Feature Beer Friday! Newcastle Founder's Ale & Werewolf

Alright, time for a Feature Beer Friday double-dip, this time from Newcastle out of England!  Newcastle Brown Ale is the famous brand out of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but these days Newcastle (now owned by Heineken) is no longer in the city of Newcastle and also has branched out into various other seasonal beers.  We had a few bottles on the Raise A Glass radio show, so I think it's time for a Newcastle double-dip!

First up, the Founder's Ale!  This is Newcastle's English Pale Ale offering, and their Spring seasonal.

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (BiteandBooze.com), and Jeremy Spikes (Whiskybomb.com). 

 

Serving: 12 ounce bottle.

Appearance: "looks like Abita Amber" was one comment, and I'm sure almost all of my readers know exactly what that beer looks like.

Aroma: A little hops, mostly biscuity malts, you just don't expect and English Pale Ale to be as hoppy as the American version.  

Taste:  Poorly balanced, boring, not exciting at all.  Jeremy had this one scored at a 28/40 but Jay and I both put it below the 20 midpoint.  

Mouthfeel: I didn't like the mouthfeel at all, and thought it had a bad lingering aftertaste.

Overall: Jay and I really disliked this one, with scores below 50... Jeremy was a little more favorable but still noted that it wasn't as good as the regular Newcastle Brown Ale.

Overall Rating: 49.33

My Rating: 42

 

Second up, the Werewolf.  This is Newcastle's Irish Red Ale offering, and their Fall seasonal.

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (BiteandBooze.com), Jeremy Spikes (Whiskybomb.com), and James Lawson (Whiskybomb.com).

 

Serving: 12 ounce bottle.

Appearance: "Clear amber color, decent head, but otherwise boring" was one comment, and we all agreed that there was nothing special to it0.

Aroma: Boring was the best adjective to describe the aroma... foul was one of the worst.  A few of the others might require earmuffs if you're reading aloud near children.  "Smells like wolf shit or turdwolf," as Jeremy put it.

Taste:  "Tastes like shit."  Enough said. 

Mouthfeel: Watery and lame.

Overall: None of us liked this beer, at all.  It was just a terrible swing and a miss from Newcastle and I'm surprised it made it to the public.  

Overall Rating:27.25

My Rating:26

 

I hate really being mean to beers, but these both need some serious work.