Vitamin Sea, session notes from the Rogue.

"We are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts, with our thoughts we make our world; think
with a pure mind and happiness will follow you."  -Buddha
Best session of the summer, hell the year, so far. Felt like I could set a rail into just about everything...pure gratification. Waist-plus textured glass fragments in front of Holidays, 7/18/2019.

   Summer in full shwing! Since arriving at the Point, July has become family month. Brothers. Kids. We enjoy it, they love it. But, it keeps us busy, from week two 'til close. Got the warmth of the sun, surf's up, tube was rockin' the river, fish were biting, and a few summertime brews were cracked. Some positive vibes, vitamin sea, and a pictorial essay for July Part Deux...

Post river tube session: Brothers Four, 7/17/2019

:

Epic bay battle. J-Man vs. 'ray, 7/21/2019.

Took off spooling about 50 yards of line.

Was backing the boat as he reeled 'er in.

Cownose Stingray...maybe 25-30lbs, 
snapped the line just short of the stern.

Brut IPAs are a recent crop of

champagne-like brew that seem

to be making a mark. Evo Craft

 Brewing's Brut DriPA poured a

hazy straw yellow, foamy white

head,mild citrus aromas, light

lemon and grapefruit taste, 

with a dry, crisp finish. 6.0% ABV.

Perfect for this time of year.  

B+ rating. 

Perfect Lazy-dinner weather.

Pier fireworks.

Gotta do a night at the races, 7/23/2019.

Seacrets birthday bash, Jesh's golden, 7/25/2019.

Crushin' it at Harborside on the commercial harbor.

Boston Beer Company's Lager-Ale

hybrid, Sam '76 falls in at 12 IBUs 
and 4.7% ABV. Made it a multiple
 summer crusher with notes of citrus 
and grain. Light hop with a malt
 spine. Poured a golden yellow with
 a big pillowy head. Not too bad. 

Gave Sam a B/B-.

Bayview from Sneaky Pete's.

Blowfish expanding!

B-Day weekend  Flounder pounder. 

Mango Kush Wheat Ale, 

SweetWater Brewing's 

melon-head offering. 5% ABV so

drink some more. 30 IBUs, thus

enough dankness to provide a

refreshingly pungent, resinous, 

bitter finish to an otherwise

tropical mango brew. Poured a

cloudy amber-gold with a

1-finger plus head. Rated a B.

Reach up for the sunrise  
         Put your hands into the big sky.

                                                     - Duran Duran, Sunrise

Just Go, session notes from the Rogue.

Sequence: Sqeezin' a semi-clean frontside outta Holiday's crowded coast.
66th Street, OCMD. 7/11/2019

   I've always said, "ya don't know until ya go." Last evening was no different. Surf reports all called for poor conditions with ankle high chop. By the time I was in, I was seein' knee to thigh with an occasional waistie. Clean, a little bit. Choppy a little bit. Know this, if the conditions are sectioning at all, I'm always thankful with winds from the south (SSE in this case). Not fighting sloppy backsides makes me happy. Means more rides; less brawling with Mother O. Not a lotta fight this session. Water now firmly in the lower 70s, so I'm pretty much trunkin' it each time I'm out. Crowded on the beach. Some tourist-filled obstacle courses along the shore. Clear line-up. Caught a few. Kooked a few. Fun night.
   Talkin' 'bout squeezin' juice...Peak Organic Brewing put out The Juice, a dry hopped Pale Ale probably seeing around 35+ IBUs. Poured a cloudy golden orange with a big 2-finger billowy white head. Big scents of tangerine and grapefruit with hints of lemon. Flavors were balanced. Light dankness with more tangerine-orange and mango. Tropical citrus hops provided a somewhat refreshing bitterness to the finish. Got this in a mixed six but at 5.8% ABV, one definitely would've led to another. Rated a B+/A-.

A very un-summer like brew that I pulled off a Michigan shelf in May for my youngest Bro from the Zone (that would be Arizona, and he wouldn't know a good beer if it was injected into him)...Eliot Ness Amber Lager. Came off as a particularly bold Vienna style lager from Great Lakes Brewing. Poured a reddish-brown with a fast dissipating, finger-thick, tan head. Toasted barley aromas with hints of piney hops. Tastes of molasses and cherry with caramel malts. The bitterness of the 27 IBUs of hops did a good job of rounding out this brew. Not a jump out of the glass standout. However, at 6.1% alcohol content it could be deceptively hurtful to do any more than a couple. Rated a B/B+.

"Doubts raced through my mind

as I considered the feasibility 
of enforcing a law which the

majority of honest citizens

didn't seem to want."
-Eliot Ness on Prohibition

Too Much Water, session notes from the Rogue.

        Beach erosion. 39th street wasteland, 7/2/2019.
        Too much water in one place
        Not enough somewhere else.
         -Donovan Frankenreiter

   Water now about 72F, and I could trunk it. So naturally, went for a mid-week surf. Truely a shorebreak wasteland. No Power. Earlier, as I was leaving my work's parking lot, the surf cam had shown small thigh surf breaking about 10 yards off the beach. 'Bout an hour later high tide had moved in as we reached 47th Street. Everything breaking on shore. Got teased by some whitewater offshore about 6 to 7 blocks down. Snaking through the oceanside alleys, we made our way to 39th street just north of Castles. Really didn't matter where we were. All up and down the OC coast...poor, shorebreak conditions. I tried. Too much water. Literally one wave in front of the other blocking any ride, choking any momentum. Blanked. No rides...only a few fast slides too close to shore. Early, summertime blues.
   Nuthin' like a juicy, hazy IPA to change one's perspective. Changes mine just about every time. Middle Michigan's New Holland Brewery concocted Tangerine Space Machine, a juicy New England-style IPA choke full of scents of herbal citrus and of course, tangerine. A hazy, honey-orange pour with a 2-finger off white head. Strong, sour orange-tangerine hit in the initial taste. Tons of grapefruit, pineapple, and more tangerine citrus with caramel malts that offset the mild bitterness of the big, resinous, hop flavor. I was surprised at the 48 IBU content. The 6.8% ABV did not feel overwhelming. Had tres cans in a mixed six pack. They disappeared quickly. Rated a B+/A-. 

...I do my best work when the weather's hot
I'm pretty good at drinkin' beer
-Billy Currington