Newcastle Werewolf - The Caledonian Brewery Company Limited

dacrza1

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Situation: Completed the holiday un-decorating...
Glassware: Rare Vos pint...
Appearance: quickly thinning off-white head to a pencil moustache...no lacing; body is dark orange and sparsely effervescent...
Aroma: buttery and malty, almost as a spirit with more potency--otherwise, much as a nut brown...
Palate: medium-bodied, thin and smooth--welcoming and simple...
Taste: slightly metallic, flat, malty and late hints of hops leave this beer oddly nondescript...
Overall: More of a chip/pretzel chaser than a stand-alone sessioon beer--not disappointing, but not upset by its "limited release" packaging either...

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:18:27 | More by dacrza1

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up in a "mix-your-own" six pack.

Pours with a orange-amber body (nowhere near blood red, as the label states!) under a white head that quickly falls to a thin layer on the surface.

The nose is rather faint. I smell hints of generic malt and hops, but it is pretty sad.

The flavor actually surprises me with its complexity; this is a cut above the usual mass-produced lager. A rather generic tasting toasted malt flavor pervades everything about this taste, but additional slightly more roasty flavors come in as well making me think that some slightly more interesting malts were used in the production of this beer. Also some hop bitterness makes an appearance with a slight addition of hop flavor that is drying and pleasant. Reading the label I see this was brewed with rye, which explains the slightly more complex character (as opposed to regular Newcastle).

The mouthfeel is pretty much generic, but with slightly better smoothness than average. Forced carbonation is unremarkable.

Conclusion: This was better than I expected, and way better than the usual mass produced "fall beers" that clutter shelves this time of year.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 18:49:58 | More by allforbetterbeer

57md

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish brown (close, but not quite the color of coagulated blood) with two healthy fingers of head that retained for quite some time. There is definitely a wine nose to this offering. The wine in the nose comes through in the taste as well and the finish is dry. I am not sure if this is a red ale. In fact, I am not sure how this should be classified, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Had this at a Halloween party and it paired well with the superbly marinated grilled steak and chicken.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 05:23:09 | More by 57md

brewskifan55

Mississippi

2.53/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a tulip glass

A: Light brown. Not much head that quickly dissipates to big bubbles. Very light lacing.

S: Soapy. Malt, bananas.

T: Eh. Chocolate. Nutty. Biscuity, caramel malts. A really strange finish, like root beer and tree bark.

M: Light. Low carbonation. A flat finish.

O: Not impressed. Really boring. This creature bit me, in a bad way. A drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 15:13:33 | More by brewskifan55

atr2605

New York

2.58/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A-pours a dark reddish brown with an off white head with average retention
S-pretty faint, some caramel, some fig, low hop aroma
T-Caramel is about the only thing that follows through, with some bitterness but the hops dont contribute much to the flavor. Definitely a little under powered
M-light-medium bodied
O-Very drinkable beer but not what I would call a red ale. I feel pretty similar about this as I do normal newcastle, if its there I will drink it but its not what I would seek out

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:42:15 | More by atr2605

diamondc

Texas

2.65/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Slighty reddish mahogany tint, some decent head and lacing.

S: Odd scent ... a mixture of ripe berries, gooey hot caramel, grape kool-aid.

T: Watery almost brown ale characteristics, slightly nutty, charred coffee, a bit minty on the aftertaste.

M: Meh... as I mentioned, watered-down. No where close to an Irish Red Ale as its listed here.

O: A mediocre beer. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 04:20:32 | More by diamondc

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Translucent dark brown/maroon. Bubbly eggshell white head.

Aroma: A clean bready smell. Pretty sweet in the nose with caramal/crystal malts, assuming this will be a very malty palate. Smells very similar to a Scotch or 90 Schilling Ale.

Taste: Lots of that sweet malt and breadyness from the nose here. Nothing mind-blowing but a decent example of the style. There's a moment in the finish where you almost get a roasted quality, but that feeling disappears too quickly. No hop presence or bitterness here(unless you count the dryness in the finish), however there is a peppery spice that lingers on your tongue that I think is evidence of the rye malt used in this one.

Mouthfeel: Effervescent but pretty smooth. Average drinkability. The peppery spice starts to get a little cloying after a while. Between light and medium in body.

Final Thoughts: For the style, Werewolf beats Killian's in my book. Newcastle has definitely put some work into this brew. Having said that, I don't think this is a beer worth seeking out or getting overly excited about. It's just an interesting seasonal release that pairs well with a cool autumn night.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:10:35 | More by JamesMN

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours ruby with a very small head that disappears quickly. Leaves no lacing.

S - Skunk, caramel malt, rust.

T - Predominantly sweet malt with caramel malt in the finish.

M - Medium carbonation with a medium body. Pretty flat though.

O - Overall, for $1.59 a bottle it isn't so bad. No it isn't complex but it is easy to drink and would be a good beer for people who are just now getting into complex beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 18:45:00 | More by SometimesIfart

mnrider

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12. oz. Brown bottle. Blood Red Ale.

A: Pours a clear blood red. Small forming white head. No lacing.
Clumpy carbonation along the glass.

S: Earthy smoke like. Sweet Malts and a bit of a fruit aroma.

T/M: The rye malts are most dominant with a hit of hop bitterness.
Earthy some smokey caramel. Thick bodied and somewhat smooth.
The aftertaste is heavy and dry.

O: A pretty good middle of the road Red Ale. Malty with little else.
Not something I'd seek out again.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 01:15:01 | More by mnrider

MrVonzipper

California

2.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Clear amber-ruby color with a bubbly off white colored head. Medium retention and lacing.

Nose is a little weird with a slightly sweet strawberry-like note and light malt. That's about it.

Flavor isn't terrible but it's a little weird. It's kind of all over the place. It tastes like someone poured a Killians's Irish Red into a glass that had Newcastle in it, and maybe another beer or two as well. A little bitter on the front half and then a little roasted malt and nuttiness at the end.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall this beer was just a waste of time for the brewers and the drinkers IMO. No need to try this.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 22:33:44 | More by MrVonzipper

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

ST: 12oz poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear, reddish-brown with a half-a-fingernail white, fluffy head.

S: Toasty malt and very nutty.

T: Nutty, malty, a touch of blackberry with a hint of bitterness and alcohol. It leaves a mellow nutty flavor in the average finish.

M: Medium

O: A fair ale. It is mellow and pleasant; it would be easy to drink a six pack. It is a solid beer, but it isn't much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 20:53:29 | More by ianjsullivan

palma

New York

3.68/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A nice aroma on this beer. Caramel, burnt sugar, melted butter, rye bread, strong English hops. Very complex aroma.

Taste is like a very mild rye ipa. Malty, medium hops profile, semi dry to dry in the end. Complex enough flavor and the dryness keeps you coming back. Becomes somewhat astringent. A good beer. Better than expected. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 16:39:39 | More by palma

Phocion

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle poured into a shaker pint. Medium-dark copper body with a thick but fairly unretentive frothy beige head. Light lacing.

Aroma is thick toffee and caramel. Spicy rye adds a nice touch. Grassy hops and a bit nutty, with a touch of toasted and roasted malts.

The flavor is a combination of burnt and toffee notes. Grassy hops, somewhat astringent. Burnt/bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

Thin and well-carbonated. Slick, oily mouthfeel.

I had heard less than flattering things about this beer, but decided to pick one up in a mixed 6-pack to see for myself. The aroma actually temporarily got my hopes up; it had a lot going on and the rye really added to it. However, this illusion faded after the first swallow. This is not a particularly pleasant beer to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 18:30:54 | More by Phocion

phichifiji00

California

3.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip class

Appearance: Coppery red, clear, pours thick white head that slowly fades.

Smell: Malty, sweet, red berries.

Taste: Rye, maltly, somewhat sweet, minimaly bitterness, hints of berries.

Mouthfeel: full bodied, decent carbonation.

Overall: A decent beer, but not as good as the brown ale. A fun concept, but doesn't live up to the promises on the label.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 02:20:08 | More by phichifiji00

phishsihq

Colorado

2.7/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Newcastle Werewolf is not necessarily an "Irish" beer, but it is classified as an Irish Red Ale, so we figured it would be a good place to kick off our week...
Werewolf pours reddish amber, with an inch of off-white head that provides for some lacing. Muted tones of toast, rye, nuts and some earthiness are present in the nose. The flavors follow the nose, with the addition of berries and some vinous (sherry?) hints, as well as some earthy hop bitterness. Lower levels of carbonation are met with a medium-light body in this "Blood Red" ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 01:59:42 | More by phishsihq

oldirtycaffrey

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This is a decent beer. Maybe best in small quantities. The appearance is very good -- sharp red color with a foamy inch and a half thick head that dissipates to a thin head over a normal amount of time. I can't tell if I like the smell or hate it honestly -- there's almost a nail polish aroma to it -- it's hard to smell the malt through the alcohol. The taste is solid -- a little bitter, malty, a bit of a bite to it, but nothing truly memorable in my opinion. I once tried a 2 oz. sample of it at a Total Wine & Beer and was impressed; 12 oz. though, a little less so.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 18:27:28 | More by oldirtycaffrey

clemtig76

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a six at Total Wine in Columbia, SC. Pours a clear coppery color with some ruby highlights. Thick rocky head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is classic English, malty, caramel,with just a faint aroma of English hops. This beer kinda reminded me of the old Bass before InBev moved the brewing location and ruined it. Well balanced with a fruity slightly malty flavour with a little twang in the finish.I would definitely buy it again. Aaahoo!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 21:13:17 | More by clemtig76

pdoran10

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Newcastle Werewolf pours out a medium brown color into a pint glass. There is a half a finger of head that fades quickly and leaves no lacing.

Smell is slight earthy grain and a hint of chocolate malt.

The taste on this is a subdued chocolate note with light roasted bread flavor. Really not much going on here. A bit watered down on the palate. Solid but unimpressive.

Mouthfeel is thin with low carbonation. I suppose it's not far off on carbonation for style, but this beer is very watery.

Overall a decent offering. Solid, but unspectacular brown ale. The label is a bit misleading with its claims of a blood red ale, but oh well.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 06:41:49 | More by pdoran10

ronniebruner

Arizona

2.58/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I must admit I was very disappointed in this beer. I bought a 12 pack and I am stuck with the other 11 bottles. This is the first time Newcastle has disappointed me. The beer pours a dark amber color, has a hint of porter aroma and the taste is of a barreled porter, but not a good one. The beer has minimal foam and lace, and while it is not the worst beer in the world, I will not be buying any more.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 01:11:07 | More by ronniebruner

BryanCarey

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Newcastle Werewolf Ale pours to a copper/red color with a subdued, earthy aroma that offers some hints of caramelized malt and a touch of chocolate and vanilla. There is a modest to low level of foam that dissipates to a thin layer in a short time.

Newcastle Werewolf Ale offers flavors of bread, caramel, grains, rye, nuts, some herbs, and a little bit of dark fruit. The tasting experience ends with a slight bitterness, but it doesn’t last long, returning quickly to the flavor of sweet malt.

Newcastle Werewolf is fall seasonal, limited edition beer brewed and sold with the cooler temperatures of fall in mind. It is classified as an Irish red ale and it is one of those beers that is very middle of the road, but in a mostly good way. I doubt anyone out there will find this beer offensive or turn it down, but I also doubt that many will be wowed by the experience. The flavor is a little too subdued to be taken completely seriously by the craft beer crowd, but at the same time, it has enough flavor going for it to make it worthy of a sample.

Newcastle’s brown ale is the beer that made it popular and like the brown ale, this one is very middle of the road overall. It isn’t anything amazing, but most who try it will find it good enough to recommend.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 02:06:47 | More by BryanCarey

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Deep copper colored with a diminishing creamy head. Some lacing.

Toasted malt upfront in the aroma. Grainy and sweet.

More of the same in the flavor, with a slightly metallic, bitterness. The bitterness lingers for a while, but the malty sweetness does not.

Light bodied. Almost to the point of emptiness. Carbonation is a little too sharp for my taste. An everlasting dry, bitter finish.

Nothing crazy here. A decent amber/red ale. I might buy some more next year, but it's not one I will highly anticipate.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 13:34:04 | More by UnderPressure

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ah, Fall. Time for Halloween-themed seasonal beers. I had not seen this one before and decided to try it out, as I am a fan of the Lupine horror films. Well, that and it was on sale.

Served in a chilled tulip glass.

-Appearance 4.0: Poured out an amber color, not "Blood Red" as advertised. Very nice 1/2 inch head that stuck around as creamy swirls on top and the sides.

-Smell 4.0: Interesting bouquet: I smell slight cinnamon hints with a big barley punch and then some hoppiness. Appetizing.

-Taste 4.0: Front is slightly sour, but has some nice barley hints. Middle is slightly spicy (must be the Rye) and has more slight sourness. Finish is short and dry and features some subdued but strangely assertive hops and more rye spiciness. Aftertaste is also short and dry and hits you with more of the barley/rye. Unusual and enjoyable.

-Mouthfeel 3.5: The level of carbonation in this brew really adds to the enjoyment of the beer.

-Overall 4.0: Very good beer that is worth a try. Would be a fantastic session beer as the under 5% ABV would allow you to enjoy several without changing into a creature of the night. I think ol' Larry Talbot himself would be proud. Now go howl at the moon... .

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 16:29:50 | More by BeerDocT

Paincane

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Amber in color (not blood red as claimed on label) with thin white head leaving little lace.
S: Malt and rye aromas.
T: Malt flavor up front with rye and bitter bite that lingers.
M: Medium bodied with active carbonation.
O: Average beer that simply does not stack up to Newcastle Brown Ale in my opinion. Bought a sixer. Will finish them, but will not seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 23:08:43 | More by Paincane

Giggy

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A lot of thought, cleverness, and marketing went into the appearance of this beer. They should have put a little bit more into developing the flavor of this beer. I bought it because of the whimsical label, because it is mid October, and because it is a limited release.

Appearance of the beer: Beautiful clear copper coloring with a sandy head which disapates to a thin layer.

Aroma: Sweet caramel malt

Taste: Very dry and slightly bitter. Mainly a malt and rye flavor. Could have used more development. Watery.

Overall: Very drinkable, novelty Hallowen beer. Nice change from all of the fall spice/pumpkin beers. Average

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 21:48:38 | More by Giggy

Crossmd

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured 55 degrees into a shaker pint.

Pours a pretty deep red-amber with a relatively thin one finger head.

Smells of a slight sweet malt maybe a little bit of caramel? Rally pretty faint.

Taste is only slightly more robust than the smell. Very bubbly. Not exceptionally pleasing.

Overall, pretty but lacking in structure and over-effervescent. I don't really know what this be is trying to accomplish. It feels like a light beer in mouthfeel, but looks like it tries to be an amber. Probably won't be seeing any more of this in the future.

77.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 20:00:16 | More by Crossmd