Late Summer Beer Roundup

There isn't really a season for beer, but there are seasonal beers. As Summer nears it's end, here are a few more to take note of. 

My ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being crap and 5 being godlike. But don't take my word on it. Try them all yourself! And always keep it indie.

ALEXANDER KEITH'S NOVA SCOTIA STYLE LAGER (St. Louis, MO) - 2

Reviewed this one before, 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.

VICTORY SUMMER LOVE (Downington, 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

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.

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.

Beer is Life!

It's time again for more beer reviews. Expect even more in the coming weeks, as this site becomes better balanced amongst the arts...film, sound, and flavor! 

Remember to keep it indie, keep it local, and keep it artful! Beer is food, and food is life, so wouldn't beer be life? Goatsden thinks so. 

Here are a few more recent reviews. Try them yourself and see if you agree, and let us know! Until next time, prost!

SIXPOINT - RESIN (Brooklyn, NY) - 4.0

Amber with hints of ruby upon pouring from the can, with a huge head of foam and gorgeous lace. Nose is sweet grapefruit, as is the taste. It's a sticky mouthfeel, being gloriously hopped, but with an underlying backbone of big malts as well, lurking beneath the palate-shocking hops. Definitely one for the hardcore hop-heads here. Solid, and a good experience, for sure.

RIVERTOWN - BLUEBERRY LAGER (Lockland, OH) - 1.0

This cloudy, pale yellow light lager pours with a nice head, but no lace to note.

The aroma is definitely blueberry, but more in line with a Nehi soda than fresh. Taste is very light, and not at all complex. There's a sure blueberry-like character, but it's a weird and funky sweet that clashes with the lager grains. Maybe I'm swayed by the bottle stating prominently that there's "artificial flavor added", but this just seems wrong. The finish is despicable and chemical-like. Awful.

WIDMER BROTHERS - ROTATOR SPICED IPA (Portland, OR) - 4.0

Very light but cloudy yellow in complexion, with a full head and detailed lace. Impressive. The nose is positively delectable, being intensely fruity with a deep citrus hops ester vibe. Flavor is tough up front, with a bitter pine/grapefruit hops bite. I get a light hint of tea and spice towards the finish. Unique and quite enjoyable!

REDHOOK PILSNER (Woodinville, WA)- 3.0

A fairly typical pilsner here, pouring yellowish with a white head and big, loopy lace. The aroma is lagery and grainy - definitely heavy on the malts. Tastewise, it's rather sweet, but not overly so, with a tinge of hoppiness at the finish. Solid, if forgettable.

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.