Wicked Weed sours for all seasons

In late 2012 Wicked Weed Brewing introduced the world to Black Angel, its sublime black sour ale aged six months in bourbon-barrels with tart cherries.  It was an immediate hit.

Fifteen batches and two years later, the brewery says the success of Black Angel Cherry Sour has inspired a whole series of “Angel” sours. Red Angel, Gold Angel, White Angel, and The Angel of Darkness will be released throughout 2015 as a unique and limited series of sours.

Wicked Weed Red Angel first up

The first release of the series, Red Angel, takes place on March 28 at the Wicked Weed Funkatorium. This vibrant 7% abv, blood-red sour ale received a pound and a half of raspberries per gallon and was then aged in white wine barrels for nine months. After barrel-aging, the beer moved to stainless steel tanks where it was blended with another pound and a half of raspberries per gallon and aged an extra two months.

Red Angel tapping is scheduled for 12:00 noon on Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 28-29,  in the Funkatorium Tasting Room. Red Angel merchandise will be available for purchase, including special glassware.

The regular bottle release and sale will occur on Sunday, March 28th at 12:00 p.m. The price is $18.95 per bottle with a six bottle per person limit. The line will form outside the Funkatorium patio roll door. Plan to get there early because this event is expected to draw a large response.

Red Angel Special Online Pre-Sale Set for Feb. 28

Pre-sale of 150 cases of Red Angel will occur online on February 28th at 12:00 noon. Details will be announced on Wicked Weed’s Facebook, Instagram, and website. Up to a 12 bottle per person limit. Purchase of one case will include a Red Angel glass and an 8 oz pour of Red Angel. Purchase of a 6 pack includes a Red Angel glass. Purchased bottles will be available for pickup in person via a VIP line Saturday, March 28th, beginning at 12pm and Sunday, March 29th beginning at 12pm at Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium (147 Coxe Ave).  

Sour ale production a labor intensive tradition

The following two beers in the series: Gold Angel (an apricot sour) will release in May, and White Angel (a wild grape sour) will release in July. Along with Red Angel, they also draw their inspiration, in part, from traditional Lambic fruit styles and processes.

“These beers utilize the most labor intensive process we employ to make our sour beers so we can only produce them once a year,” explained Walt Dickinson, director of brewery operations. “Using a ton and a half of fruit and allowing the beer to age for eleven months requires extensive time, energy, and resources.”

“When we first started brewing, Black Angel, Luke (Luke Dickinson, head brewer of Wicked Weed) and I approached its creation with unbridled creativity,” says Walt. “Over time, we found ourselves coming back to really respecting traditionalism. Consequently, we’ve retreated more to the roots of sour beer and this is reflected in the series with the Red, Gold, and White Angels all paying homage to that traditionalism.”

Series ends with The Angel of Darkness

The culmination of the series, The Angel of Darkness, is slated for a December release.  Aged in Portuguese sherry casks on boysenberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries this sour ale is expected to reach 13-14% abv. Representative of Wicked Weed’s marrying of traditional fruiting methods with their own means of crafting American sours, The Angel of Darkness forecasts a new direction for the future of their sour program.

“If one were to enjoy the entire Angel series together, it would tell a story of who Wicked Weed is, and where were we are going with our sour program,” stated Walt Dickinson. “The Angel of Darkness is where we found our new voice; a voice tempered by conventional wisdom and simultaneously emboldened by renewed vision.”

Funkatorium a special place

The Funkatorium is Wicked Weed Brewing Company’s center for the production of sour beer. Located a few blocks away from its main brewery and restaurant, the Funkatorium has its own distinct vibe. Funkatorium’s tasting room is just off the large barrel room, and customers are free to roam among the barrels.

Breweries commonly use separate facilities to produce sour beer and wild fermentation beer to keep the wild yeasts and bacteria away from their regular beer production. This greatly lessens the possibility of unwanted organisms contaminating regular beer styles, which are typically fermented with a specific strain of brewing yeast selected for its properties in brewing a certain style of beer.

Wicked Weed is known for producing high quality sours. Its Genesis and Oblivion ales, released in 2014, received great reviews from the craft beer community. The Angel series will surely continue to build the brewery’s fine reputation as a producer of Belgian-influenced beer styles.

With the opening the Funkatorium in October 2014, Wicked Weed is striving to become the largest producer of barrel-aged beers in the Southeastern United States. Recently, Wicked Weed announced plans to open a new 40,000 square foot production facility by fall 2015.

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