Review: Wicked Weed Appalachia Session IPA and Dr. Dank Daily Haze IPA
We’ve barely scratched the surface on Wicked Weed Brewing, the Asheville-based craft beer Cinderella story founded in 2012 and added to the Anheuser-Busch/InBev stable not long after, in 2017. The brewery specializes in IPAs and sours, of which there are numerous expressions in their portfolio. Today, we’re taking a look at two sessionable IPA offerings, just in time for summer.
Wicked Weed Appalachia Session India Pale Ale – A low-abv staple of the Wicked Weed flagship lineup, made with Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, and Motueka hops. The beer pours a pale, straw gold, almost like a pilsner, with a substantial, snow-white head. The aroma is fresh and grassy with gentle hops, citrus peel, and juicy tropical fruits. It’s surprisingly big for a lower gravity IPA. The palate is appropriately accessible for a session brew, well-carbonated, clean, and dry. A bit of lime rind and gently tart, underripe grapefruit gives way to a more resinous hop profile on the finish. Restrained but quite refreshing. And for those beer drinkers that like to feel good about themselves, a portion of proceeds from each sale benefit the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. 4.7% abv. B+
Wicked Weed Dr. Dank Daily Haze Hazy India Pale Ale – Part of the brewery’s Dr. Dank line of especially “dank” brews, this hazy New England style IPA is made with Citra, Mosaic, Lemondrop, and Idaho 7 hops. It pours a lightly hazy gold, almost chicken broth in color, with a medium, pale white head that quickly recedes, leaving a nice lacing in the glass. On the nose, the “dank” is detected, however mild, in subtle hemp seed and overripe melon notes. It’s crisp with a balanced, juicy sweetness. Light and malty on the palate, it’s a bit harder to call this “dank” on the flavor front. Gently bitter notes of pine and similarly soft tart waves of pineapple and citrus peel give this one plenty of classic IPA character. The finish is clean and refreshing with a slowly fading bitterness. 5.4% abv. B+
each $13 per six-pack / wickedweedbrewing.com
Wicked Weed Appalachia Session India Pale Ale
$13
