Gettin' Heavy, session notes from the Rogue

"Big beachbreaks, when you get caught inside, they hold you in that zone where
you're stuck inside. So it pushes you out from the beach but in from the back,
holding you right in the impact zone."     -Mark Mathews
Gettin' a little heavy at Holiday's. 66th St., OCMD. 7/26/2018

   Fronts clashed, joined by 15 to 20 knot south by southwest winds to bring heaving seas last week. Surfed last Thursday in semi-clean to choppy swell. Heavy winds. Heavy surf. Heavy rides. Shot out of a late takeoff. Blasted down a thumpin', crumbling, frontside wall as if on asphalt that needed repaving. A spray of foam, like loose stone, thrown up in my wake.  Somehow managed to stay far enough ahead of it to squeeze out about a block-plus joyride. Couple other shorties prior to and on the back end, but that one left an impression so far this season.
   Had the heavily trolled Huk Big Fish Classic going on at the Talbot Street Pier over the weekend. Biggest fish wins as they say. Close to $900,000 in payouts this year. Lotta Blue Fin Tuna brought in. A 404 lb. Blue Marlin took home most of the cash. Wife and I did MR Ducks to catch the weigh in's Saturday.

Excellent "pounder" of backfin crab meat and a poke' bowl combined with several frozen drinks and beers made a heavy duty off and on down-pour bearable. Evening finished off with a first-class OC sunset.

Winning Blue Marlin winched in for the scales.

Trio of Blue Fins. Talbot Street Pier, 7/28/2018.

   As with all things heavy, two "barrel aged" heavy hitters done over the summer so far...both from Grand Rapids' Founders Brewing. Early on it was KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout), an imperial chocolate coffee stout aged in bourbon barrels. Created a big wake at an unwieldy 12.3% ABV. Spring leftover. This black brew would seriously begin to knock you on your ass into the next bottle. First one was a rocker. Poured an opaque black with a thick, deep brown, finger and half head. Aromas of coffee grounds, brown sugar, and husky bourbon. Very viscous going down with the chocolate and coffee hitting up front and the warmth of the boozy liquor in the back. Hoppy bitterness of the 70 IBUs balanced it out a bit. Good sipper after a session in upper 50s, lower 60s surf. Or cooler evenings in late spring, early summer. More booze than I usually prefer. Placed this big wrecker at a B+.

The 2nd set rollin' in featured Dankwood. A fusion of bourbon soaked oak and hops that produced a 65 IBU big heavy that will collapse on your head quick if you don't hold on and pay attention. An Imperial Red IPA that poured a dark reddish-brown with a deep tan, finger-plus, billowy head. Aromas of caramel, pine and light citrus. The taste followed suit with rich malt and dank dark fruit, resin, and spice. Rounded out well with the hoppy bourbon finish. Another that will put your through the rinse cycle at 12.2% alcohol. Boozy but more balanced than KBS. A hop blaster that I rated an A-.

Sun sets on Day 2 of the Big Fish Classic. MR Ducks, 7/28/2018.