On The Rise, the Rogue's notes

From under my lone palm, I can look out on the day.  -J. Buffett
Lone pine looking out on the dawn from across the bay. First light's view of North OC, Ebb Tide Rd. 12/2019

   Christmas is around the bend. The Winter Solstice is near. Always 20s to 30sF at night. Days fluctuate big time. Thirties for a week or two. Then BOOM! Fifties. Sixties even. Nice pee-na-monia weather. No matter. After the 21st (solstice), the light of day starts getting longer. We might have more chill in front of us, but we're over the hump. I hope. Power of positive thought, right? Not much in the way of surf. I could use that as my excuse for not getting out lately. Wouldn't be the truth. Work, getting ready for our trip to Chicago. Truth, but excuses. I could've made time. Water in the upper 40sF. Completely true. Worth going out if there's waves. Almanac says conditions are on the rise. Water requiring a hood? Forget it. On the rise or not, I'll be waiting for Spring.

The Pines White Horse gazebo tree.

   While I wait, my next brew. Cold morning. Breath explodes in a cloud before your face. Cold ocean that seems to spark in the wake as you enter. Even with a full suit, boots, and gloves, the chill of the salted flushing through the rubber, sends a shock across your entire body as you glide into the first set of wash on the way out to the break. Doesn't make no never mind. The peace of a morning surf, big or small, is worth the momentary pain. Get home after the session's end, nothin' better than to have Third Wave Brewing's Dawn Patrol Coffee & Cream Stout waiting to warm your innards. Poured a coal black with a finger thick, brown, foamy head. Smelled of roasted malts, toffee, and semi-sweet baking chocolate. Even caught a whiff of bourbon. With the first taste the beer had a viscous feel. Strong  sweet, black coffee...like a Cafe Cubano espresso. More chocolate and bourbon in the flavors. Not overly being boozy. However, the 7.1% alcohol level made this one dangerous. Also, very smooth, although not as creamy as they boasted. Very well hopped finish at 53 IBUs. Easy to rate this one an A/A-.

"When dealing with complex transportation
issues, the best thing to do is pull up with
a cold beer and let somebody else figure
it out." - Anthony Bourdain

Shore Stuffing, the Rogue's notes.

Wind blasted pup...no SUP today. Chop on the river. O.Pines, 11/28/2019

   Let the festivities begin. Time to stuff in as much running, eating, trimming, shopping, and general excess before year end. Thanksgiving, my mark for the beginning of a month-plus long holiday feast of stuffing on the Shore. Don't get me wrong. I relish it, appreciate it, worry about it, get aggravated by it, and pretty much look forward to every bit of it. Christmas is definitely the anchor. New Years the finale, before Winter's hum drum and frost envelops everything. Ain't it always the same? No matter how the feast ended up, when it's over there's a let down. Ocean City's Winterfest of Lights always helps with this let down. Loads of LEDs. They have a number for 'em. $hit-tons. That's my number. Part of our Thanksgiving festivities included the trip to Winterfest at Northside Park. Just a few highlights...

   What beer goes with a turkey dinner? Asking me? Any and all. Virginia's Starr Hill put out a New England style IPA called Swim...nice for the occasion. Paired well with the saltiness of the oyster dressing and the savory seasoning of the turkey. Poured a cloudy orange with a less than finger head. Not big on lace retention.The yin of the mango and pineapple fruit aromas. The yang of the spicy pine, and familiar tart hop-grapefruit tastes. Little more than subtle at 7% ABV. Refreshing hop bite...more closely resembling a Pale. Rated a B.

A good holiday seasonal opener and desert partner was Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter. Opaque black pour. Two-plus finger, light tan head. Light vanilla notes joined with chocolate and malts in the wafted up through the liquid. Boasted a hint of cherries and vanilla, dark chocolate, coffee, and molasses in the flavor. Creamy texture going down. Light bitterness (16 IBUs) in the aftertaste offset the heaviness of the beer. No one aroma or taste stood out. At 6% ABV, a nice post-dinner seasonal. Rated a B/B-.

"I'm excited this Thanksgiving

to eat like the 1% and drink

like the 99%."   -Anon

Growin' up fast. Winterfest, 11/27/2019.

Not Yet, the Rogue's notes.

"Did you know that salt water is most closely related to human blood, and you know what that reminds me of? Our own essence, gentlemen." -Matt George, In God's Hands
Clean-up of the bloodline begins. Just another Monday at the OC Inlet, 11/18/2019  -Dispatch Pic

   Ready for any weekend. Not. Not making time. Not getting out. Not getting wet. Not yet. Water now getting to borderline 50F. Weather not exactly conducive. Weekends have been busy. Clean-up from the offshore systems earlier in the week had occurred off hours, i.e. weekdays. Mornings, afternoons (despite winds picking up). Yep, Standard Time work hours. 0-Dark Thirty by the time I get off. No surf yet...
   ...Beer review though. Of course. Like the most recent coastal system, Chaos Brewing outta Roanoke, VA added to the Atlantic confusion with Squatch Ale. A scotch ale...get it? Poured a dark reddish-brown, with a thin finger's worth, khaki head. Light toffee-malt notes mixed with spice. At 7.5%, a little boozy sweetness in the initial swig. Flavors of caramel and roasted malts. Finish was a hair tart...flashing the 25 IBUs of slightly bitter hop citrus. A good-un to wash away a missed surf opportunity, ye olde wee-heavy got rated a solid B.

"Advocacy, not snobbery, is the
best path to spreading beery

enlightenment." -the Beer Geek

Last Voyage, the Rogue's notes.

Pulling up the anchor, letting go the rope. Age rules over all things, fate rules over hope.  -Gentle Giant
 Autumn serenity overcomes a fading summer. Upriver, St.Martins. 11/2/2019

   Last nice weekend. Last fishing expedition. Last boat cruise. Last voyage. Water had cooled on the bayside as well. Launching at the usual ramp, I released the winch strap allowing the boat to begin to back off the trailer. To float the boat the rest of the way I usually end up wading in (required of SUV owners vs. pick-up trucks) and push it off. Yeah, the water had gotten noticeably colder. But, the day was calm, even the bay was calmer than usual. Less boat traffic...sure that helped the conditions on the open water. Wife and I cruised over to try our luck by the Rt. 50 bridge. South side had a strong current dragging north. Anchor wasn't a guarantee. Constantly watching our proximity to the bridge as I was slingin' the Roy Rig towards the pilings. Got stuck a few times. Finally lost a rig. Happened to see "Big Bird" Cropper plying the current as well as several other boats. Noticed he didn't stay in one place long if they weren't biting. Saw a few small non-keepers pulled in. No one really catching anything. Finally took the 'Big Bird" hint and left. Trolled the northside, wife driving...did a good job too! Kept flipping the rigs under the bridge and around the pilings until I had lost the remainder of the rigs to the flotsam along the bottom. No worries. We headed up the channel and the thoroughfare, past Harbor Island, around Fish Tales, and across the bay back to the St. Martin. Followed the river down to the county boat ramp in Bishopville. Turned back to end the voyage where we started. The Pines boat ramp. No fish, but stoked to get out on the water, even to end the season.

Final landing.

   Main Beer Company's Fall Coffee Stout. Nice warmer to keep nearby during clean up. Pour was a very dark brown with a tan, finger-plus, foamy head. Solid tan lacing and retention. Aromas of pine, roasted malt, and mocha coffee. Tasted of cola mixed with semi-sweet chocolate. Light char of burnt malts and hop bitterness did nice job of countering the sweet without making the finish overly dry. Plenty more cold brewed coffee behind it. 5.6% ABV meant another was possible without smudging the hull. Very good stout. Rated an A/A-.

"The natural path for every
gluten-tolerant adult should 

lead them to falling in love 

with beer." - P. Dawson

Closing Time, session notes from the Rogue

Another one bites the dust; harvest time, Berlin, MD. Late October, 2019.

Closing time.
One last call for alcohol,

So finish your whiskey or beer.
Closing time.
You don't have to go home,

But you can't stay here.
-Semisonic

   The end is here. At least that of my weekday surfing. On the way to work I had actually been doing a countdown. Number of corn and wheat fields that get harvested. Soybeans that are turning color before drying up. The number that have succumbed to the sickle, mechanized or otherwise, increased with each trip. Evening surf sessions had shortened to the point where if I didn't get outta work early enough, I was sittin' in the lineup searchin' the horizon in the dark. Week before last featured knee to thigh fast closers. Water in the low sixties...boot time. Fun rides. At this point of the season, in a full suit, I was happy just to have a few to glide down. 

Corrugated surf, but stoked for the glide. Holidays, 10/24/2019.

And Damn! Week over week it got cold fast.  Water in upper 50's by the last week of October. Donned the boots and gloves for that last ride. Overcast all day, so even by 5-ish as I entered the water, it was short work before I was pretty much in the dark. At that point, the waves were coming in ghostly sets, like zombie walkers. Were on rising up in front of ya before you knew it. Wrappin' around and draggin' you over the falls. Little chance to get in position. Managed to slip into a half-assed right before the thigh-high mass folded over and kicked my stick out from under me. Spent the rest of the evening caught inside, or missing the ride. Trudging out in the pitch black, nuthin' left but All Hallows Eve and the weekends. Until Springtime.

Last weekday sesh...

...tough catch all evening. Holidays, 10/30/2019.

   It's the time of year for my annual Oktoberfest beer of choice. This year it was Narragansett Brewing's Fest Marzen, an amber-orange, Bavarian style lager that poured crystal clear with a finger-plus white, foamy head. The aromas exploded with malt and caramel with a light hop spice. Flavor featured more toasted malts, a sweet, nutty, biscuity backbone, and a 22 IBU, clean, crisp finish. 5.5% ABV, so the six of sixteen ouncers (say that 5 times fast...after the 3rd) wasn't deadly. Rated a B+.

Perfect for month end, and in keeping with Jack's (o'Lantern) night, Blood Orange pHunk, another acquisition from Cape Charles Brewing. A Berliner Weisse that poured a clear copper color. Thin fizzy head. Little lacing. Smelled of citrus and orange, with a touch of grain. Tart splash of lemon and bitter orange in the taste with a dry, hop finish. 4.0 ABV, 5.0 IBU. Easy drinking brew. Rated a B.

   Closed the month with another epic Berlin Halloween. This year's theme: Day of the Dead. This town really knows how to throw a good 'ol Eastern Sho' fall party. It was a ride no one wanted to end.

On the hunt...

Where's that schoolmaster?

You have to be here to get it...the candy I mean.

"Shadows of a thousand years
Rise again unseen, 
Voices whisper in the trees
Tonight is Halloween."
-D. Kozen

The stoke of the night...more candy.

Drink In Williamsburg, session notes from the Rogue.

"About four o’clock in the morning, we descried the Land of Virginia. The same day we entered into the Bay of Chesupioc [Chesapeake] directly, without any let or hindrance. There we landed and discovered [explored] a little way, but we could find nothing worth the speaking of, but fair meadows and goodly tall Trees, with such Fresh-waters running through the woods, as I was almost ravished at the first sight thereof."

-the Honorable George Percy aboard the Susan Constant, Jamestown: 1607, The First Months.
         L-R: The 40-ton Godspeed, 16-ton Discovery, and 120-ton Susan Constant tied to their final mooring.
                                                           Jamestown, VA 10/19/2019.

   Autumn trip to Virginia's tidewater region. Look forward to it every year. Sometimes I wondered if my Wife wasn't gettin' tired of it, but she had suggested it...honestly, she seems to enjoy it as much as me. I really get stoked about the history of the area, it's proximity to the waters of the Atlantic and Chesapeake, and the whole craft beer scene of the Triangle. Of course. Post kinda ended up leaning in this direction. A beeline to Merchants Square upon cracking Williamsburg's borders. Ravaged the samples at the Peanut Shop. Poked around the Williamsburg craft stores. Did my tour of the Hair of the DoG (Duke of Gloucester) Bottle Shop. Picked up a few cans of savory Virginia peanuts, a couple of gifts, colonial beers brewed by Alewerks, and of course, a sixer of various other local suds. 

The Peanut Shop...the
samples always have
us walking away with a

few cans.

Missed out on The Cheese Shop this trip. Have quite the
beer selection in their basement. A "next trip" destination.

Beer for sample and purchase. Shelves of beer, and
a draft room in the corner. Hair of the DoG Bottle Shop.

The Virginia beer scene rocks year 'round, but this time of year some choice heavies, darks, and stouts are a must have. Virginia tidewater area breweries do a great job. No better time to sample 'em then when visiting the
Williamsburg historic area. Speaking of, Duke of Gloucester Street. America's "most historical avenue." The great street. The main drag. Had to do it. Plenty of buildings of historical significance. Taverns too. Could feel the presence, the footsteps, of our country's founders nearly 300 years ago as they walked the streets, ale in hand. 

Alewerks' Virginia Small Beer.

Commonly brewed in the home.

Poured a clear amber with

a finger thick head. Aromas of 
wheat, grains, and spice. Sweet
molasses and peppery spice in
the taste. Light bitterness in
the finish. Fair brew. 5% ABV.
25 IBUs. Rated a B-. 

John Blair Kitchen and Garden

Blaikley House and Shop

Bryan House

Taliaferro-Cole Shop (Harnessmaker-Saddler)

Greenhow Lumber House and Store

Shoemaker's Shop

Greenhow Tenement and Brick Office

An Oatmeal Stout. Elbow
 Patches from Virginia Beer
 Company. Deep mahogany
pour with a 2-finger dark
tan head. Some char and
dark roasted malt in the
 nose. Thick with coffee
 and dark chocolate in the
flavor. Oats provided a
 creaminess to balance the
roast of the malts. Not
overly bitter at 26 IBUs.
 6.2% ABV. Rated an A-.

Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg's cornerstone.

     Headed on over to Jamestown. Racing the sunset. An unseen settlement, with a brewery in need of sampling. Never been there. The brewery, or Jamestown. Explored through to the Island. Traveled the Isthmus to Jamestown Island. Stopped at the entrance. Sun was dropping. Ferry had left.

Jamestown-Scotland Ferry

 Brewery waiting. Billsburg Brewery on the Harbor. Comfortable taproom with outdoor deck overlooking the harbor, and a food truck in the lot. Did a flight of four. The lighter beers were bland, but the Oatmeal Porter Nitro at 5.8% and the Tourist Trap Hazy IPA at 7.1%...both bad-ass brews.

Tasting deck.

Billsburg's Tourist Trap

NE hazy IPA. Golden
haze pour with a finger-
plus white head. Pine-

apple citrus aroma.
Taste of resinous pine

and telltale grape-

fruit hop bitterness.

Dangerously refreshing.

Rated an A.

Judge on call.

Toasted the night (and day) at Craft-31. Thirty brews on tap with oysters on the half shell, and a craft burger to pair. Nice. The pooch comes along on some of these trips. An extra judge. Burger got 'im. Gonna say that made him bias (not much of a beer drinker).

   Finished the ride Sunday. Carved our way through an old fashioned Virginia breakfast. Outlet stores. Coffee. Started in a downpour. Finished with the sun peaking out as we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel back to the Peninsula. Great run.

Storm clouds clearing over the mouth of the Chesapeake.  Choppy point break, Fisherman Island. 10/20/2019