Wicked Weed is nearing the circle of trust (and needs our help to rebuild Asheville after Hurricane Helene)

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage (or food) that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

Wicked Weed is an airport beer for me. That's not a derogatory statement; I just fly through Charlotte a bunch in order to avoid the gaping hellmouth we call O'Hare International Airport.

The Asheville, North Carolina based brewery has an outpost there set up in the midst of a handful of decent, too-expensive options. But the beers themselves are airport reasonable (something like $9 last time I was there) and the selection was vast. They were also pretty good, even if the brain static of multiple flights left me with zero desire to write a review as I watched SportsCenter reruns or MAC football and frantically checked my phone to figure out how much time I had until my connection.

Wicked Weed deserved better than that. Fortunately, the brewer was kind enough to send samples my way for review, ranging from its flagship pale ale to a summer sour built for warm days but capable of refreshing in the winter, too. That gave me the chance to sip at my own pace while ... uh, watching SportsCenter reruns or MAC football at home.

This review was originally scheduled for later in the year, but Asheville needs our help. Hurricane Helene devasted western Carolina, including Wicked Weed's home base. The WNC Long Haul - Recovery and Resilience Fund is dedicated to helping residents across the area not just in the immediate aftermath of the flooding but years down the line. You can learn more at the link above or through the fund's social media pages, including Instagram and Facebook.

It's a worthy cause that's worth your time and money. Please consider donating. Now, on to the beers.

Pernicious: A

Let's start with the flagship IPA. I know I've had this before -- almost certainly at the airport -- and I remember it being good but little else. Which fits the bill for most local beers consumed at an airport, so I'm interested in digging a little deeper without constantly checking the time.

It pours with a dense head, in part because it went from the can straight down the center of my mug. It takes a while to settle, but leaves a trail of heavy, bitter hops bubbling from the surface and into the air. It's a lot, but in a good way; this isn't gonna be a pale ale that holds your hand. It's gonna be an IPA like the ones that ruled the craft beer world in the mid-2000s.

That hoppy bitterness is overwhelming up front, working with the carbonation to create a smooth, slightly piney, slightly citrus ale. There's a little depth beneath these hops. There's some lowkey sweetness and some orange, leaving you something to chew on as you sip through it. Burn through it and you get a bitter IPA -- never harsh and a solid example of the style. Dig a little deeper and there are plenty of nice elements that give it a higher replay value.

It seems to get a little better as it warms. The bitterness gives way to those flavors sitting underneath, letting the citrus shine a bit longer. Man, this is a versatile beer; maybe a little strong for someone who isn't into IPAs, but willing to reward you for sticking with it.

Pils: A-

As much as I'd like to dig into the hazy Pernicious now, I feel like I could use a little hop break to keep me fresh. Instead, here comes the pils, which clocks in at 5.2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). It pours a proper golden with a quickly dissipating head slowly restocked by a low current of gravity defying bubbles.

It smells light and crisp, with those cereal grains floating off the top of the mug. That's the headline of the first sip as well; an easy drinker with lots to offer in terms of flavor. You get malt and a little tug-of-war between the slight bitterness of a lager and the gentle sweetness from the sugars of the grain inside.

This leaves it feeling a little like boozy corn flakes, which I mean in a complementary way. It's a kick ass summer beer, light and poundable but clocking in with a regular beer's alcohol content vs. a light lager. There's also something that kicks in toward the end I can't quite put my finger on. It's like an extra level of sweet malt. It lingers for a while -- honestly, the one downside here is an aftertaste that goes on too long -- and makes the pils a memorable experience for what could have been a forgettable beer.

Perni Haze: A-

It pours slightly denser than the regular Pernicious with a daffodil color. The head bubbles up quickly to about an inch before dying down, casting off hints of hops and citrus along the way. While the regular IPA was all bitter up front, this one feels a bit more tropical.

Despite that added thickness, this brings an unexpected crispness. The sip starts off full bodied, putting that citrus -- orange and lemon? -- on full display. Then it snaps off nicely, leaving little in terms of an aftertaste. The texture is nearly creamy along the way, dense with bubbles and that almost juicy flavor.

You get that IPA bitterness, just hidden underneath that topsoil of fruit and a little malt. It's not quite as intricate as the flagship brew that inspired it, but it's still got a lot to like. Despite its density it feels light, and while it's not quite poundable it does offer a little more utility on a hot day.

Mostly it simply tastes very good up front and finishes surprisingly dry for a New England IPA. It's soft and drinkable, a gateway to the heavier hops of the Pernicious but great on its own.

Strawberry Kiwi Burst: B

Let's close out with a session sour. That's admittedly not a favorite genre for me -- sours need to be handled gently or run the risk of tasting like bottled stomach acid. But Wicked Weed gets the benefit of the doubt and a session sour promises lighter tastes. I'm cautiously optimistic.

It pours a pinkish-red with a minor head that dissipates more quickly than the boozier beers that preceded it. It smells fruity at first sniff, but then fades into a slightly stinging, tart odor that isn't super appealing but does let you know what you're dealing with.

It's sour up front, but fruity before reminding you it's a beer underneath. That slight tartness -- not overpowering, but noticeable -- gives way to juicy strawberry. It's sweet, which helps create a proper balance before you get a bit of the kiwi along with the acidic finish toward the end. You get a little lager feel as well, but you wouldn't mistake this for anything but a sour.

It does seem to get old quickly, lacking the replay value of the pale ales or the crowd pleasing drinkability of the pils. But the flavor is legit and it delivers everything promised on the can. Maybe it's a me problem rather than an issue with the beer itself, but I'm good with one. If you're into sours, you'll probably feel differently.

Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's?

This is a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Wicked Weed's beers over a cold can of Hamm’s?

I would. The pale ales are wonderful and the pils was a refreshing update on an old standby. Wicked Weed isn't quite a circle of trust brewery yet, but it's getting there.

And hey, if you like what Asheville has to offer -- from the beer to the music to the general vibes of a truly unique city, please consider donating to the WNC Recovery and Resilience fund.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Wicked Weed is nearing the circle of trust (and needs our help to rebuild Asheville after Hurricane Helene)