Rinkuškiai Werewolf

Having reviewed a beer named after a Vampire, I thought it was necessary to review a beer named Werewolf.  A few months back, my father picked up a beer called "Werewolf" from Brewery Rinkuškiai.  The brewery was established in 1991.  It is located in the "beer country" of Lithuania.  When one thinks of "beer country," thoughts turn to Germany, England, or the Czech Republic.  One does not think of the region around Biržai, Lithuania.

Biržai is a city in northern Lithuania, along the border with Latvia, that dates back centuries.  While the city has a long beer history, the history between the two World Wars.  According to one source, the Red Army approached in 1944 and took the town of Biržai without much resistance.  The commanders ordered the troops to chase after the Nazis.  Meanwhile, the commanders and the remaining soldiers got drunk at Biržai's breweries.  When the Nazis counter-attacked, the Red Army was forced to retreat.  Eventually, the Red Army recaptured the city, but two-thirds of the city had been destroyed. 

It was very hard to find anything on the Internet about Brewery Rinkuškiai and its Werewolf beer, apart from reviews on websites such as RateBeer and BeerAdvocate. 

The Werewolf pours a reddish copper in color, which is a little unexpected.  The malts give this beer its aroma, wrapped in alcohol.  (The beer has an ABV of 8.2%.)  There really is not much more to the aroma of this beer. 

The label of the Werewolf cautions, "you must be sure you want to taste it."  Well, given I am writing a review of the beer, I guess I am sure that I want to taste the beer.  The malts lend a certain sweetness to the beer, reminiscent of a Belgian beer or a barleywine.  The beer is sort of a simplistic version of either style, focusing primarily on alcohol content with less emphasis on developing taste.  Still, the beer has a flavor that is reminiscent of ripe fruit.

I have seen this beer in several beer and wine stores in the area for about $5.00 to $6.00 a bottle.

ENJOY!