Road Trip- Autumn Estuary, notes from the Rogue

    Visited family in central Delaware this weekend.  Took our mother to the DuPont Nature Center near Slaughter Beach.  The estuary there is formed where the Mispillion River meets the Delaware Bay.  Huge breeding ground for Horseshoe Crabs.  Nice time.  Shrimp and clams for lunch to boot!  Good 'ol fashioned Eastern Sho' Autumn.

Firestone Walker Brewing out of Paso Robles, California.  Them dudes is makin' some great brews.  Wookey Jack, an unfiltered Black Rye IPA at 8.3% ABV serves as a great warmer on a chilled autumn night.  Pours a jet black with a one finger brown head.  Good lacing.  Has the citrus aroma of an IPA mixed with nuts and chocolate. And the taste...like the smell...big, roasty, and just as complex.  Very smooth, like a stout, with an 80 IBU hop pop.  This rates a definite A.

"All men hear is blah, blah,blah, 

SEX, blah, blah, blah, FOOD, 

blah, blah, blah, BEER."

                     -Denis Leary

Cold Feet, notes from the Rogue

Lost Beach: that jetty was covered until the recent nor'easter.  Dusk, 47th St., 10/21

  With the sun gone by 6:30 and only dusk to illuminate any swell, every weeknight is a quickie.  Autumn is getting her firm hold on the Shore now.  Water in the lower 60s(F). Air temps by nightfall into the upper 50s, lower 60s.  The roads are cold, the sidewalks are cold, the f#%king sand is cold.  The full suit is back on, though not with boots or gloves just yet.  The water felt warm compared to the rest of 'em.  But after a little over an hour's sesh, the toes were getting that tingly feelin'.  Still managed to coax a few outta the knee high bump out there.  All that for a few cold knee-high waves?  Yeah, surf's been lacking as of late.  Take the opportunities.  Always good to get wet.  Nice night.  Very grateful.

   'Bout a week and a half ago, was in Chi-Town visiting my girlfriend and she took me to a chill sports bar called the Foundry in Naperville.  Nice local brew on special, Revolution Brewing's Anti-Hero IPA.  Not overly hard hitting at 6.5% ABV, but still packing a hop wallop at 70 IBUs.  Pours a clear amber with about a two finger head. Excellent lacing.  Excellent carbonation.  Piney citrus smell with a grapefruit taste that blended well with the  malt background.  Really liked the refreshing dry finish.  Rated it an A.

"Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and 

I'm not in it for you, Princess!"
-Han Solo

October Feisty, notes from the Rogue

8th Street, Malibu's 10/9

This afternoon was a mess.  Near double overhead produced by a feisty October Nor'easter.  Rain that pelts your face.  Walking to my Terrain, I didn't need the Weather Channel to tell me my hump-day surf was pretty much off.  The board I had slid into the back was beggin' dude, seriously.  No smash wish today.  Big diff from last week. The only thing I fought were the sandcrabs.  $hit, big change from the weekend.

Anklets.  47th Street, 10/3

   Got me a fair Brown Ale recently.  Another Georgetown, DE winner outta 16 Mile Brewing Company.  6.1% ABV gives Harvest Ale a warming quality.  Pours a deep brown, almost like a porter, but with the lighter taste of a brown ale. Good lacing. Okay carbonation.  Tastes of cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, and wood like.  Yeah, like fresh chopped wood.  Creamy and somewhat, though not overly malty.  IBUs approximately 25.  Great food beer.  Rated it B, and that's good since I'm not a big Brown Ale fan.

"You can't buy happiness but you 

can buy beer.  It's almost the 

same thing."

                            -Anonymous