Asheville is, indeed, a fantastic beer town. I go every summer to visit two of my friends from high school who live there - I’ll be heading up labor day weekend.
I don’t think there’s any doubt that Ashville is a great beer town. The question is, is it the “best”? I think that’s where I might differ.
Maybe if everyone inn Portland would put down the dewbage and log on to vote they’d win every once in a while. 
What is amazing to me about Asheville is every time a brewery opens they seem to meet with success. You’d think they would eventually surpass demand, but that isn’t the case. It’s a thirsty place…
You left out the sour beers coming out of Cascade. 
Really amazing stuff.
I haven’t been to Asheville or San Diego, so I can’t include them in my list. But Portland is better than Seattle is better than Denver in my opinion. I know some Portland people who would put Seattle first, so I think it is pretty close.
Tried anything from Gilgamesh in Salem? VERY different, unusual beers, all of them sour.
Sour in a good way or in a Cisco (Nantucket) way?
In a VERY good way!
I didn’t vote this time.
I was tempted to go with Philly, one of my favorite pub cities, but Tom said it was meaningless.
One day maybe I’ll get to spend some time in Asheville to check it out. It sounds really great.
I’ve been to places like that. They should clean their lines more often.
Just to clear, it’s a brewery, not a pub. And they do intend for the beers to be like that…you joker! 
I’ll have to check out Gilgamesh next time I’m down in Portland, which will either be in 2 weeks or 2 months. Thanks for the tip D.
Ashville is about 580 mi Southwest and Portland is about 2900 mi west of my house. I have them on my list of beertowns to hit. I think I’ll be traveling south later this year to visit my daughter in Florida and Ashville is in the crosshairs. I’ve heard so much about this fine beer town.
Don’t be the guy who only has two hours to spend, at a min 2 days…
Lemme know when you’re heading that way and I can give you some ideas depending upon what (besides beer) you might like to see or do…
Asheville on the way down and Huntsville on the way up?
That’s a potential plan. 
If you’re coming down (or going back) on I-75, you’ll pass right through Gainesville. If you have time, pm me and maybe we can arrange to get together, maybe at Swamp Head Brewery.
Just thought of another reason why Asheville took the title.
Let’s pick another city, oh I don’t know, maybe San Diego. Now let’s arrive on a Monday and decide to tool around hitting the tasting rooms of the various breweries for a few days before a conference. What’s that you say? Tasting rooms are not open till later in the week?
In Asheville most of the tasting rooms are open daily…heck, even in the Raleigh area most are now open daily…
Never had any of their beer. Cool name though. I’ll keep this in mind Mark. Thanks! :)
cool name (swamp theme carried throughout beer names, artwork, tasting room) and great beer. their tasting room is open Wed-Fri afternoons till early evening. Actually, may be open on Saturdays now, not sure. They’re located just off I-75 & the Archer Rd exit.
http://www.swamphead.com/joomla/index.php