Signs, the Rogue's session notes.

Sunset on Off Shore Lake. Southgate, the Pines. 9/27/2022.

     See 'em everywhere. The signs. Summer's gone. Autumn on the move. Sun settin' 'bout 7-ish. Later and later. Hence, Atlantic's getting cooler. As are the nights. Nothin' extreme, yet. Water's in the mid to upper 60's. First 'Cane off Burmuda last weekend. Fiona. Made a mess of the surf. Hard core surfbreak. Died quickly. Been sloppy knees to flatties since. Timing is painful. Hurricane season has been slow this year, although we got one taking aim on Florida's Gulf Coast. 

Fiona's sho' spankin', 9/23/2022.  -Malibus pic

Been counting corn fields chopped down on the drive to 'n from work in the midst of waiting for the next opportunity. Harvest time. Another sign. I'm rambling. It hurts. My surf time is waning fast.

     Cooler evenings callin' for a warmer to take the edge off. Weyerbacher Brewing's Blithering Idiot. Poured a murky copper-brown, with a thin khaki head. Very thin lacing. An English Barleywine. Like a strong Strong Ale. A real headbanger at 11.1% ABV. Will definitely warm the blood. Dark fruit, and caramel malts on the nose. Tastes of cherries, raisins, toffee, and sweet molasses. Rich. Smooth. Light, oaky, booziness that is not overwhelming. 34 IBUs of hops gave just the right amount of bitterness to offset the sweet in the closing seconds of each swig. Not the best (a tad on the sweet side). But solid. Rated the Jester a B.

"I can party like a twenty-four-

year-old, but it takes me almost a

week to recover."    -Amy Poehler

The Sage, the Rogue's session notes.

Waist high, semi-clean to chop along Assateague's North Beach, 9/11/2022.

     Always with the tale to tell. A lesson to learn. The man could talk story with the best of 'em. They stayed with us for about a week. UG and AD. Mesmerized with his narratives. Smiled at her rectifying edits. Everyday a sojourn. St. Michaels, Assateague, the Yacht Club, bay cruising, fishing, local restaurants. Every evening cocktails and an anecdote to follow up, and bring enhanced appreciation for "another perfect day." Great times. We love 'em!

Super-high tide. St. Michaels marina, 9/9/2022.

St. Michaels surf.

Assateague ponies - made AD's day!

Perfect day at Assateague Surf Shop, 9/11/2022.

    Couple of fall coffee brews to close the days. A second Copper State brew. Chocolate Coffee Peanut Butter Porter. Nitro. Opened with a Reese's Cup sweetness in the nose, with a hint of roasted coffee. Flavors of mocha coffee and vanilla sweet cream with malted toffee. Nice balancing 42 IBUs of bitterness. Poured a deep cola-brown, with a finger-plus, foamy tan head that provided the tell-tale nitro creaminess. Very enjoyable at 5.9% ABV. Rated a B+.

Left Hand Brewing sent in a strong follow up. A second coffee nitro- Pumpkin Spice Latte Nitro Ale. Poured a hazy brownish amber. two-finger off-white head of froth. Aromas of vanilla, pumpkin pie spices, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Strong taste of pumpkin, more pie spices, milk sugar, and light coffee. Not overwhelming despite the 7% ABV. Fair hop balance at an estimated 30 IBUs. Nitro creaminess not as prevalent in this one. Not bad. I'd do another. Rated a B/B-.

Living life with awe and
enthusiasm. -AD & UG
St. Michaels, MD. 9/9/2022.

Assawoman Hopping, session notes from the Rogue.

Hazards of hopping. Full lot at Catch 54 called for Illegal canal parking. Fenwick Ditch, 9/4/2022.

     Assawoman Bay. Makes up the majority of our series of back bays. There is the Sinepuxent to the far south. The Isle of Wight to the south and west. But Assawoman is the largest. Labor Day weekend. Met my Brother and his wife. Air in the 80's. Water in the 70's. Did some fishin', some beer drinkin', some bayside bar hoppin'. Basically carved the backside of our coast takin' advantage of the start of our shoulder season. Ohana and salt water. Love the water. Seriously.

Apps and brews at Reel Inn

Chesapeake Oysters at Catch 54

"It's day drinkin' weather!"

-JD

     Summer Lager. A light, "all day" session collaboration from Thompson Island and Troegs. Straw yellow pour. Big, white, foamy head. Herbal hops, pepper, and grains in the aromas. Grassiness, spice, and more grains in the taste with a crisp bitter bite in the finish. Pretty much a basic beer that doesn't overfill nor overwhelm. 5% alcohol. Maybe 15 IBUs. Rated a C.

   This year's first pumpkin ale, Cigar City's Good Gourd. Poured a deep, reddish-brown amber with a finger thick, tan head. Huge aromas of roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and malts. Flavors of sweet vanilla, caramel, pumpkin/sweet potato pie spices with a snappy slap of  floral hops...28 BUs worth. This was an Imperial Pumpkin Ale weighing in at 8.8%... definitely not a pounder. Very smooth. Deserved every bit of the A-/A rating.