In A Mood, from the Rogue's notebook.

Sun shimmers across an AM spray. 60th Street break, 12/5/2018.

  We spotted the ocean at the head of the trail
  Where are we going, so far away
  And somebody told me that this is the place
  Where everything's better, everything's safe
                                        -Toad the Wet Sprocket, Walk On The Ocean

   Haven't been surfing since early November. No attempt whatsoever. Lame. And the Christmas season is upon me. Have been very busy. Wife and I involved in an unsuccessful tree hunt. Ended up putting up last year's timber. A pre-lit shrub with sections of incandescents that have been going out left and right.

Lit-up Point

Threw on a couple of spare strings and made the unpopular decision to wait for the post-season sales. Hard to get in the mood once Christmas has past. Made putting up outside lights an ill-humored chore. Good thing the local municipalities got their $hit straight and tripped the light fantastic in putting up the surrounding pageantry.

St. Nick keepin' watch over Winterfestivities.

Their execution of color and display usually helps to put me in the mood. I've surfed into December in years past. Believed it helped to dissipate the orneriness then. You tend to forget the chill cruisin' Coastal Highway decked in lights after a cold Solstice session.

Pines Christmas transports...

   Air has been in the 40's. Water's below 50. Would be hard pressed. Maybe a quick dip could help? Spring is 90+ days away. Alternative... hit the gym... fight the mood. A cold weather brew could also lend assistance. Alewerks Brewing, again. Williamsburg, Va. Coffeehouse Milk Stout. A seasonal brewed with Guatemalan coffee. Poured black with a dark tan finger plus head. Syrupy lacing. Aromas of coffee (big surprise), vanilla, and smoke. Flavors full of espresso, molasses, and roasted malts. Bold sweetness up front with a slight bittersweet finish, like dark chocolate. Nice touch. Smooth and creamy. Very good coffee stout. Eased the edge. Improved the mood. I rated this an A-.

Can't deny it, the little girl always warms the season.

Historic Hemorrhage, from the Rogue's notebook

Sun crackin' through. Morning of departure; overcast and light winds across the mouth of
Cape Isle of Wight Bay. 11/23/2018

   Surf has been calm recently. Water temps in the mid-50's. Any weekend surf yet? No. With existing schedules, it's been tough. Excuses, excuses. A shame is what it is. Look for other ways to get fired up. Thanksgiving weekend; our anniversary and an excursion to Williamsburg. Was a History Minor in college, so I'm always stoked to head down South into Virginia's Tidewater region.

Somebody save us, somebody save our ship
Somewhere off of the coast somewhere out in the Atlantic  -Caamp
Fisherman Island guarding the Chesapeake's entrance, 11/23/2018.

Revolutionary War. Civil War. Kinda badass that the hotel we stayed in was located on top of Civil War battlefield remains. Fort Magruder, the site of the Battle of Williamsburg.

  Old town. Hemorrhaging history at every pour. Plus, Christmas greenery and natural garnish everywhere. Tellin' ya...this place fermented the olden. Also helped that Williamsburg has had a growing craft beer scene. Five breweries, two of which we visited this journey. Trip pics with several local brews featured. Townie tour as well.

The Magazine framed in an autumnal backdrop.

Court in session.

Toby's Triple Threads Porter

provided an opaque brown pour
with a finger-thick tan head.
Brewed by Williamsburg's
AleWerks, smelled of burnt sugar

and coffee. Tastes of roasted
malt and pine. Chocolate. More
 coffee. Nice off-bitter finish.
5.5% ABV made it very drinkable.
Rated a B.

Inserts for scaffolding decked with apples.

Raleigh Tavern in session.

                                       

The Wythe House

                                                       

Fermented by Delaware's Old Dominion

Brewing, a hoppy English style Pale Ale
with approximate 40 IBUs. Red-amber
pour. Never a big fan of the dry Brit
character. Specially in beer. Aromas of
wheat and citrus. Tasted of grains and
bitter lemon. Another 5.5'er in ABVs.
Not a stand-out. Rated a C+.

  

Nick's off-season retreat?

   Evening. The breweries we checked out included Brass Cannon about 4 miles outside of downtown Williamsburg. In a strip center... occupied the majority of it. Eight brews on tap. Tried 'em all. Enjoyed Angry Scot, a "Wee-Heavy." Neither myself nor my wife were big on the Black Chai Ale. , I've yet to find a tea infused beer that I liked. Very respectable. Original beer. Fun entertainment. Quality brewery.

Nick at night.

The other brewery's beers were as concocted as their food offerings. Amber Ox. 18 taps. Eight of their own, from the "Precarious Beer Project." Eight of their neighbors. Strong, high IBU IPAs. Which I like. Thick porters and stouts also hop backed. Paired with loaded burgers and smoked wings. The menu changed as often as their beer. Definitely worth another visit the next time we come down. That being said, we spent the next day, the last, shopping for Christmas... in a downpour, the rain lettin' up as we headed outta town. Historic.

Ox brew precariously in progress.

Merchants Square readies for the holiday crunch.

Cold Stop, from the Rogue's notebook.

It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day; the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore
that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance.
   -Washington Irving*, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Ocean Pines serenity. South Gate entrance, 11/16/2018. 

   Couple of weeks since Standard Time started. Nor'easter hit the coast earlier in the week and brought with it a cold front that has frosted up the Pines. With the pinch of cold comes the color of fire before the the tree lines go completely bare. A veritable stage for quoting Irving*. Also serves as a reminder... haven't hit the surf for a few weeks. And, there has been some decent swell along the Right Coast. I miss weekend sessions. Water usually calmer as the wind has not yet gotten on it Currently in the upper 50's, which would not be too bad. Only rubber suits allowed though. C'mon brah!

Bayside AM conditions check.

   Nice warmers out there. Local brewer Fin City has got their Bad Luck Banana. Chocolate Porter set at 6.0% to raise the body temp without knockin' you on your ass. I found I liked this better canned (a hair sweeter), than on tap (a bit dryer). Poured a near black with a brown finger and a half, foam head. Thick lacing. Aromas of malty cocoa, smoke, and banana. The toasted malts stronger in taste that included a little coffee, more chocolate, and a hint of banana. Enjoyed the bittersweet finish enhanced by the 34 IBUs in hops. Not good to have bananas around if you wanna catch fish, but this brew will keep ya warm while tryin'. Rated an A-.

He was naturally a thirsty soul, and

was soon tempted to repeat the 

draught. One taste provoked another, 

and he reiterated his visits to the flagon

so often, that at length his senses were

overpowered, his eyes swam in his 

head, his head gradually declined, 

and he fell into a deep sleep.

-Washington Irving*, Rip Van Winkle

Tucked In, session notes from the Rogue.

"There is no finer feeling than seeing the smile and the enthusiasm on the
face of someone who just rode a wave for the very first time."
                                                               -Tommy Vach, OC Surf Club
Scratching out the last ride, post-sundown. 65th Street, OCMD. 11/1/2018

   Walking across an empty beach. Could smell the salt. The spray of semi-clean thigh to waist waves as cross currents created mini-collisions within a short rip current. Sun was making a mad dash towards the horizon. Despite an above average afternoon, clouds had moved in. Evening winds brought a chill with 'em. The honk of a flock of geese in the distance. Could sense Autumn slipping by. Full suit now. Water hovering around 62F. No gloves, and my hands felt it. Thursday seeing the last weeknight surf of the year. The balance of the year's sessions would be limited to weekends. Low tide movin' in. Didn't give respite. Draggin' my feet due to somewhat of a strong northerly current. Meant this evening was a working sesh. After a couple of false starts I managed to tuck into a rolling thigh-high frontside. Skimmed my fingers along the laced wall as it collapsed just beyond my hand. Bigger could have meant inside. No matter... by this time the only thing caving faster than the wave was the light of day. Like a murky cloud hiding every set thereafter. Didn't care. Had my smile. Felt the stoke. Got my ride.
   Prolong it? Couple of ducky local beers. Big Oyster did up Shuckin Pumpkin, an orange-amber Pumpkin Ale. Poured clear with a two-finger head. Aromas of cinnamon and clove. Had a surprising hop punch (+20 IBUs) with some pumpkin, nutmeg and more cinnamon in the taste. Smooth drinking, but the pumpkin tended to get lost in this one. Not a standout for my last Pumpkin Ale of the season. 4-pack canned pints. 5.6% ABV. Drank a couple right off. Bringing another 4-pack to Thanksgiving dinner, see what my brother thinks. Rated B-/C+.

Mos Dank DIPA. A "milkshake" style IPA I picked up in a crowler at Burley Oak's taproom. Poured a "shaken" cloud filled yellow-gold. Another thin-header at one finger and off-white. Dry-hopped for a very smooth finish and lower than average IBUs (19) one might normally see in an IPA. Aromas of lime-citrus and toffee-like malts. The taste was one of truly juicy grapefruit and mango. Light candy sweetness. Hops on the back end kinda popped you in the mouth. As in the name...more dank. Just the way I like to finish a beer. Rated an A-.

So, join me for a drink, boys

We're gonna make a big noise

So, don't worry about tomorrow

Take it today

Forget about the check, we'll get hell to pay

-AC/DC, Have A Drink On Me

                                               

Wraiths In The Dark, session notes from the Rogue

Ghostly swell, 47th Street OCMD. 10/25/2018

   Savings time almost done. If I'm not in the water by 5:45 pm at the very earliest, darkness envelopes everything in a blink. Perfect example...last week. In the water just before 6, within fifteen minutes, the thigh-high swell shoved sets through that were nothing more than wraiths in the dark. Caught inside or passed by before I could gain position. Managed one late take-off that ended in a ride that sank shortly thereafter. Plenty of paddle-time though. Got wet. Always good. Even in near pitch blackness.
    "Well, another Halloween has come and gone." -Charlie Brown
Signs of the coming of Standard Time. Add to the shorter days. Colder evenings. Dropping water temps. Atlantic's now in the lower 60s. Surf has calmed as has Hurricane Season. Surf more due to surrounding storm fronts cruisin' through. Some befitting brews out there to combat the harvest chill and surrounding spooks...

Too much drink usually means a destiny with a pole.
St Michaels, MD 10/20/2018

My annual Oktoberfest

brewski. Paulaner's Marzen

at 5.8% ABV. Poured a clear

amber with about a finger

 puff head. Good carbonation,

thin lacing. Notes of malt

and toffee. Light hop finish at

24 IBUs. Rated a B.

Witches wrath. St.Michaels Highway, 10/20/2018

Backyard bonfire, Lookout Point. 10/20/2018

Burley Oak put out the 

perfect autumn Sour. Carrot

Cake JREAM. 4.4% ABV, 6.0

IBUs. Drank like tart cinnamon-

spice in a glass. Poured a cloudy

orange. Thin white head
with notes of fruited carrots

and cinnamon. Rated an A.

Trick or Treat in Berlin, MD
was pretty hard to beat. Especially
when pulled in tow by a 4-year old.

The Pumpkin Beer aptly

named for All Hallows Eve.

Two Roads Brewing's

Roadsmary's Baby. Rum barrel

aged for depth. Poured a hazy

brownish amber with a thin

white head. Aromas of vanilla

and spice. Light pumpkin. 

Flavors of malt, allspice, 

nutmeg, with rum in the 

background. Lighter pumpkin.

A fair brew for the season.

6.8% ABV, approx. 20 IBUs. 

Rated a B-.

Arrested Development, session notes from the Rogue.

Smooth, green anklets glaze the shoreline. Holidays on 66th, 10/18/2018.

   I know the cliche "in like a lion out like a lamb" refers to spring, but that is pretty much what has happened with the hurricane season this year. All that activity in the southeast Atlantic just shut down. Combine that with a sun settin' at a seemingly sonic rate, and the sudden arrival of cold temperatures and I was having to psych myself to enter the surf. Trunkin' it with a rubber top, so when the wind off the water hit it was easy to understand the need. Then I crossed the dune. Empty beach. Empty surf. Arrested development of recent conditions. A few clean ripples. Maybe... emphasis on the maybe...ankle high. Though the water's still warm...around 70F...the wind and shorebreak made the decision not to just float around and chill an easy one. Virtually flat. Stayed out.

Always in pursuit; road to the next ride. 

   We got about twenty some odd breweries on the Peninsula. So, I read somewhere that now becomes the time when as new ones open, others will close. 16 Mile Brewery closed at the end of September. Lot of mystery and speculation as to the reasons why, but at the end of the day their brews had become sought after. Delaware Oyster Stout, their autumnal offering, clocked in at a stout 6.2% ABV. Poured an opaque black with a thin, tight brown head. Immediately smelled strong aromas of coffee, roasted malt, and smoke. After tasting it, initially the roasted malts and came out strong; mixed huge with a hint of brine and metallic oyster shell, semi-sweet dark chocolate, and more coffee. Medium-thick body with a kinda-sorta dry finish. Good cooler weather beer that measured in at 12 IBUs. Rated this a B/B+.  

"My playground is full of

moonshine, mason jars, beer
bottles, and bonfires." -Big Smo