Wicked Weed Brewing announces annual release of Dark Arts wild imperial stout

ASHEVILLE, NC – September 29th, 2014 – Wicked Weed Brewing Announces a
New Once-a-Year Release, Dark Arts, a 15% ABV Wild Imperial Stout aged in bourbon
barrels for a year.

Co-owners and brothers, Luke and Walt Dickinson, knew since the day they opened the
doors of their brewery that they were going to brew the North Carolina alcohol by
volume cap beer. As the Wicked Weed Brewing brand took shape, they decided this beer
had to have a twist in line with the style of brewing Wicked Weed was becoming known
for; creative and quality ales.

“Since before Wicked Weed even opened, we have wanted to brew the cap beer,” said
Luke Dickinson, head brewer. “We wanted to do something different from just a huge
barrel-aged stout, and with our barrel program we had the opportunity to make a sour
version. We thought, ‘If we were making a beer this high in alcohol, why not make
something really interesting and add some brett[anomyces] to it?’”

However, crafting a unique beer was not the only reason they decided to brew a sour
version of an imperial stout.

“When you think about really good spirits, they are innately dry (not sweet) and
without residual sugar,” adds Walt, Head of Brewing Operations. “Barrel aged stouts can
be cloyingly sweet, but because we use brett, Dark Arts is a dry beer. Any residual sugar
not usually consumed by traditional brewers yeast will be consumed by the brett and
you won’t have to fight through too much sweetness.”

Dark Arts was brewed last October and spent the year resting in six barrels where it
absorbed flavors from the bourbon that previously occupied the vessels. Periodic tasting
of each barrel was conducted by the brothers, throughout the year, to ensure quality and
monitor the range of flavors from each barrel in order to blend them into a rounded,
full-flavored ale.

“The unique thing about blending beer from all the barrels,” said Walt, “is if you get
cherry in one and raisin in another, you will get a mix of both when you blend them
together. Blending one rich raisin-y barrel, with a barrel with a touch of sourness, will
turn it away from burnt raisin into tart, chocolate cherry.”

Luke agreed with Walt that blending was an essential practice to ensure that no one
flavor dominates the beer and that all flavors work together in harmony.
“Some barrels have more tartness than others,” Luke added. “Its a unique blend of
flavors. When I sample Dark Arts I taste the traditional flavors of caramel, licorice,
raisin, vanilla that come from bourbon barrels but then there is a tart element that
comes from the brett. The tartness rounds out the beer.”

Dark Arts Wild Imperial Stout will be available in 16 ounce bottles online for pre-sale on
Oct. 13. Each pre-sale ticket includes six bottles (maximum) and
entry into a barrel-aged tap takeover to be hosted on Oct. 31 at Wicked Weed Brewing’s
new Funkatorium at 147 Coxe Ave.

Individuals who purchase pre-sale tickets will receive first entry into the tap takeover at 6 p.m. The doors will open at 9 p.m. to the general public, capacity allowing. Bottles will not be for sale that evening, however, Dark
Arts will be on draught. The regular bottle sales will occur the following day, Saturday, Nov. 1 at noon at the Funkatorium.

Dark Arts Wild Imperial Stout is intended as a yearly release for Wicked Weed Brewing. Next year’s batch will be brewed on the day of the release, Oct. 31, at Wicked
Weed’s brewpub at 91 Biltmore Avenue.

“Dark Arts is a 15% ABV beer in 16 ounce bottles,” laughs Luke. “Share with a friend.”

*Check Facebook for updates about the beer release as information becomes available.

ABOUT WICKED WEED BREWING
Wicked Weed Brewing is an Asheville, North Carolina based brewpub that consistently hosts 20+
beers on tap including hop forward, West Coast style ales, open fermented Belgians, and barrel
aged sour beers. Opened in December 2012, Wicked Weed is striving towards becoming the largest
producer of barrel aged beers in the Southeastern US. Wicked Weed Brewing was awarded a Gold
Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for 100% Brettanomyces Serenity Farmhouse Ale in
2013. In addition to Serenity, Wicked Weed is known for producing Freak of Nature Double IPA,
Coolcumber Ale, Tyrant Double Red Ale, Hopburglar Blood Orange IPA, Dark Age Bourbon Stout
and Black Angel Cherry Sour. Most recently, Wicked Weed began small scale statewide distribution
of kegs as well as bottles of barrel aged sour beers to major metropolitans in North Carolina. Learn
more at www.wickedweedbrewing.com and on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/WickedWeedBrewing.