Boundary Ale

Like me, Boundary Ale comes from New Brunswick, though that's about where the similarities end, since I was born in Fredericton, and this clear, copper ale was produced by Moosehead Breweries Ltd., in Saint John. The label of the 341mL bottle makes a big deal of the fact that this stuff is brewed with four varieties of hops and seven varieties of malt. It contains 5.3% alcohol.

Boundary pours with a healthy layer of ecru head and has a pretty fair amount of carbonation. It has a forceful aroma that is primarily malty-driven and features notes of raisin and something faintly metallic. It also smells mildly boozy and has a whisper of bitterness. B.A. has a smooth, creamy body. It tastes of roasty malts up front and has a subtly bitter finish.

This is actually pretty impressive pseudo-craft beer work from a national macrobrewery. It's sufficiently innocuous to have wide appeal, but there is some undeniable craft charm. Quite frankly, I enjoyed this beer a lot more than I thought I would. It's the kind of ale that I could sink happily over a couple of hours in a snug pub.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.