Woody malt, white bread, slight hop bite, pecan shells, a little licorice, and light tinge of butterscotch.

M: Full flavored, hearty malt goodness. Very slight sweetness to start, and very slight bitterness in the finish.

D: Goes down easy, but you'll want to savor.

Atmosphere is good. Nice appearance including a frothy head, and some really nice lacing. Nose is bitter and sweet. Flavor is a great combination of numerous very light components. Very well balanced. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 05:32:50 | More by bmwats

DannyHartman

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Once again, Stone Brewery comes through.... This is an ale I place a step above their I.P.A... Such a complex body and nose.... Incredibly hoppy, with such an amazing taste.... I love to just sit and sip on this enjoyable brew.... On the strong side if you're not into a beer with hoppier taste, but I can promise you that this is one of the tastiest beers out of the Stone Brewery.... A must have.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 18:57:58 | More by DannyHartman

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a slightly muddied dark amber with a fluffy thick cream colored head, excellent lacing, decent retention

S - Sweet caramel, slightly earthy/citrusy, slightly resinous. Good, a little too faint though

T - Crisp but mild citrusy/resinous hop flavor up front, nice sweet aftertaste, slightly chewy

M - Medium/lighter bodied, appropriate carbonation, pretty drinkable

O - Tasty brew, a little mild for my liking in a lot of ways but incredibly well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:06:13 | More by MacQ32

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from 7/20/12 notes. 12 oz. bottle poured into a standard pint.

A - Deep ruby auburn in color with just a thin white film of head. Some lace, but not much.

S - Smells of various malts; caramel and sourdough come to mind. Some blood orange on the nose as well.

T - Very mellow flavor. Dominated by malts, but not sweet. Has the herbal character of black tea, with some added spiciness. Citrus comes out as it warms. There is a drying bitterness on the finish.

M - Good carbonation with a light feel.

O - This one gets a lot of talk as one of the best session beers out there. The reputation is well deserved. Unique and full flavored, while staying light and mellow. Great when you want to have a beer or twelve.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:33:58 | More by NoLeafClover44

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Impressive beer for what it is - definitely sessionable, low ABV, but excellent flavor for this category. The deeper flavor reminds of some of the English pale ales yet low ABV. Definite hop flavor but they are mild and very dry. This beer is not new - at least a year old yet the flavor is still good. Brown to amber color in the glass.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:25:53 | More by Oakenator

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a vibrant orange red to copper color with a thin off white head.
S: a nice floral-malt balance aroma, but perhaps a tad muted.
T: starts with the sweet malts and hints of toffee. This blends perfectly with a citrusy grapefruit tang. Finishes slighty bitter, but not overpowering.
M: Very smooth and a tad creamy. A nice crisp bite with a finish that mirrors. Pleasant hoppy hang.
O: a very good straight ahead beer. The balance is perfect. And, at an incredibly low ABV, a perfect session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 23:12:05 | More by Infamous7100

pburland23

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a dark, reddish amber. It came out of the fridge a little cold, so there wasn't much head and it dissipated pretty quickly.

Smell: Funky, musty, earthy citrus and piney hops aroma. A touch of caramel sweetness but not much. The smell is just alright. It's alright, but not great.

Taste: Much more balanced than the nose would indicate. Sip starts with a big bite of carbonation...sharp and prickly. Lots of rich caramel malt flavor....very nice. The finish is dry and mildly bitter. Nice tasting.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. The carbonation is a bit much, but it doesn't derail the beer on the whole. Obviously, the drinkability is superb at 4.4%. There's a lot of flavor in this eminently sessionable beer.

Overall: When you want a quality, well crafted beer with not a lot of alcohol, Levitation should be near the top of your list.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:38:10 | More by pburland23

harrymel

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Have enjoyed this beer many, many times on tap. Finding a fresh bottle in my area was a little trickier.
Best by 04OCT12

Pours an inviting hazelnut with some light tan foam etching the surface. Nose pulls give me hints of orange and lemon zests, light malts, hints of cola and tea. Flavor is yummy english like malts and plenty of citrusy hops. The citrus cannot be understated in this one for me - it's really on the back end when I breath: nice orange rinds with some hints of grapefruit. The malts are pekoe in character. The beer is carried in a medium weight with lively carb and a wet finish. Nice beer - really drinkable and I wish Stone would can this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 07:16:42 | More by harrymel

soju6

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a rich amber color with a good head that fades slowly to ample lacing.

S: Aroma of citrus wityh a bit of pine and some malt sweetness.

T: Nice bit of citrus up front with a trace of pine and a bit of malt sweetness. There is a nice bitterness throughout and a dry finish.

F: medium body, crisp and quite creamy. Interesting balance.

O: Good beer that is very enjoyable. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 05:37:48 | More by soju6

gtermi

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This has a clear brown body with a thin white head that quickly fades to a ring around the glass.

S: There is a nice amount of malt and a slight amount of hop spice.

T: A lot like the smell, it has a strong amount of sweet malt and this also has a nice spicy style hop flavor that lingers around for a while with the malt.

M: There is a good amount of carbonation on the tip of the tongue and the back of the throat. It does go down somewhat easy.

O: This is a solid beer and has a nice flavor. All around, I enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 05:26:21 | More by gtermi

threeviews

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle (Best Before Date: 9-20-12) into a Magic Hat 9 Shaker Glass (with etched bottom to encourage carbonation).

A- Pours a crystal clear amber color with about a 1-1/2 finger, mild khaki head with good retention.

S- Caramel malt, some pine resin and (just a hint) of tropical fruit/citrus...the aforementioned is so faint it is almost undetectable until the brew warms.

T- Without question, this is a hoppy ESB...or better yet, a hoppy English Mild. It is certainly not bad, but completely not what I was expecting. As a session ale from Stone, this is a nice take on the style.

M- Good carbonation and a drying bitterness makes up for the session-ability of this beer. Hop heads will be able to get their fix on both ends...hops and quantity.

O- A good offering, but at the price-point ($10+ 6-Pack) for a 4.4% ABV beer, that seems a little excessive. If the price was paired down to $6-8 a 6'er, than I'd be singing (and slinging) its praises for a wonderful year-round, session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 00:27:41 | More by threeviews