Wicked Weed in Asheville goes Halloween crazy with 15% ABV Dark Arts stout

Wicked Weed is pulling out all the stops for their Dark Arts Bourbon Barrel Aged Wild Imperial Stout. It’s been aged for a year. It’s North Carolina’s first beer brewed to the state’s 15 percent ABV cap. There will be a Halloween tap takeover to celebrate.

Here’s all the info again, in press release form:

Wicked Weed Dark Arts Barrel Aged Tap Takeover

Date: October 31st
Time: General Admission in at 7pm
What if I have a ticket? You can get in at 6pm
Location: 147 Coxe Avenue, Asheville 28801
What is it? A Barrel Aged Tap Takeover to celebrate the release of Dark Arts, our 15% ABV Wild Imperial Stout
And how many barrel aged beers on tap? 13 Behemoth Beers
How much to get in? $18
What does this cover? Commemorative tasting glass and 5 tasting tokens.
What happens when I’m out of tokens? Beers are available for purchase by the (half) pint
Will Dark Arts be pouring: You betcha
What about the other barrel aged beers? Check Facebook for the full list
Can I buy bottles there? No, Dark Arts bottles will be for sale on Saturday, November 1st starting at 12pm.
Anything else to know? There will be live music and it is Halloween so, #costumesmandatory

Dark Arts is a 15% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Wild Imperial Stout released in bottles November 1st. Yup, you read that right. A 15% (North Carolina ABV Cap), bourbon barrel aged (for a year), wild (read brettanomyces), imperial (reference back to the 15%) stout. Dark Arts is the beer you want to get your hands on.

What is the difference between this beer and so many others that we produce? First, this beer is the first North Carolina beer brewed to the 15% ABV cap. Second, this dark beauty has been barrel aged for a year; a more than sufficient amount of time to pick up all the lovely flavors that bourbon barrels impart including burnt raisin, caramel, vanilla and sherry. Finally, unlike most stouts, it is finished with Brettanomyces. Brettanomyces consumes sugars that are left behind by regular brewing yeast. These residual sugars can make beer overly sugary or syrupy. Add brettanomyces and leave it in the barrel for a year, the resulting beer is one that is bone dry. No cloyingly sweet beer here. Dark Arts Wild Imperial Stout is high alcohol, dry, and irresistibly delicious. …

To appropriately celebrate this beer, we are throwing a Barrel Aged Tap Takeover on October 31st. We sourced barrel-aged beers from a few of our friends around the country to bring you an amazing lineup of beers. The Funkatorium doors open to the public at 7pm and $18 dollars gets you in with a commorative tasting glass and five tasting tokens in hand. This guarantees to be a great party with live music playing until 1:30am. Please note, you will not have the opportunity to buy bottles of Dark Arts at the Tap Takeover.

Your final opportunity to get Dark Arts is Saturday, November 1st. Starting at noon we will sell bottles at the Funkatorium. Please remember not to show up at the mothership (91 Biltmore Avenue) as the bottle sale is happening at 147 Coxe Avenue. We have a 6 bottle limit per person and bottles are $20.