Pernicious India Pale Ale

Asheville, North Carolina seems like my kind of town; it certainly has a disproportionate number of craft brewers, which suggests a cool populace. One of Asheville's beery denizens is Wicked Weed Brewing, an outfit that has been recommended to me by more than one beer-savvy North Carolinians. Thankfully, my Ol' pal KC brought me a couple 330mL bottles of WW's Pernicious India Pale Ale, so I was able to satisfy both my curiosity and my thirst.

Pernicious is a cloudy gold IPA. It pours with a thin disc of off-white head and displays a fair amount of carbonation. At 7.3% alcohol, it has an extremely respectable amount of juice. Its aroma exudes a rich mosaic of sweet, fruity, and bitter notes. Juicy tropical fruit flavours are prevalent, particularly in the early going, though they persist throughout the finish, enhancing an otherwise enjoyably bitter finish with a bit of flare.

Pernicious lived up to the hype generated by my pals in the Old North State. It's all of my favourite things in an IPA: hoppy, boozy, assertive, and intriguing. A first class ale. Cool label, too.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.