Happy 2014!  I took a short break from writing but I’m back.  No doubt you have noticed some format changes.  There will be additional changes in the not too distant future.  Hope you enjoy reading about my visit to Asheville, NC!

Although not that large of a city, Asheville, NC is the hub of a metropolitan area that is famous for beautiful geography (Blue Ridge Mountains), art (home to Thomas Wolfe), architecture (Biltmore Estate and Basilica of St. Lawrence), films (The Hunger Games, The Fugitive, Last of the Mohicans, and many other movies), and more recently brewing.  Asheville actually boasts more craft breweries per capita than any other city in the United States!  Numerous Asheville-area small craft breweries now lead the southeastern region of the U.S. in creating innovative and quality beers.  In addition, larger brewers such as Sierra Nevada are now establishing themselves in this general area to create more aggressive and profitable product distribution capabilities on the eastern seaboard.

Opening in late December 2012, Wicked Weed is a new microbrewery in Asheville that has already garnered accolades, including a 2013 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) Gold Medal (an Asheville first) in the American-Style Brett Beer category with a beer called Serenity, a beer formerly known as Transcendence. “Brett” is short for Brettanomyces, a wild yeast that today’s most adventurous brewers harness to create beers with complex, funky characteristics.  Wicked Weed’s Serenity surpassed 37 other entries, including entries by California’s Russian River and Colorado’s Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project (whose brewer literally wrote the entry on Brettanomyces in the Oxford Companion to Beer). Having heard of their award a few days before my visit to Asheville, I knew I had to sample Wicked Weed’s beers!

Wicked Weed has a restaurant and bar upstairs and a basement brewery and taproom.  I visited both.  The upstairs restaurant is filled with long tables designed to create community style dining and interaction (according to my server, an idea the owners derived from visiting Lagunitas Brewing).  The downstairs taproom is more cozy and intimate (my preferred environment for beer drinking).  The brewery has a 15 barrel brewing capacity and you’ll have to visit the brewery to drink their beers.

I visited Wicked Weed on 14 October 2013 and sampled nine beers (all on tap).  Wicked Weed changes their beers regularly with just a few repeating, so expect their current lineup to vary from my visit.  My tasting notes follow.

Wicked Weed Serenity American Wild Ale (5.4% ABV): Hazy straw-colored with white foam, this beer has aromas of wild yeast, hay and grain with floral and tart notes.  Serenity is medium-bodied with mild carbonation.   One sip results in an explosion of delicious flavors that include tart apples, peaches, and apricots followed by malt and bread.  Serenity finishes dry with some hop undertones.  This is a delicious beer worthy of a GABF medal.  Mama lock the door, I’m feeling wicked!

• Suggested Pairings – Cheese; Fruit; Green Salads
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Flute, Tulip, or Oversized Wine Glass

Wicked Weed Sweet Potatoes and Grits Appalachian Saison (5.5% ABV): In the deep south anything is possible, even a Belgian-style farmhouse ale made with sweet potatoes and grits.  This ale pours a cloudy orange/gold color with white foam.  Aromas of Belgian yeast, hay, earth, and sweet potatoes abound.  This farmhouse ale is medium-bodied with mild carbonation.  The beer has rich flavors of earth, musty Belgian yeast funk, grain, and just a hint of sweet potato.  The grits do a great job of creating a smoothness on the palate.  There is a dry finish with some lingering tartness.  Kiss my grits, this beer is surprisingly excellent!

• Suggested Pairings – Cheese; Shrimp or mussels
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass

Wicked Weed Pumpkanne Pumpkin Ale (7% ABV / 28 IBUs): This beer pours a clear amber color with beige foam.  Pumpkanne has an aroma of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, cloves, and cider).  The beer is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.  Pumpkanne tastes of malt grain, mild cinnamon, pumpkin, and assertive clove.  The beer has a dry finish with lingering cloves.  Pumpkanne is no trick, just all treat.

• Suggested Pairings – Apple pie
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass or Tulip

Wicked Weed Heresy Brown Ale (7.7% ABV / 39 IBUs): The Wicked Weed brewers use a considerable amount of chocolate and crystal malts to give this beer a rich malt flavor.  They also add a generous amount of American hops as well as include dry hopping, which is not traditional for this style of beer (hence the heresy!).  Heresy pours a clear dark brown color (almost black) with red hue and beige foam.  The beer has aromas of malt, biscuit, and hop oils.  Heresy is medium-bodied with mild carbonation.  The beer has strong malt and biscuit flavors up front followed by a pronounced hops bitterness.  This wicked deviation from the traditional brown ale style packs a delicious hop punch.  Traditionalists – 0; Heretics – 1!

• Suggested Pairings – Hamburgers or Cheeseburgers
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Wicked Weed Dirty Weeds Black IPA (6.8% ABV / 45 IBUs): Inspired by an AC/DC song, Dirty Weeds pours a dark black color with light brown foam.  This beer has a major hops bitter aroma.  The beer is medium-bodied with mild carbonation and a light coating of hop oils envelopes the tongue.  Dirty Weeds has a malt flavor up front followed by an assertive hops bitterness and dry finish.  Hells Bells, I must admit that I was Thunderstruck by the very good flavors.

• Suggested Pairings – Highway to Hell Steak
• Serving Temperature – 40-45 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature Double IPA (8 % ABV / ??? IBUs): Freak of Nature pours a clear gold color with an off-white persistent foam that leaves a nice cascading lace down the side of the glass.  The beer has strong aromas of pine resin, citrus, and citrus pith.  Freak of Nature is full-bodied with mild carbonation and hop oils coat the tongue.  This beer has nice flavors of malt, biscuit, pine resin, citrus, and grapefruit pith.  Freak of Nature has a dry finish with assertive hops bitterness.  This is an excellent double IPA with west coast style delivered by an east coast brewer.

• Suggested Pairings – Blue Cheese wedge salad; Grilled meats
• Serving Temperature – 50-55 degrees F
• Glassware – Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass

Wicked Weed XIX Tamarind Saison (5.2% ABV / 22 IBUs): Tamarind is a leguminous tree indigenous to tropical Africa with an edible fruit pulp.  Tamarind Saison pours a clear light gold color with white foam.  This farmhouse ale has an aroma of tamarind and malt grain.  Tamarind Saison is medium-bodied with moderate and prickly carbonation.  The beer has refreshing tastes of light tamarind, malt grain, hay, and lemon zest.  Tamarind Saison has a crisp finish.  XIX Tamarind is tasty but the tamarind is not a big contributor.

• Suggested Pairings – Thai dishes
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass, Tulip, or Oversized Wine Glass

Wicked Weed Vigilance Wild Ale with Pineapple and Guava (5.4% ABV): Vigilance is a barrel-aged American Wild ale made with Brettanomyces yeast.  The beer pours a hazy light straw color with thin and fleeting white foam.  Vigilance has a musty aroma with bouquet of pineapple and guava.  This American Wild ale is light-bodied and very mild in carbonation (cider-like).  Vigilance flavors include light and tart pineapple and guava and mild malt grain with a crisp, dry finish.  Drink this ale on a HOT summer day for a light and refreshing pick me up.

• Suggested Pairings – Cheese; Fruit; Green Salads
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Flute, Tulip, or Oversized Wine Glass

Wicked Weed Dark Age Rum Barrel Imperial Stout (12% ABV / 40 IBUs): This beer pours a seductive dark black color with light brown foam.  Dark Age has a beguiling aroma of rum raisins and dark chocolate.  The beer is lush and full-bodied, creamy, and rich with moderate carbonation that tantalizes the tongue.  One sip fills the mouth in sensual flavors of rum, raisin, anise, dark chocolate, and espresso.  A delightful dry finish and nice hops bitterness highlight the conclusion.  Wow, I’ve been seduced and bedded by this seductress of brews.

• Suggested Pairings – Dark Chocolates, Vanilla Ice Cream
• Serving Temperature – 50-55 degrees F
• Glassware – Snifter

Okay, maybe I got a little carried away at the end but I am impressed by Wicked Weed beers.  If you are ever near Asheville, Wicked Weed is a must visit.

Wait, I promised more in the title.  The next day I visited Oyster House Brewing Company.  This nanobrewery actually brews with whole oysters to create the “perfect” oyster stout – a combination of roasted barley and chocolate malts, with just a hint of some black patent malt and 5 pounds of delicious oysters on the half shell.  If you want a unique experience, then you should visit Oyster House Brewing Company.