Asheville, NC — Wicked Weed Brewing teamed up with soon-to-be local New Belgium Brewing to brew a collaboration beer in Fort Collins, Co. A limited amount of the collaboration beer —a Brettanomyces IPA or Brett IPA— has made it to the east coast to be released March 8th at 3:00 p.m. The tapping will occur at Wicked Weed’s Brewpub downstairs taproom at 91 Biltmore Ave. with representatives from both breweries.
Wicked Weed owners and brothers, Luke and Walt Dickinson, jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with New Belgium and brewer, Matty Gilliland after meeting an a beer dinner hosted at Wicked Weed’s brewpub.
Last September 2013, the Dickinson’s traveled to Fort Collins to brew a 15 barrel batch of Brettanomyces IPA on New Belgium’s pilot system. Wicked Weed brought spelt from Asheville local Riverbend Malt House and New Belgium contributed their Brettanomyces strain as well as a developmental hop variety.
“Brewing at New Belgium was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had making beer,” said Luke Dickinson.
The Colorado tapping and first release of the Brett IPA took place in Denver last fall — when the beer was about a month and a half old – during the 2013 Great American Beer Fest.
“This is a terrifically complex beer with a host of various flavors simmering at threshold level,” said Gilliland, after his first tasting of the beer in Denver, “One can pick up notes of different fruits, herbs and even a black currant flavor. The bretta has a candied pineapple thing going on now, but will likely change over time.”
Now, six months later, the beer is slated to be tapped March 8th on the east coast. Since the Brettanomyces will continue to develop and change over time, Walt is anticipating the beer release.
“I am super excited to taste the beer now, six months after the brett has rested because it will be the funky beer we had envisioned when we brewed it. It was a big, chewy, hoppy brett when we tapped it in Denver and now it will be a softer, more developed brett complexity,” Walt stated.
New Belgium is currently building their East Coast brewery in Asheville, and is scheduled to be brewing beer by the end of 2015.
ABOUT WICKED WEED BREWING
Wicked Weed Brewing is an Asheville, North Carolina based brewpub that always 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, Tyranny Red Ale, and Black Angel Cherry Sour. Most recently, Wicked Weed began small scale statewide distribution to major metropolitans in North Carolina. Learn more at www.wickedweedbrewing.com and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WickedWeedBrewing.
ABOUT NEW BELGIUM BREWING
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year-round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.NewBelgium.com and www.NewBelgium.com/AshevilleBrewery.