Stone - Levitation Ale

Another night, another tasty brew!  Tonight's brew comes courtesy of Stone Brewing.  Every since these guys started to distribute out our way Dunz and I have jumped on the opportunity to taste as many Stone creations as we could.  Prior to tonight, we have reviewed seven (seems to be a common number these days) Stone brews to date.  We have tasted everything from Stone's Arrogant Bastard to their Cali-Belgie IPA and on into a delicious Sublimely Self Righteous Dark IPA.  Unfortunately, the limited release bottles don't make their way out here.  Hopefully if we drink enough Stone beer they will think the market is large enough to warrant sending a few bottles our way.

This bottle of Stone Levitation boasts the same gargoyle theme that we have all come to know and love.  The beer trapped inside is a clear burnt amber color.  A solid, creamy light tan foam forms and refuses to retreat.  Citrus and floral aromas are very prominent and supported by a hint of caramel and toasted bread.  The flavors here are intense replications of the aroma.  It starts off with a strong hop bitterness that quickly gives way to a fruity-citrusy combination which further yields itself to a sweet caramel finish.  No alcohol and a mild carbonation allow the primary flavors of citrus and caramelized bread to linger throughout.

Overall - A very tasty hoppy amber ale from Stone.  As with most Stone beers, Levitation doesn't really fit nicely into any single category of beer.  If anything, its a majorly hoppy American Amber Ale on steroids.  Bold flavors throughout kept me coming back for each sip.  Even though each aspect was bold and distinct, nothing completely overpowered this beer.  Levitation is a nicely balanced but bold brew.  Lucky for me its availability is year round!

Bell's - Amber Ale

Today is my wifes birthday!  I wanted to make sure it was a great one so I went out of my way and did a few special things for her that I normally wouldn't do.  I ordered some flowers to arrive for her at our house in the middle of the day, a bouquet of calla lilies which are her favorite.  I also made a reservation at a new Italian place called Parma thats only a short jaunt down the highway from our house.  It was amazing.  Highly recommended.

There were, of course, a few gifts involved as well.  One was the movie Tangled.  We went to go see it in theaters and she loved it so I thought it was an appropriate gift since it was just released yesterday.  Plus the horse in the movie is friggen hilarious.  I also got her a necklace of a bejeweled robot.  It sounded cooler then what it actually turned out to be.  I thought it was going to be this nice, petite necklace that she could wear it around and flaunt her nerdy side.  What it ended up being was giant piece of bling.  Think massive rapper necklace except not $57,000.  She decided it would work better as a key chain... I guess thats better than returning it!

So happy birthday to my wife and thank you to her for letting me write a review on her birthday!

Tonights brew is Bell's Amber.  I picked this up in another pick-a-six pack just last week.  According to Bell's website this is their flagship beer which surprised me.  Everywhere I go, at least in downtown Minneapolis, I see Bells Two Hearted.  In this area I think thats their flagship beer.  Everybody here knows Bells by their Two Hearted, not their Amber.  Maybe after this review I will think differently.

As I poured this into my pint glass I notice a big ol' load of sediment flowing throughout the beer.  Its not entirely surprising since this has happened with other Bells bottles Ive had.  Once I let it settle, we were ready to roll.  Brilliantly clear with a light amber hue.  An egg-white colored head persists in a thin layer after settling.  A sweet malt and toasty aroma are the first flavors I smell.  Some hops are present in the background.  The flavor follows through nicely from where the aroma left off.  A crisp and sweet/bready maltiness is accentuated by the carbonation.  Slight bitterness creates a clean finish.  No alcohol present from the 5.8% ABV.

Overall 4.0/6.0 - A good example of an American Amber.  Its the last example listed within the BJCP style guidelines which says something.  But for me, I wasnt all that impressed.  This is probably one thats much better on tap.  The sediment was a bit of a drag and prevented me from enjoying the entire pint.  The flavors were nice and the overall brew was easy to drink.  Once it warmed the flavors were much bolder.  If its on tap grab a few for yourself and your buddies.  If you see it in a six pack, maybe you should continue searching for another Amber.