Forever Ago by Boundary is a New England IPA with flavours of mango, orange and apricot. It’s 6% ABV and contains gluten, but is suitable for vegans.
Summer is here! Just about. And as much as I love a mucky dessert stout on a sweltering hot day, it’s time to get back into juice bombs.
Enter Forever Ago, a NEIPA from Belfast brewing collective Boundary. The can promises us something “murky, hazy, low bitterness and absolutely delicious”. We can only hope.
It certainly delivers on the murky and hazy front. It’s a thick, opaque orange in colour. There’s around a finger of loose, off-white head that soon dissipates to leave just the tiniest bit of lacing.
First impressions are good. The aroma is juicy: an initial hit of apricot and ripe orange, then some mango spiciness all riding atop a pale, biscuit malt. The mouthfeel is satisfyingly thick, but not so sweet that it becomes cloying.
I’d question the can blurb’s assertions of “low bitterness”: there’s definitely a hit of grapefruit bitterness on the palate here, along with more of those tropical mango flavours. There’s a boozy warmth there too, more than I’d expect for a beer weighing in at 6% ABV.
The finish is a little tart and dries the mouth; an odd sensation for what tastes at first like a fairly juicy beer. The effect means it’s not the best thirst-quencher. I find myself reaching for something lighter still to try and freshen my palate.
Still, it’s a pleasant, interesting beer. And to kick off an afternoon lounging by the barbecue, that’s really all you need.
Brew Report 