Find A Way, notes from the Rogue.

"It's a wonderful metaphor, catching a wave, for how you can look at other challenges in
your life."  -Jeff Bridges
Pinching the lip of a semi-clean, knee to thigh-hi right. Holidays 'n 66th, 9/24/2020.

   Equinox. Equal time of light and dark. For my weekly, post-work sessions it means my time in the water grows increasingly shorter. And colder. Not cool. Still trunkin' it, now with a rubber top. Water's zippin' across the top of the 60's. Empty lineup. For some, not worth the effort. For me, the water temps, the conditions, they don't matter. As long as the light of day allows...somehow, at least one day during the work week, I make the point to find a way.

   Also find a way to seek out unique brews. Started with a locally brewed Coconut Golden Ale...South To Somewhere courtesy of Lewes, DE's Crooked Hammock Brewery. Poured a clear amber with about a finger-thick, dense, beige head. The aroma of coconut was what hit first, followed by scents of orange and mango. The taste was malt forward, bready. The coconut flavors tended to fade, but the tropical fruit tones remained along with an peppery, lightly bitter (18 IBUs) hop finish. At 4.9% ABV, a nice post surf brew. The can typified Crooked Hammock's beach graphics. Gave it a B rating.

A brewery of big beers new on my radar- Elder Pine Brewing & Blending originated in the Baltimore suburb of Gaithersburg, MD. Nordic Brume was a double dry-hopped IPA featuring Kveik, a Nordic strain of yeast that gave rise to a brew that burst with notes of pineapple, juicy orange, lime, and papaya. The dry-hop process exploded the tangy grapefruit presence that had the IBUs soaring into the 70s minimum. Each sip had a silky feel due to brewing with wheat and oats. This "fit for a Viking" brew clocked in at 7% ABV, so more than a couple would knock a few of those Norse ships off course. The can featured a Drakkar Longship as if it were just arriving in the new world (yep, my interpretation). Nice. Like the big beers. Rated an A.

"Party like a 

Viking, err...

maybe not."

-C.Kinnee