Werewolf Beer
Review Date 10/30/2008
Try? Re-buy?
My tale, for
those of you inclined to hear it, is one not merely of a recount of
gustatory pleasures promised and, to a certain extent, denied; it is also
one of very serious warning. It all began some nights ago, during the tenth
month of the year, that period which some label the Season of the Witch. In
this time of year, scant weeks before the arrival of All Hallows Eve, that
which is not real to us becomes so, and the world is awash with ghouls,
goblins, and all sorts of assorted beasties.
I, of course, knew better than to believe in such things. And so, secure in
my sense of man's mastery of all he surveys, I picked up a bottle of
Werewolf beer at the local gourmet grocery. An innocent enough act to be
sure, or so it seemed at the time. Sadly, however, I failed to heed the
cautionary words upon the very label of the bottle, said label which also
features the duality of beautiful fair maiden juxtaposed against a savage,
beastly wolf. Most important of all, however, were those words.....
You must be sure you wanna taste it......
And I was sure, or at least I thought so. For, ready as always to try new
and exciting beers as is my wont, who was I to turn this one down? What's
more, Werewolf is made in far away Lithuania, a land from whence some of my
own ancestors hail, by the Rinkuskiai Brewery, a recent newcomer established
in 1991. Still, they name this brew, which is allegedly based on an old
local recipe, after the local legend of the lycanthrope. But we all know
such things don't really exist, of course.
You must be sure you wanna taste it......
So, I took my half-liter bottle home. Werewolf pours to a hazy orange
amber color with a light and quickly fading head formation and a
surprisingly prune-like fruit nose. At first, I wasn't really sure what to
make of this brew by looking at it.
You must be sure you wanna taste it......
I was sure, but a sip did not help much in figuring it out either, at least
stylistically. The remarkably thick and viscous body is redolent with dark
fruity notes of fig and prune, though of course this is not an extremely
dark beer. How mysterious.
There are some husky grain notes here too, and the beer does warm with
alcohol in the finish as well (it's a rather strong ale at 8.2% alcohol by
volume). But like a cursed soul transforming from man to wolf, Werewolf beer
makes the transition in a pained, harsh fashion, and finishes a bit rough.
It does have a gentle hint of bitter hops that I like, though they just
barely sneak through.
To be sure, it's a cheap gimmick beer (and at $1.99 for a half liter bottle,
it was indeed inexpensive). But it wasn't all that bad, and though I'd give
it two and a half stars overall, I will round up to three because of the
dirt cheap price. Probably it's better fresh from the brewery.
But be forewarned; there's more to this brew than meets the eye. And as I
type this, under the first full moon since I've imbibed my bottle, a curious
sensation crawls over me. I feel transfixed by that brilliant, all-seeing
orb in the sky. Strange sounds emerge from my throat, almost like howls as
they come forth. It's getting harder and harder to type, and I seem to be
sprouting....fur? And as the last vestiges of mortal sanity begin to fade
away into my dwindling degree of consciousness, a final rational thought
manages to take form...
You must be sure you wanna taste it......
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft