Stone Levitation

Stone Brewing is based in San Diego, CA and I have tried almost everything that is distributed in Denver.  One that I had not tried was Stone’s Levitation Ale (4.4% ABV and 45 IBU) that is an American Amber / Red Ale.  Levitation is the lowest ABV beer that Stone brews and it has won awards over the years.  Levitation is very good and it is a great beer to choose if you are looking for a session beet that has a lot of flavor.

American Amber / Red Ale – description –

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/128  Beeradvocate

Appearance – Amber / copper / garnet color with a nice two-finger head

Aroma – Nice hop aroma of citrus / grapefruit and nice caramel malt sweetness too.

Taste – Excellent – there is some caramel sweetness with a nice hop taste of citrus / grapefruit.

Overall – B+ – an excellent session beer.  Stone does a great job with this low ABV session Amber Ale.

Website description – “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.”

URL – http://www.stonebrew.com/home.asp

Bristol Brewing - Mass Transit & Beehive

Bristol Brewing is based in Colorado Springs and I have tried and liked Laughing Lab – Scottish Ale and Old No. 23 Barley wine.  I think both of these have won awards over the years.  Bristol is a small brewer and they offer a variety pack of six different styles or two each.  Mass Transit Ale (5.1% ABV and 21 IBU) is an American Amber / Red Ale that pours a cloudy reddish tan with a two-finger head.  Bristol describes Mass Transit Ale as, “Based on the amber style, this is a dependable session beer that simply delivers superb flavor. Crystal, Carapils, Victory and Vienna specialty malts give this ale its rich auburn color and easygoing nature.”  Mass Transit is easy to drink and would go great with BBQ and Hamburgers.

Beehive (4.06% ABV and 16 IBU) is an American-Style Wheat Beer and pours cloudy orange yellow with a small head.  Follow the pouring instructions on the bottle to pour the beer with the yeast as the brewer intends for this beer to be tasted.  Bristol describes Beehive as, “Definitely sunshine in a glass. Beehive is a joy to drink, with its beautiful honey-gold color and refreshing, full-flavored body. For our version of the classic American Wheat, we use less two-row and more Munich malt for depth, and soften the edges with the lightness of wheat. Local Black Forest honey adds character without sweetness.”  For comparison, my wife enjoyed a glass of Chocolate Wine with an ABV of 14%.  I would need to drink 3.5 glasses of Beehive to equal one glass of that particular wine.  Beehive is a nice beer and you could literally drink these all night with the low ABV.  I was thinking it might be too sweet with the honey, but this was not the case.  This is definitely a “session” beer and I think would be a good beer for the non-beer drinker.

Avery - Joe's American Plisner

Avery – Joe’s American Pilsner is a session beer at 4.7% ABV and 42 IBU.  As the story goes, Joe is Adam Avery’s grandfather who gave Adam his first taste of beer and Joe’s picture graces the can.  Yes, craft beer in cans and I think this is a good way to go.  The can is a great because there is no oxidation and no exposure to light that can damage beer.  Cans are very portable, easier to store, and are better for the environment.  The cans do not alter the taste of beer because they are lined and many craft brewers are moving to cans.  One thing that brewers in Denver have is the experience from Ball Corp. and from Coors. 

Joe’s is a nice beer and it is easy to have more than one because of the lower ABV.  I think this is the lowest ABV of any from Avery and is described on the can as, “You’re holding a contemporary rendition of a classic style. Hopped with purpose, Joe’s is beautifully bitter and dry with an abundance of floral, Noble German hops. Uber-sessionable. Utterly American. This is Premium American Pilsner.”  Avery added the hops to this beer to make it their own and this is a nice beer.  It pours clear yellow with a nice head that one needs to be aware as this can over run your glass.  The head is thick – almost meringue-like.  I poured it into a champagne flute to enjoy with dinner.  If you are a fan of pilsner’s, I suggest you try it.