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Taste:
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Description:
Like the nocturnal man-beast that serves as its namesake, Newcastle Werewolf has something of a split personality. Tear into a bottle or a pint and it mysteriously transforms – starting out smooth and mellow, then transforming to a bitter bite that will leave beer lovers howling for more. Newcastle Werewolf features a seasonally advantageous palate – sweet berry fruit with roasted caramel notes up front followed by a bite from Fuggle and Golding hops at the finish. It is brewed with rye malts, making it naturally blood-red in color, and is 4.5 percent alcohol by volume with 23.4 International Bittering Units. (Description provided by company)
Brewer:
Beer Style:
ABV:
4.50% ABV
Availability Frequency:
Fall
Containers Available:
bottle
Locations Where Available:
nationwide
Store/Serve Temperature:
45-54 degrees F
Comments
Drink it on a full moon
Pours a pretty deep red, although, in less than ideal light it can appear brown to dark brown. Substantial off white head that sticks around a bit. Nice lacing.
Nose is strong on the sweet and dark malt aromas, as well as some dark fruits, nuttiness, and breads.
Taste is quite sweet upfront, with some nice roasted flavors and a slight burnt bitterness toward the finish. Some raisin and plum flavors as well, especially on the slightly long finish.
Moderate light body, and medium carbonation.
Although striking in appearance, and inviting to the nose, Newcastle's Werewolf leans a bit to heavy in some of the sweeter malt flavors without quite enough balance for my preference. That's not entirely unexpected in an Irish Red, but this one seems a little bit more to the sweet side than some others.
Don't be scared of Newcastle's Werewolf
Newcastle Werewolf poured a clear copper with a mild amount of carbonation and not much of a head. The smell is strong with the sweets; I get mostly berries and coffee when I smell it. The taste leans more on the rye, with dark fruits, caramel rounding out the flavors. What really bothers me, though, is how it feels when I drink it. It seems quite thin and watery to me. Sure, I can guzzle a bottle down in no time, but mostly the feel is so slick that the taste slips away nearly as quickly as the beer slips down my throat. Not a beer I would reject if offered, but it wouldn't likely be my selection if given a choice of options.