Wicked Weed Brewing

We live in the eastern(ish) United States, so where else would you expect a good brewcation to take us but Beer City, USA, a veritable hub of craft brewing - Asheville, North Carolina!  Our first stop was the first brewery we spotted as we rolled into town - Wicked Weed.  Currently  located on Asheville's downtown Biltmore Ave, Wicked Weed offers a wide variety of expertly crafted beers as well as an amazing selection of foods crafted to pair nicely with their delicious brews.

The Dobie and I were eager to bounce around and explore Asheville's brewpub scene a bit, so we ended up ordering just appetizers at Wicked Weed, but we were not disappointed!  We shared a generously portioned plate of calamari over a few beers, and not only did we find our lightly breaded little squid bites to be perfectly cooked, we absolutely loved the bed of sauce the were so artfully laid upon.  Yum!  If you're out in Asheville with a group that could take or leave the beer (for shame!) but is nuts for delectable gourmet treats, then this is the place for you.

Food is one thing, but I'm sure you're sitting there thinking - "Ok, but how was the BEER?!"  In short, even better than the food.  Wicked Weed might not be well known up where we live because of area of distribution, but with selection and artful crafting like these guys have, it won't be long.

We started off our adventure into their delicious brews with their signature beer, Freak of Nature, a "monstrously hopped" double IPA.  WOW!  Already we were impressed - both the Dobie and myself agreed that the only way to get that much hop aroma outside of enjoying a Freak of Nature for yourself would be to stick your face in a barrel full of fresh hops and take a nice big inhale.  The flavor followed with a huge citrusy hop punch to the face.  Consider our minds, and our palates absolutely blown!

I tried a few other of their brews and I must say, you'd be hard pressed to find a tap list that is more creative or expansive across such a wide variety of styles.  This being said, my heart leaped straight from my chest when I saw their World Cup-themed beers.  I'm a huge beer dork, we know this, so of course ever since I saw the episode of Brew Masters where Sam Calagione brewed authentic chicha, I have been dying to try it.  There it was on their tap list, Honduras, a chicha brewed as one of the beers created for a tour of the various World Cup countries.  The aroma was slightly spicy, maybe with a bit of cinnamon and a good amount of herb.  The flavor was biscuity, maybe a bit like a cracker, but with a nice full spice.  This one wasn't really up the Dobie's alley, as he described his experience with a funny face saying, "It tastes like I'm drinking a tortilla," but I was delighted!

Great food and better beer, if you're in Asheville, NC don't miss out on Wicked Weed Brewing!  Like most of Asheville, their brewery includes awesome long tables indoors where you can sit with strangers and meet new friends (I know, cool right?!) as well as a great dog-friendly outdoor patio!  If you are lucky enough to spot Freak of Nature in your local beer store, I highly recommend picking one up.  This hopped freak show will astound your senses and amaze your taste buds!

Wicked Weed can be found on Biltmore Ave in Asheville, NC and online at their website - http://www.wickedweedbrewing.com/