Review: Stone Levitation Ale

Stone Levitation Ale
4.4% ABV

The Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, San Diego County, CA

12 oz btl

Served in Duvel tulip glass

Date on bottle: Enjoy by 9/25/13
Reviewed on 7/29/13

This amber ale pours a solid amber color with a good bubbly off-white head that has decent retention.  Good lacing.

Smell has hops, malt, some spice, floral, candy, some cherry, citrus, pepper.

Taste has malt, dry pepperiness, some bitter hops, floral, herbal, citrus, touch of dark fruit, spicy candy, bready.

Mouthfeel is fairly dry and bitter on the palate.  Solid consistent flavor that coats the tongue.

Overall, this is a quite complex tasting amber ale that is quite sessionable yet sacrifices little in flavor.  Flavor profile has hops, malt, and spices, along with citrus and some dark fruit.  It hits the palate with some fairly strong dryness and bitterness.  This feels much bigger than what the ABV would suggest.

My score: 92

Review: Caldera Ashland Amber Ale

Caldera Ashland Amber Ale
5.6% ABV

Caldera Brewing Company, Ashland, OR

12 oz can
Served in Duvel tulip glass
No date on can

Reviewed on 5/21/13 

This amber ale pours a hazy golden amber color with a decent off-white head that has good retention.  Moderate lacing.

Smell consists of malt, hops, grapefruit, herbal notes, sugar, slight caramel.

Taste consists of some sugary maltiness, mild hops, grapefruit, citrus, floral, herbal, touch of spice, breadiness.

Mouthfeel is dry with a touch of bitterness on the palate.  A touch thin.

Overall, a fairly decent tasting amber ale that has a good dry, malty, and somewhat hoppy profile of flavors.  It comes across as a touch thin and a touch flat at times, but it's still a decent if not exceptional offering overall.  After a few tastes, the flavor gets a bit muddled in the middle.  It would be interesting to taste this one fresh.


My score: 86

Review: Maine Beer Company Zoe

Maine Beer Company Zoe
7.2% ABV

Maine Beer Company, Portland, ME

16.9oz btl
Served in Duvel tulip glass
Date on bottle: 2/28/13
Reviewed on 3/30/13

This ale pours a dark amber color with a good bubbly light beige head.  Good lacing.  Decent carbonation evident.

Smell consists of hops, malt, brown sugar, caramel, biscuit, slight yeast, rye, floral notes, some spice, some pepper.

Taste consists of hops, rye, caramel, malt, bread, some yeast, spice, pepper, floral and herbal notes, mild dark fruit.

Mouthfeel is earthy and textured on the palate.  Well balanced with decent but not overwhelming strands of dryness and bitterness.

Overall, this is a nice tasting amber ale that has qualities of a rye and some of an IPA.  Quite hoppy with good mixes of brown sugar, biscuit, rye, and spices.  It sort of breaks the style or crosses the style--however you may look at it--which is a good thing to do as it provides a distinct flavor.  Maine Beer Company is new to my area and, judging by this beer, is a bit on the pricey side, which might be the main reason not to have this one regularly.  Good deep tastes come through after drinking more and it coming up to temperature (it becomes more and more like an IPA as this happens--fascinating!). 

My score: 94

Review: Burley Oak Rude Boy

Burley Oak Rude Boy

ABV: 8%

IBU: 31

Sampled at the Burley Oak Brewery in Berlin, Maryland on 7/14/12; also purchased a 64 oz growler. 

Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass

Reviewed on 7/16/12

Description from the Burley Oak website: "This 9 malt red ale is filled with complexity, presenting layers of barley spliced into the malty backbone. The wine of beers." 

This red ale pours a deep reddish brown color with a thin ivory-colored head.  There's good carbonation present and mild lacing.  Aromas of malt, rye, some hops, yeast, bread, and slight alcohol on the nose.  The taste has deep maltiness with notes of rye and yeast, hints of red wine and whiskey, and a touch of caramel.  The mouthfeel is earthy and grainy yet still has a good smoothness to it.  Flavors are well balanced.  Has characteristics of a whiskey, and a good dryness comes through.

A solid, tasty red ale from small brewery Burley Oak, which is located in Berlin, Maryland, close to Ocean City, Maryland, and about two and a half hours from the Baltimore area.  This beer is brimming with malt and rye popping out right at the front, and it completes with a nice dryness.  My wife Kathy gave this one a try after Bryan Brushmiller, brewmaster of Burley Oak and a cordial tasting room host, indicated that wine lovers find this one to be to their tasting (as noted in the description--"the wine of beers").  She liked it quite a bit then and says it's her favorite beer.  Well done, Mr. Brushmiller! 

Score: 93