Wicked Weed Wins a PAP

That P.A.P. Seal of Approval is branching out beyond the tri-state area, it seems.

Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville, NC became the first NC brewpub to earn the honor after a visit by a group known only as the PBBC. That's a highly selective and secret group, but I can share that it consists of members who ride motorcycles and who enjoy good beer. Any more info would require that you have a security clearance.

But four PBBC soldiers found their way to the popular brewpub last week during a two-wheeled tour of the fabulous roads in Tennessee and North Carolina, where all roads seem to have been designed by motorcyclists. (Except for the one we named "Butthole of The Dragon," because it was four miles of gravel twisties coming down the backside of the mountain.)

The PubScout had sampled some Wicked Weed beers in previous visits to another part of the Tar Heel State and was mightily impressed, so a pub visit seemed compulsory. Thirsty, hungry and warm after 150 miles of "twisties" in the mountainous high country, the boys strode boldly across the sun-splashed, dog-friendly patio and into the rather cavernous upstairs bar. There's another beautiful bar downstairs, but it wasn't scheduled to open until after the visit.

The first thing that was impressive was the friendliness of the staff. Hostesses, servers and even the Administrative Manager Beth Cannone were most welcoming and very accommodating. The second thing that was impressive was the list of beers, and the third thing was their exceptional quality. My Freak of Nature DIPA (8.6%) was expertly balanced with malt and dank hops, and Big John, who could easily have posed along with King Henry VIII on the wall, waxed poetic about his two Dirndl Bocks (8%).

And speaking of the King, it was his comment about hops centuries ago that gave Wicked Weed its name. Though they were never outlawed outright, the King supposedly declared: "Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed," though that apparently didn't stop his army from drinking hopped beer. This quote from a beer history site verifies that: "As we have seen, Henry VIII’s household, and his army, drank hopped beer..."

Royal decree or not, Wicked Weed's beers were exceptional, from mine and John's to Lou's G'Suffa Czech Pilsner and Paul's Oktoberfest, both coming in at 6.2%.

The food was nothing short of fabulous, and that coupled with everything else--including a tour of the former hardware store's basement bar and tanks-- yielded a decision to make the award. That alone is unique, as The Pubscout has never awarded a pub the PAP Seal on only one visit. That's Administrative Manager Beth Cannone below.

But when a brewpub deserves it, it gets it. If we lived closer to Asheville, I can guarantee we'd be regulars at the Wicked Weed. It will certainly be a "must stop" if we ever venture into the High Country again, and we may have time to visit The Funkatorium, also part of the operation, which specializes in barrel-aged and wild beers.