Wicked Weed Red Angel
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Tasting Notes
Red Angel pours from Wicked Weed's sour program with a layered aroma of tart cherry, red currant, and a faint earthiness from the wild fermentation. On the palate, expect a bright lactic sourness up front, balanced by stone fruit and a subtle vinous quality that comes from the red ale base malt. The body is medium-light with a dry, tangy finish that lingers without becoming harsh. Funk is present but restrained — more fruit-forward than barnyard.
About the Brewery
Wicked Weed is based in Asheville, North Carolina, founded in 2012, and quickly built a reputation around both hop-forward IPAs and an ambitious sour and wild ale program called the Funkatorium. The Funkatorium operates as a dedicated taproom for their mixed-fermentation and barrel-aged sours. The brewery was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2017, which drew controversy in the craft community but their sour production has continued at scale.
Food Pairings
The tart, fruity acidity here works well with charcuterie and aged hard cheeses, where the sourness cuts through fat the way a good vinegar-dressed bite does. Duck confit or other rich poultry dishes benefit from the wine-like red fruit notes acting as a counterbalance to the meat's richness. A cherry or berry-based dessert — think clafoutis or a tart — echoes the beer's fruit character without competing with it. Soft-ripened cheeses like brie or camembert also pair naturally, their creaminess softening the lactic edge.
Style Guide
American Wild Ale is a broad and loosely defined category covering beers fermented with wild or non-Saccharomyces yeast strains — typically Brettanomyces — and often with souring bacteria like Lactobacillus or Pediococcus. The style draws loose inspiration from Belgian lambic and gueuze traditions but is not bound by their geographic or production rules, giving American brewers latitude to experiment with fruit additions, barrel aging, and blending. Flavor profiles range from gently funky and mildly tart to aggressively sour and deeply complex. What distinguishes it from a Berliner Weisse or Gose is typically the wild yeast character and the influence of wood or extended aging.