Washed Down, session notes from the Rogue.

Yeah, it's a sloppy shore-break day. 70th Street break, 8/20/2022.

     Been a fast moving, slow surf summer for the OC Coast. Suffering from a serious no swell spell. Flat when it's calm. Sloppy shore-break... a day like today...when it's not. Ended up doing a tour of the ArtX Festival at Northside Park. Grabbed some tuna poke and Kauai Oysters down to Shotti's Point at 35th and K-Coast. Paired with a couple of cold drafts. Perfect opportunity to wash down the "shore-break blues."

    Sunday grillin' closes each weekend.  Added a "kind-sorta local" brew to the table. Guinness opened their Open Gate U.S. location in Baltimore brewing a Maryland themed blonde ale known as... wait for it... Baltimore Blonde. I suppose you could call it a local brew. Good brew to pair with grillin'. Or drink while grillin'. Or drink while eatin' whatever you're grillin'. 5% ABV makes it sessionable. Clear, light amber pour with less than a finger of fizzy, fast dissipating head. Notes of vanilla, sweet caramel, and crackery malts. Floral hops were evident. Taste had more toasty malts, hints of lemony citrus, and light honey. Plenty of carbonation in tune with the 19 IBUs of the bitter floral hops gave it a crisp finish. Nice summer beer. Nothing outstanding, but worth the sixer. Gave it a B-/C+ rating. Cheers to the Irish local!

"If you can't stand the heat,

go get me a beer!"

-Anon.

Endangered Species, session notes from the Rogue.

"Surfers wait for the rare occurrences of just the right waves to align."  -L. Connelly
Rare waist-high sighting. Close to shore, Holiday's and 66th. 8/18/2022

     Spring storms have all but smoothed the break along the OC coast. Assateague fires from time to time. State shore or National depending. This past week brought out some swell in town. Holiday's specifically. Like an endangered species, got to snap 'em up while ya can. Just what I did. Late week surf sesh. Even with this swell, needed patience.

Flat for periods of time, then a couple sets came rollin' in. Even so, the break was close to shore. Always with an eye on the impact zone. Sitting on the lineup. Eyes on the horizon. Centered on finding a fix on the peace I have always associated with the salt and the sea. Water temps in the low to mid-70s F. Air temps in the low-80s F. Nice night on the beach. Wife in her own nirvana. Light winds of about 5 knots South-Southwest.. Like the line-up, no crowds. Warm. Surfed until near sundown. Few fronts. Couple lefts. Crossed back- the other side of the dunes. Dusk. Load up. Fun night.

Pack up the new ride.

     A nice hazy IPA to close out with. Crafted with the knack of a Mai Tai, Mind Haze Hoptical Crush by California's Firestone Walker Brewery. Double dry hopped at 25 IBUs. Poured a hazy orange with a near 2-finger, dense, off-white head. Aromas of peach,  hoppy citrus, pine and spicy pepper. Flavors of pineapple, orange, signature hop grapefruit, and of course, peach. Accompanied by a resinous feel. Some grassiness. Light malts. Smooth and somewhat balanced. Crisp, juicy finish. At 6.2%, just a couple. Rated an A-.

Patience...for the next bite; for the next ride.

Whim-Oh '22, session notes from the Rogue.

"The excitement, challenge, and beauty make white marlin fishing the sport of kings. People who have the means to chase any fish, anywhere, spend millions of dollars to chase white marlin," -Ric Burnley
Traffic backup on the southside of the Harry W. Kelley Drawbridge... waiting for passage to Harbor island.
-FishTalk image, 8/2022.

      49th White Marlin Open. This year's "Whim-Oh" as my niece would put it. Hav'ta say, a bit tame compared to the WMO tournaments of the past. Lot's of tuna. Big Eye. Yellowfin. Only a few Bluefin. A handful of non-qualifying Whiteys'. Some Ono (ie. Wahoo). A Swordfish (did not qualify)... no shark allowed (booooo!). A Blue Marlin. And a gaggle of Mahi. Not the spectacle I have previously seen- in my mind. Maybe due to cooler waters. The gulf stream being a little misaligned. Whatever. Wife and I still got our tuna steaks. Got a beer. Stilled packed like sardines. Waiting for next year. The 50th. Fanfare for sure. Get wet. Stay wet! 

Wahooooo!

Winning White Marlin.

    Discovered Big Truck Farm Brewing during last year's WMO. HalfCab Hazy IPA. Growin' their own Cascade hops. Truely a home grown brew. Poured a near straw yellow with a huge 3-finger, puffy, white head. Grassy, piney, lemon aromas. Flavors of resinous hops, grapefruit citrus, light malts. Feel was not as heavy as other IPAs. 6% Alcohol. 35 IBUs. Rated a solid B. 

   Our newest local brew house - Burnish Beer Company. Shine IPA. Soft scents of orange and pine. after the first sip...edgy spice surrounding mango and pineapple with a slight dank hint of pine. Some cloudiness in the pour. Thin but plentiful lacing. 'Bout a finger-ful of white head. Decent wet coaster. Impressive for a newer brewery. 6.3% ABV. Estimated 35 IBUs. Gave it B+ rating.

WMO over. Summer's end is near. 8/12/2022