White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA’s Newcastle beer brand is resurrecting its Werewolf Blood-Red Ale for the 2014 Halloween season. The company reports that the brew was its top-selling imported, limited-edition beer last year.
“We’re pretty sure most of the stories about werewolves are totally made up, but I promise you this: the return of Newcastle Werewolf is very real,” said Quinn Kilbury, brand director for Newcastle Brown Ale, in a statement.
Newcastle Werewolf features a seasonally advantageous palate of sweet berry fruit with roasted caramel notes up front followed by a bite from Fuggle and Golding hops at the finish, according to the brand. It is brewed with rye malts, making it naturally blood-red in color, and contains 4.5 percent alcohol by volume with 23.4 International Bittering Units.
Newcastle Werewolf is available nationally from August through October in six- and 12-packs priced comparably with Newcastle Brown Ale. It also is available on draft at bars and pubs in most major markets. The brand plans to support the seasonal beer with a national social and digital campaign; local sampling, where legal; and point-of-sale materials and displays at retail.