Levitation Ale | Stone Brewing
Brewed by:
Stone Brewing
California, United States
stonebrewing.com
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.40%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by xlperro on 09-27-2002
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Ratings: 3,888 | Reviews: 1,204
Reviews by MadCat:
More User Reviews:
3.9/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A: The beer is slightly hazy amber in color and has a light amount of carbonation with lots of particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a finger high beige head that quickly died down and gradually faded away, leaving rings of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrus hops in the nose (smells of grapefruit stand out in particular) along with some hints of pine resin hops.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has a mild amount of bitterness; there are some hints of caramel malts in the initial taste.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and is quite sessionable given its low alcohol content.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A: The beer is slightly hazy amber in color and has a light amount of carbonation with lots of particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a finger high beige head that quickly died down and gradually faded away, leaving rings of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrus hops in the nose (smells of grapefruit stand out in particular) along with some hints of pine resin hops.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has a mild amount of bitterness; there are some hints of caramel malts in the initial taste.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and is quite sessionable given its low alcohol content.
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4.95/5 rDev +27.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured this 12 oz. brown bottle into a Stone Levitation glass! No date. The body was clear of sediment and a deep golden amber color. The frothy, uneven head left some rings of lace.
Smell was bursting with variety. Pepper, biscuits, sassafras. Yum. Organic leafy notes. Metal and bread. Lots going on here.
Taste was sweet malts and fruity tanginess. Biscuity. Slight roasted grain flavor. Hints of iodine, medicinal. Amazing amount of flavor and aroma from a 4.4% beer.
Mouthfeel was light to medium in body. Adequate carbonation. Very drinkable. I'm glad to finally have this one distributed in the area. For a very long time one has been able to buy Stone here but only recently can you now find Levitation.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured this 12 oz. brown bottle into a Stone Levitation glass! No date. The body was clear of sediment and a deep golden amber color. The frothy, uneven head left some rings of lace.
Smell was bursting with variety. Pepper, biscuits, sassafras. Yum. Organic leafy notes. Metal and bread. Lots going on here.
Taste was sweet malts and fruity tanginess. Biscuity. Slight roasted grain flavor. Hints of iodine, medicinal. Amazing amount of flavor and aroma from a 4.4% beer.
Mouthfeel was light to medium in body. Adequate carbonation. Very drinkable. I'm glad to finally have this one distributed in the area. For a very long time one has been able to buy Stone here but only recently can you now find Levitation.
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4.11/5 rDev +5.9%
I really enjoyed this brown ale. Nice deep brown color with one finger head when poured into a goblet glass. Earthy, malty, dry hopped but not overpowered by it. Good balance and flavor. Enjoyed this very much and will revisit.
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I really enjoyed this brown ale. Nice deep brown color with one finger head when poured into a goblet glass. Earthy, malty, dry hopped but not overpowered by it. Good balance and flavor. Enjoyed this very much and will revisit.
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4.1/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours a deep amber color with a big 2 inch head that fades to a nice tight cap. Lacing is very good and leaves rings on the glass.
S - Smells of pine tree hops and bready malts.
T - Like others have said this tastes like a toned down Arrogant Bastard. Nice balance of malts and hops.
M - Good carbonaton makes for smooth drinking.
D - This is a very tasty and flavorful beer for it only being 4.4% ABV. This is a nice alternative to Arrogant Bastard for those who are new to Stone or want to take it easy on the bitterness level for the night.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours a deep amber color with a big 2 inch head that fades to a nice tight cap. Lacing is very good and leaves rings on the glass.
S - Smells of pine tree hops and bready malts.
T - Like others have said this tastes like a toned down Arrogant Bastard. Nice balance of malts and hops.
M - Good carbonaton makes for smooth drinking.
D - This is a very tasty and flavorful beer for it only being 4.4% ABV. This is a nice alternative to Arrogant Bastard for those who are new to Stone or want to take it easy on the bitterness level for the night.
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3.81/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle, unable to determine the date, poured into a tulip glass.
A- Pours a full, murky brown with amber highlights. Half finger head that moves to a thin lace quickly.
S - Toasted grains, dark fruit, plums, cola.
T - Very subdued, but to be fair, that may be due to the previous beverages ingested. Cola, hints of vanilla and grains. Touch of smoke and bitterness on the finish.
M - Carbonation low, slightly thin and watery mouthfeel.
O - A good amber, have had this before and thought it was solid. A good low ABV beer that could only be improved with a touch more heft and substance.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle, unable to determine the date, poured into a tulip glass.
A- Pours a full, murky brown with amber highlights. Half finger head that moves to a thin lace quickly.
S - Toasted grains, dark fruit, plums, cola.
T - Very subdued, but to be fair, that may be due to the previous beverages ingested. Cola, hints of vanilla and grains. Touch of smoke and bitterness on the finish.
M - Carbonation low, slightly thin and watery mouthfeel.
O - A good amber, have had this before and thought it was solid. A good low ABV beer that could only be improved with a touch more heft and substance.
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4.4/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Love this beer, the malts and hops are perfect together in this beer
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Love this beer, the malts and hops are perfect together in this beer
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3/5 rDev -22.7%
First try of a beer from Stone Brewing. It's okay, apart from some hoppiness there isn't much there. 330ml bottle sampled.
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First try of a beer from Stone Brewing. It's okay, apart from some hoppiness there isn't much there. 330ml bottle sampled.
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3.85/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
I finally got around to buying this ale,it had been long enough.Poured into a standard pint glass a lighter shade of amber with a thinner but well retained clingy white head.Almost all pine and grapefruit rind in the nose wich is fine by me,just a faint whif of sweet caramel is there as well.Lighter mouthfeel with hop dominated flavors,quite citric with some lighter pine notes,the caramel base gives off some blancing sweetness.A easy drinking hopped up amber ale,nice.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
I finally got around to buying this ale,it had been long enough.Poured into a standard pint glass a lighter shade of amber with a thinner but well retained clingy white head.Almost all pine and grapefruit rind in the nose wich is fine by me,just a faint whif of sweet caramel is there as well.Lighter mouthfeel with hop dominated flavors,quite citric with some lighter pine notes,the caramel base gives off some blancing sweetness.A easy drinking hopped up amber ale,nice.
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4.1/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance Light, relatively clear brown body with a gorgeous head that went down slowly and covered the inside of the glass.
Smell There is a very sharp, piney hop aroma that hits hard. Im sure that there is more to this nose, but the sharp, rindy pine-style of hops fill the air.
Taste The taste is much lighter than the nose. Its pleasant, but the fairly sharp flavors contrast with the light body.
Mouthfeel Little carbonation and a light body make this one a pleasure on the way down.
Drinkability This is a good drinker, and a great choice if youre looking for a tasty ale with a low ABV.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance Light, relatively clear brown body with a gorgeous head that went down slowly and covered the inside of the glass.
Smell There is a very sharp, piney hop aroma that hits hard. Im sure that there is more to this nose, but the sharp, rindy pine-style of hops fill the air.
Taste The taste is much lighter than the nose. Its pleasant, but the fairly sharp flavors contrast with the light body.
Mouthfeel Little carbonation and a light body make this one a pleasure on the way down.
Drinkability This is a good drinker, and a great choice if youre looking for a tasty ale with a low ABV.
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3.55/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Pour/Appearance: Rather thin head that maintained through the session and left thick lacing on the glass. Dark red tint; hazy with some visibility to other side when held to light.
Smell: Grapefruit! (cascade hops?)
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, yet relatively heavy on carbonation.
Taste: Citrus/grapefruit from the hops are very prevalent in this red ale. There is a lingering aftertaste of this flavor as well.
Overall an enjoyable ale, but unbalanced. Definitely on the extreme end of the hops scale for my taste buds.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Pour/Appearance: Rather thin head that maintained through the session and left thick lacing on the glass. Dark red tint; hazy with some visibility to other side when held to light.
Smell: Grapefruit! (cascade hops?)
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, yet relatively heavy on carbonation.
Taste: Citrus/grapefruit from the hops are very prevalent in this red ale. There is a lingering aftertaste of this flavor as well.
Overall an enjoyable ale, but unbalanced. Definitely on the extreme end of the hops scale for my taste buds.
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3.78/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is the only Stone beer that I have tried that did not impress me that much. It poured a nice dark amber color with a great head that left lots of lace down the glass. The smell was quite malty with a hint of piney hops in there. The taste...well I can only describe it as "Arrogant Bastard light". It does have quite a bit of hop kick and a good malt backbone but it does not tase unique enough to give it a higher score. This beer is very easy to drink though, just not all that exciting.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is the only Stone beer that I have tried that did not impress me that much. It poured a nice dark amber color with a great head that left lots of lace down the glass. The smell was quite malty with a hint of piney hops in there. The taste...well I can only describe it as "Arrogant Bastard light". It does have quite a bit of hop kick and a good malt backbone but it does not tase unique enough to give it a higher score. This beer is very easy to drink though, just not all that exciting.
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4.22/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I'm always excited to try a new Stone brew, this one with a levitating gargoyle on the front. It pours from the 12oz bottle into my glass a deep amber/red with a solid half inch of light tan foam. Quite appealing. Aromas start with a nice biscuity/bready/doughy maltiness and a touch of caramel. Plenty of pungent citrusy, resinous hops in the mix. Clean, sharp and vibrant.
First sip brings a big biscuit, doughy maltiness right out of the gate with a touch of caramel and a slight sour note. Herbal, citrusy hop tones come in midway through and meld in nicely. Slighty nutty, this one finishes with a mellow bitterness. Another tasty brew from Stone.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with an expansive carbonation that engulfs the mouth and gives a nice creamy sensation. Easily drinkable, would make a nice session brew if I had access to it. Might serve as a nice crossover beer for those new to craft brew as well. Thanks to Callenak for the chance to sample this one.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I'm always excited to try a new Stone brew, this one with a levitating gargoyle on the front. It pours from the 12oz bottle into my glass a deep amber/red with a solid half inch of light tan foam. Quite appealing. Aromas start with a nice biscuity/bready/doughy maltiness and a touch of caramel. Plenty of pungent citrusy, resinous hops in the mix. Clean, sharp and vibrant.
First sip brings a big biscuit, doughy maltiness right out of the gate with a touch of caramel and a slight sour note. Herbal, citrusy hop tones come in midway through and meld in nicely. Slighty nutty, this one finishes with a mellow bitterness. Another tasty brew from Stone.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with an expansive carbonation that engulfs the mouth and gives a nice creamy sensation. Easily drinkable, would make a nice session brew if I had access to it. Might serve as a nice crossover beer for those new to craft brew as well. Thanks to Callenak for the chance to sample this one.
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3.78/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Darker than most ambers I've had. Sits a nice clear dark caramel amber color in my pint glass. Had a nice one inch head on the pour that reduced to a quarter inch of dense tan foam. Coral lace grips the glass. I dont know how Stone does it with their head and its retention...always a highlight of their brews. Not much else I could ask for.
Sweet aroma with its caramel malting and dark bread hints. Floral and citrus hops dominate but there is actually a substantial malting component to this, but leave it to Stone to make some hops show up as well. Simple smell but still good.
Taste is a bit different than the aroma. More of an earthy, biscuit maltyness that is typical of most ambers. Finishes with the same earthy hops. Again pretty simple.
Mouthfeel is a touch thin to me. It sticks to the cheeks well but is a touch watery. Decent carbonation though leads to a crisp edge. Good drinkability though. I'd recommend this to someone who was just getting into craft beers, for me though there are others out there on the same level.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Darker than most ambers I've had. Sits a nice clear dark caramel amber color in my pint glass. Had a nice one inch head on the pour that reduced to a quarter inch of dense tan foam. Coral lace grips the glass. I dont know how Stone does it with their head and its retention...always a highlight of their brews. Not much else I could ask for.
Sweet aroma with its caramel malting and dark bread hints. Floral and citrus hops dominate but there is actually a substantial malting component to this, but leave it to Stone to make some hops show up as well. Simple smell but still good.
Taste is a bit different than the aroma. More of an earthy, biscuit maltyness that is typical of most ambers. Finishes with the same earthy hops. Again pretty simple.
Mouthfeel is a touch thin to me. It sticks to the cheeks well but is a touch watery. Decent carbonation though leads to a crisp edge. Good drinkability though. I'd recommend this to someone who was just getting into craft beers, for me though there are others out there on the same level.
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Levitation Ale from Stone Brewing
3.88
out of 5
based on 3,888 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Nice amber color with a good white head
Smell: Piney herbal hops, with some light malt in the background
Taste: Citrus, pine, herbal hoppy flavors. Some toasted bread, grain, and caramel malts in the background
Mouthfeel: Light body, good carbonation
Overall: Good session beer, but way too expensive for what it is. I try to not let my wallet influence reviews, but when I'm paying what this costs, I would prefer to be satisfied with one beer. I would have this around often if it was more affordable. But still, it is overall a very good brew.
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