Stone has a well-deserved reputation for putting out some of the best craft beers anywhere at any price. From the ‘beat you about the head and shoulders’ Ruination Double IPA, to the fireplace flavored Smoked Porter, their consistency and quality is a cut above the rest. Also, their gargoyle mascot looks as if he will eat your soul, so they got the whole scare the shit out of you angle which helps too…
Stone is also known for their boldness, both in name and in flavor. So, when they come out of left field and brew a ‘session’ beer, I get a bit skeptical. A ‘session’ beer, for those that don’t know is a beer with a lower alcohol content (usually around 4- 4.5%), basically so you can quaff a few more than usual and not be so banged up that you try to hump the doorknob. Or sing “Cool It Now” in a falsetto to a full bar crowd. Not that I’ve ever done those things, but you get my point. The tradeoff of the low ABV is that the flavor profile usually suffers as well. Which brings us to the beer in front of me, an amber ale called Stone Levitation. As part of its description, Stone’s website says it has ‘…rich malt flavors, and a hoppy character….’. In a session beer? I’ll be the judge of that.
Hey now, this thing is foaming up like a rough sea! Dammit, I could barely pour half the beer before having to let it settle. C’mon, I’m thirsty! “Oh, sorry crazy gargoyle, I wasn’t yelling at you. Here’s a stray cat for you to snack on, just eat that shit over there before I throw up…” The color is a hazy opaque garnet, which lightens a bit toward the bottom of the glass. In color, this is the consummate amber ale. There’s a big white pillowy head with a sprinkle of hops, and an almost earthy, ginger/caramel nose to it. It’s really complex. I actually dipped my whole nose in that giant head and got a little crazy for a minute. Yeah, I’m naked writing this review. So what? You are just jealous. You ever smell hot garbage in the summer? Well, this beer smells the exact opposite of that. The nose may be one of the reasons that this beer won the gold at The Great American Beer Festival in 2007. Very nice. Mmm… and it tastes as good as it smells. There is a little hop flavor up front, but it’s all about the chewy malt goodness in the middle, baby. I taste a little root beer barrel candy in there, some maple, and a touch of pine needles and fresh cut grass. The hop profile nips back in for a second towards the end, but only because it’s a baby and is jealous of all the malt’s attention. Nevertheless, even though it’s very malt forward, this is still a very well balanced beer. There are a lot of hidden flavors in there just waiting to be found too, so drink it with a few friends and compare notes. Aftertaste? A bit, but it’s not unpleasant. Kind of like bacon when you burp it back up, but different. All this goodness with an ABV of 4.4%?! Totally rad. Crushing a sixer of this would be no problem. Just don’t drive anywhere, assclown. Awesomeness scale? I’d make out with Joan Rivers for another. Speaking of gargoyles…
8.5. Kudos to Stone for putting out a low alcohol beer with a robust and delicious flavor. Very impressive. Make it a fridge regular, your friends will thank you.
Check em’ out here: http://www.stonebrew.com/index2.asp
