I don't have super-developed taste buds and I'm not exactly a pro when it comes to describing hoppiness and all that shit. I drink beer. Quickly.
The first one I cracked wasn't at optimum temperature so I threw the other five into the freezer while I choked this fucker down. Yes, it was slightly warm but still surprisingly good. It definitely wasn't in that awful,warm Fat Tire zone where you'd rather drink coagulated elephant bile off the crack of Estelle Getty's mostly dead ass.
Once it gets past the lips, there's some pretty decent bite. Not overpowering but enough of a wakeup call to make you realize this isn't High Life. The best part of the beer is the finish, silky smooth. I cranked down the six pack in no time and enjoyed every second.
One drawback/advantage was the gnarly burps this fine liquid caused. It really "levitated" the gas in my gut.
The biggest drawback was the hangover/headache effect. I woke up at 4 in the morning with a splitting headache and what tasted like cat piss in my mouth. Levitation Ale really showed who was the boss in this sense.
Absolutely not a beer I'd consume for a day of watching football or bbq'ing. This is good stuff for having with dinner or this is going to sound strange, reading a book. It's true, it's true.
taste: 7/10
price: 4/10 - $8 for a sixer. Fuck that shit.
hangover potential: 10/10 - full disclosure, I consumed three pints of Kirin at dinner earlier in the night. The headache and burps had a distinct gargoyle musk to them, so the Levitation Ale was surely the culprit.
hangover effects 7/10 - nothing a gallon or so of water, a good shit and beatoff session can't cure, but a bit of grogginess lingered throughout the day
randomness - 3/10 - Stone Brewery beers are pretty much all over Phoenix. Not exactly hard to find. I had my first (two) Arrogant Bastards at a bachelor party about four years ago. Note to fellow alcohol consumers: DO NOT DRINK TWO ARROGANT BASTARDS IN A HALF HOUR...AND THEN RIP DOWN VODKA/RED BULLS LIKE IT'S YOUR JOB.
Nice segue...
This beer, is heavy, dark, chock full of alcohol and rather tasty. Less initial bite than the Levitation Ale but a much stronger aftertaste. Fortunately, the only way to combat the after taste is to drink more.
I bought just a single bottle of this fine effort from Stone, it was a pint and 6 ounces, I believe. Just enough to take me through the third quarter of the game between Los Suns and Los Spurs.
No less than an hour after the game, I was out cold on my wife's aunt's couch, drooling contentedly.
taste: 8/10
price: 2/10 - $3.50 for 20 ounces. This won't mess you up nearly as much as a 40 of Steel Reserve but it tastes a hell of a lot better and your head will not be in a vice hours later.
hangover potential: 10/10 - tread lightly, dear friends.
hangover effects: 0/10 - nada. I paid heed to my suggestion above.
6 comments:
"distinct gargoyle musk"
Best description I've read all day...
I really wish I had thought of hangover effects!
How hoppy is the Arrogant Bastard? Your review has tempted me to crack open my Stone Barley Wine...but I think I'll try to hold out. From what I hear, Stone brewery really pack a lot of flavor into their brews.
It's pretty damn hoppy. It's strange though, while hoppy beers aren't my thing, I enjoyed this stuff quite a bit.
I'm guessing the Barley Wine will be a punch in the face.
Stone brewery is decent, but they try and make all of their beers "extreme" by adding tons of chinook and other high AA hops. If you like beer with a completely stupid amount of IBU'S and a high alcohol percentage, stone brewery is for you.
in response to anonymous...if you're looking for stupid amounts of alcohol and ibu make it twords vermont and get pretty much anything from rock art brewery. usually at least 6% most are 8-10 and usually triple digit ibu...
Post a Comment