For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Stone Levitation Ale produced by the Stone Brewing Company located in Escondido, California.

Stone is one of my favorite brewers and I really enjoy everything they make, however I have never tried this brew, so I’m eager to see how it stands up to the others.

Here’s the description from the website, stonebrew.com.

It’s been said the “Gravity Sucks.”  Simple enough.  Well, we at Stone have identified gravitational forces in the beer world.  And we have come to the conclusion that they, well, see above.  So we avoid these less-than-desirable gravitational forces.  We avoid dumbed-down flavor profiles and the vigorous pursuit of the lowest common denominator.  We avoid big dollar marketing mentalities.  We avoid additives, cheap adjuncts, stabilizers and chemical preservatives.  So in the defiance of gravity we bring you Stone Levitation Ale.  This deep amber ale has rich malt flavors, a big hoppy character, citrus overtones (courtesy of the hops and our special brewers yeast) and modest alcohol. 

How ’bout it?  You ready?

The Stone Levitation Ale came in on the lighter side at 4.4% ABV and it was packaged in a 12 oz. bottle.

With the appearance, this beer poured a semi-clear (some reviews I’ve read described it as very clear), amber color with some burnt orange highlights at the bottom of the glass.  Chunks of sediment were suspended throughout the beer.  Not sure if they were supposed to be there or not.  Oh well.  A decent sized light tan/off white head was produced that had both good retention and good lacing.

The aroma brought forth a fragrance of caramel sweetness, some hints of grapefruit and some bready malts.  Wheat bread type malts actually.  A touch of an earthy undertone along with a light toastiness completed the nose.  It seemed to be pleasant and balanced fairly well.

The flavor profile reaffirmed the caramel sweetness combined with a slight hop bite.  Not a whole lot, but enough of a tickle to be a primary characteristic.  A dry, chalky, toasted grain brought out a nice, crisp snap.  A mild butter flavor was there along with a bit more of the “earthy” attributes.  Toward the end of the drink I started to detect a very, very slight “beer” taste.  It could have been the grain becoming more evident, however I was a bit surprised to find that. 

The mouthfeel was medium, mostly smooth and dry.  I found it to be refreshing, crisp and thirst quenching.  A bit of flavor was left on the palate, however it seemed to vanish a little quicker than I had hoped. 

Overall, I thought this was a nice effort by Stone.  I, personally, don’t think it quite measures up to some of their other brews, but for a light(er) beer, this thing does the trick.  It’s very easily drinkable and I think it would be a nice alternative to some of the Summer beers that are on the market.  It’s definitely worth a try in my opinion.  In some ways this beer reminds me of an ESB with the earthy hops and the buttery undertones, but hey, that could just be me.  So, give the Stone Levitation Ale a try and see how you think it stacks up.

Have any of you guys had this brew?  If so, what did you think of it?

Thanks for reading!!!  I really appreciate it!!!

Cheers!!!

Score:  3.55 out of 5
Grade:  B