Summer beer reviews are here!

Ah, it's been far too long, and I have several months of beer reviews to share. Here's the newest. If there are no links, it's because those are beers owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev or MillerCoors, the corporates. I don't discriminate, as this is all based on taste and taste alone. Keep in mind that my reviews are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being craptastic and 5 being godlike. So a 3.0 score indicates an "average" beer, drinkable but not recommended. Keep it local, keep it independent (not corporate), and keep it real!

ALEXANDER KEITH'S NOVA SCOTIA STYLE LAGER (St. Louis, MO) - 2.0
Reviewed this one back in June, and I liked it better then. Pours a clean yellow-amber, with a modest foam and delicate lace. Malty sweet on the nose, kinda corny, even. Not a great start. The taste is sweet, with a caramel-honey vibe. There's no complexity whatsoever here, and I found this one-dimensional, off-balance, and needing to be fine-tuned. No, thanks.

BODDINGTON'S PUB ALE (Luton, England) 1.0
This "draughtflow system" pint can pours with a huge head of quickly-dissipating bubbles and no lace. The nose is sweet and even a bit toast-like. Flavor is mild all the way, and even watery. I'll give it points for being "creamy" and "smooth", yes, but this beer has little character or body. Thin and uninteresting, this is one to avoid.

VICTORY SUMMER LOVE (Downintown, PA) - 4.5
This nice, clean, golden ale immediately invites with a rich head of fine white foam and spotty lace on the glass. The aroma? crisp and delightful, with plenty of fresh citrus hops and even a trace of fruit. I get more of the hoppiness in the taste, but this one isn't bitter or harsh at all. There seems to be hints of citrus and even apricot in there. A delicious and palate-pleasing summer brew with tons of nuance and flavor, all the while remaining light and drinkable. Winner!

RIVERTOWN HOP BOMBER PALE ALE (Lockland, OH) - 4.0
This attractive pale ale pours a clean amber in my glass, with a thick head of bone-white foam. Decent spoke-style lacing. Olfactory-pleasing, with touches of pine and orange. The taste is mild, but distinctive and full of character. I get some citrus hops notes up front, with mostly orange peel, followed up with a malty backbone that smoothes out the hops and suppresses the bitterness. This one's a sturdy, well-balanced, and very enjoyable ale.