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.