Stone Levitation Ale

Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Levitation Ale - 4.4%ABV

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

"It's been said that "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."

I'm starting to really like Stone Brewing and their beers. I've had 3 now and have enjoyed them all. I chcked out their website and there are some really nifty sounding ones they've done as collaborations with other breweries. Want to see if I can track some of them down, especially that Japanese Green Tea IPA. As for their Levitation Ale another winner. It pours to a nice dark amber/brownish color. It has a very nice thick head that lingers and a good amount of carbonation. Hell I'm writing this 30 minutes after pouring it and the little bit still in my glass STILL has a thin head on it. Nice. It has a slightly more mellow aroma of citrusy hops and floral/earthy notes. As for tatse it's got flavor and backbone. It has a slight bitter taste up front and at the end. Not unexpected with the big hop flavor in this beer. You taste the citrus and earthy hop notes all throughout but they aren't overdone I think. It's nice and constant but not overly so. Honestly a bit more hoppy for an Amber Ale than I expected. Almost IPA or American Pale Ale in taste in my opinion. Plus you'd expect a higher ABV with the strong hop prescnece but it sits at a 4.4%ABV. That means you can drink several and still walk which is nice heh. What does keep it an amber ale though is the slight malt presence. It's there but more subdued and blends in with the earthy and floral hop flavors. Just enough there though that you pick it out.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. If you like Pale Ales/IPA's and Amber ales this is a good one. It's got a very distinct and strong taste without being overly bitter or strong. Plus with it's lower ABV you can enjoy several at a time. This one sort of makes me think of it as a slightly more subdued version of Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale (also good). This would be good with grilled or spicy foods I think. As for my rating I'm giving this one a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.

Stone Pale Ale

Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Pale Ale - 5.40% ABV

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

"Our flagship ale, Stone Pale Ale is our Southern California interpretation of the classic British pale ale style. Deep amber in color, Stone Pale Ale is robust and full flavored. A delicate hop aroma is complemented by a rich maltiness. This is an ale for those who have learned to appreciate distinctive flavor. Stone Pale Ale is great by itself, or with food that requires a beer of character."

So I had heard good things about Stone Brewing Co. so I wanted to eventually get to some of their brews. I decided to start with their flagship beer, their pale ale. I figured if your flagship beer is't good there's not much reason for me to try the rest and hope they're better. Well they lucked out heh. They'll continue to receive my money heh.

Now I love Pale Ales because I think they're one of the best beer types in terms of diversity. Flavor profiles, color, smell, etc all can vary a lot brand to brand. I like that. This particular pale ale pours a nice copperish red with a thick head. Sometimes you're just in that mood where a beer just looks good and you know it'll taste good too. This was one of those moments. After enjoying the appearance I took a big ole sniff or two. I instantly got aromas of ripe fruit and citrusy floral hops. A little caramel floral smell too. As for taste it's very smooth and the hops assert themselves very quickly. Strong hop flavor that lingers and just sits on your palate. In a good way though. The fruity undertones come through and balance out the hoppy bitterness. You get the lingering malty floral taste as it sits in your mouth for a second. Overall I really liked this one. It's a definite more assertive brew so if you want a pale ale that's a bit more mellow/balanced you may want to shy away. If you want some nice big flavors though check this one out.

Lost Dog Red Ale

Napa Smith Brewery

Napa Smith Lost Dog Red Ale - 7.20% ABV

Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0

I had never heard of Napa Smith brewing before trying this beer. If anyone would have mentioned them I'd have assumed they were a winery given the "Napa" part of their name. So when I saw it at the store I was intrigued. Especially since it's rocking a 7.2% ABV.

As you can see it pours a nice amber color with a decent head. In terms of smell it's mostly malty with a light hop aroma. There were some earthy/grassy notes with some fruitiness as well. It was actually more mild smelling overall. As for the taste it starts out sweet with flavors of fruit, honey and caramel/mall. A lingering bready malt character comes in after the initial flavor burst. The hops presence is mild and really comes out with the sweeter aftertaste. Helps balance it some I thought. I had let mine sit out a bit and as it warmed I tasted the hop presence more as well.

Overall not a bad beer. Not exactly great but pretty solid. I'd buy it again. I'm gonna give this one a 3.0 out of 5.0 for now.

Köstritzer Schwarzbier

Köstritzer Brewery

Köstritzer Schwarzbier - 4.80% ABV

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

"Specially finished malted barley give the beer Köstritzer her unique specialty of fine malt flavor. With the lively and elegant character creates a unique taste experience. Enjoy Germany's favorite black beer."

The picture came out a bit fuzzy but as you can see this is a dark black beer. Picked this up a while ago when getting some Octoberfest themed beers at the store. My gf actually saw this and picked it out. A good German girl would know a good German beer. And indeed it was quite good.

As I said this baby pours a nice dark DARK brown. So dark it might as well be black. You only really see it's not pitch black when by a good light source. Came with a nice thick tan head on it. Took me a bit to find my camera so the head has dissipated some but trust me, it pours thick. As expected with such a dark beer you smell the dark roasted malt right away. You can also get hints of dark chocolate, coffee, and a faint caramel like sweetness. It smells damn good. I often am scared when a beer smells so good as I get higher expectations for the taste and worry about being disappointed. Not so here.

It's silky and balanced and very easy to sip on. Tasted the roasted malt up front with some mild sweetness. Tasted touches of cocoa, dark bread yeast, and faint nuttiness. Bready malted notes with very faint sweetness. It's very smooth and a great example where the flavors are kept in balance and not overpowering. If you like dark beer this is a good one to try.

I'm gonna give this silky and smooth brew a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.

Saranac Pomegrante Wheat

Matt Brewing Company

Saranac Pomegranate Wheat - 4.70% ABV

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

"This wholesome combination of unfiltered wheat beer and real pomegranate juice makes a smooth refreshing beer with all the goodness of pomegranate. Look for a light body with a slight tart finish and golden straw color."

Now I love Pomegranate anything. Have long before it became the hip new super fruit of choice. Pama is one of my favorite liquors to mix with other items at parties. I also love wheat beers. So when I saw a pomegranate wheat beer I was all over that like white on rice. Now for me personally Saranac is often hit or miss with their brews. Often I find the brews sound good on paper but at times fall short in reality of what it promises. They're not bad per se but just don't live up to their own hype sometimes. I was hoping for something refreshing, fruity, and just a good summer thirst quencher. I was not disappointed with this one.

As you can see it pours a nice hazy golden color. Not a lot of head and it does dissipate rather quickly too. It's got a more mild scent but you can smell the pomegranate. As for taste it is a bit mild but that's actually a good thing. Neither the bitterness of the hops nor the sweetness of the pomegranate outdo the other. I tasted the wheat maltiness up front which I expected. Then you get the mix of the hop flavor and pomegranate. The best feature about this beer is again the balance between the two. Often I find Saranac beers are middle of the road but this one for me was a bit better. Then again I do love wheat beers and pomegranate so maybe I'm just being nice.

While not an exceptional beer this one was quite good and very refreshing. So it does make for a good spring/summer thirst quencher. If you want a wheat beer that's a bit different I would at least give this one a try. So I'm giving this one a 3.5 out of 5.0.