In Slow-Mo, the Rogue's session notes.

 

There's a need, go to feed. Wish I could press restart. -C'est la vie, Weathers.
Setting out for the last session of the year. Holiday's at 66th, 10/27/2022.

     Surf time for the last time. Late month October. Full rubber suit. Boots. Gloves. Water in the 60F range. The air nearly matched in the low 60s. Easy paddle. Very comfortable in the water. Low tide, with some thigh to waist. Take-off/pop ups in slow-mo. Wanted to make that next cut in. Just never materialized as hoped. Made the commitment- this off-season will definitely require some flex training. Half a$$'d rides. Followed by the realization that I will most likely be waiting until next season for the chance to press restart... as the song says.

    So, a cure for the sluggish ride? Big Truck Farm Brewery's Motor Oil. Black IPA. Have I mentioned?... love a Black IPA. Grabbed the pint as part of a mixed sixer. Dark, reddish-brown pour. Near 2-finger, foamy tan head. Thin lacing. Not a thick brew. Notes of roasted coffee and malt in the nose. Hint of the tell tale hop citrus. Tasted of grapefruit without being overwhelming. More roasted malts. Hint of cocoa. Sharp bitterness of hops and burnt coffee in the back. Nice finish to a pretty decent beer. Gave it a B/B+ rating. Next time, will get the the 4 pack.

Big Truck- "Going Past

the unknown."

Ready For The Hunt, the Rogue's session notes.

Pelagic Warriors, ready for the deep sea pursuit. West OC Commercial Harbor, 10/15/2022.

     Getting into mid-October. Water time had been scarce. No fish. No surf. No rides. And no pumpkin! No good. Had our Granddaughter for the weekend. Was ready for the hunt. She had the Fall inspiration. Harbor Day in West OC. Dedicated to the Right Coast Waterman. All things from the Sea.

     Late lunch at Sunset Grill that pretty much filled the tanks. Next stop was Dagsboro, DE and Parson's Farm. Annual pumpkin hunt. All things pumpkin. Place had spilled pumpkins and the like everywhere. A veritable harvest explosion. Spent the day in search of. Filled up the cart. Headed out. Still satiated from our late lunch. Family time always provides a buzz. Like a hot cup of joe at the end of a day! 

Celebrate the hunt! 

     Speaking of... the perfect beer. Alewerks Brewing's Pumpkin Latte. a holdover from Williamsburg. Finger plus frothy white head. Hazy orange-brown pour. Aromas of spice and nuts with notes of coffee. Flavors of coffee and pumpkin pie. Not sure about that combo, but at 7.3% ABV and an estimated 25 IBUs, a very good seasonal that meets the need. Rated a B+.

"Tis hard to tell which is best:

music, food, beer, or rest."

-Unknown

Tidewater Fest, the Rogue's session notes.

Tidewater travel time...making the Hampton Roads channel crossing. Willoughby Spit, 10/8/2022.

     A return after three years. Virginia's tidewater region. Williamsburg specifically. No water time. Yet, we traveled over and under the Chesapeake and it's tributaries to get to the food and beer. Nice. Weekend getaway. Gotta love this area. Like, the Washington-Baltimore corridor, Annapolis, and Maryland's Eastern Sho', Virginia's southern passage, and Tidewater region full of seafood and brews. No wonder we feel in our element whenever we cruise around the Old Dominion state.

       "Men and women who moved to the Chesapeake saw themselves... 

       as participants in a vibrant and interconnected transatlantic world." 

       -James Horn, historian.

Plenty to chose from.

Williamsburg's first big hitter.

     Day one, Alewerks Brewing. Been a beat since we were last here... bout ten years. A full selection board of beers. A pretzel that was hard to avoid. As my wife said, I couldn't get to the bar fast enough. Pretzels and beer. Nice. This has been the year of the Oktoberfest Bier, and Alewerks had theirs ready to go on tap.  A 5.6% ABV Marzen. Poured an orange-amber with a finger thick, off-white head. Smelled of bready grains with a touch of sweet. Smooth taste. Little spice, Good balance of sweet and hoppy bitterness. Rated a B. Then there was the Jubilee. Alewerks Bourbon Oak Barrel aged brew.  A dark Strong Ale. Their 15th anniversary edition- also on tap. Opaque brown body with a beige finger+ head. Light bourbon scent. Vanilla. Cherries. Flavors of oaky bourbon, coffee, sweet stone fruit. More malty than hoppy. Smooth. Heavy, but not too syrupy. At 10% ABV not overly boozy, but definitely a sipper. Rated an B+. Alewerks proved itself as the pillar of Williamsburg's beer scene. 

Hard to avoid.

Dinner after the flight. More brews. Good food.
Oceans & Ale, 10/8/2022.

Seafood Spring Rolls:
Shrimp, crab, and veggies.

'Course, in addition to the culinary- got to get our fix of the colonial. Williamsburg was the destination. Big surprise. Been fans for some time. A combination of the historic, eclectic, and natural esthetic. This time of year, add the autumn spray of color in the lineup. Sweet.

Day's beginnings: Eggs, bacon, Va. ham, homemade
biscuits, and pumpkin pancakes. Tasty!
Colonial Pancake House

Elkanah Deane stable.

George Wythe house.

Wythe privy dwelling.

Peyton Randolph house.

Magazine Guardhouse.

Market Square Tavern.

The Red Lion tavern & Ludwell-Paradise House

Masonic Lodge

Cooper home.

Precarious Beer Project. Henry Street, 10/9/2022.

     Our last fuel stop of the trip. Precarious Beer Project. Former brewery fraction (and still a part) of the Amber Ox Public House. Now, pretty much a beer hall in it's own right. Complete with Taco and Smashburger bars. Did samplings, a pint, and a couple tacos. Precarious came up with Oktarious. Their own Oktoberfest brew. Probably one of the best Oktoberfests I have ever had. 5.6% ABV meant crushable... i.e. more than one- very doable. Golden amber pour with a finger and a half, white, foamy head. Scents of grain, and herbal hops on the nose. Bready malts and sweet toffee in the flavor. Refreshing hop bite in the finish. Rated an A. Stoked close to day trippin' in Williamsburg. Yeah, that's it. Stoked.

The Rooski. 

Norfolk Naval Base...on the way out. 10/9/2022

After The Storm, the Rogue's session notes.

 

"...with this whole event lasting for multiple days, you'd have to be pretty unlucky to not stumble into at least a few windows of decent surf and conditions." -Charlie Hutcherson
Finally, storm surge moved the OC break offshore; my luck- on a work day. 62nd Street
early morning post-Ian swell, 10/6/2022.

     Nuthin' changes a break like beach replenishment. And, nuthin' changes a break back like a hurricane. Nature's break replenishment. Waited all season for the shorebreak to receed. Took about a week of strong winds and rain, the dying remains of powerful Hurricane Ian, to give the push. By the time I made time, the conditions had dropped off. No water work-out for me this week. Want muscle? Endless Summer Cruisin. Plenty of muscle and horsepower in town over the weekend. Traded water for petrol. Good with it... as long as it's temporary.

Custom Dune

'67 Ford Galaxy 500XL

    October. Fest Bier season. Threw on Firestone Walker's interpretation. Oaktoberfest. A German fest bier paying homage to the season's opening with an oak barrel aged lager. 5.2% ABV. Not heavy at all. Light aromas of toffee and caramel. Hints of spice and oak. Flavors of pepper spice, grain, with stone fruit. Rounded out with more toasted oak. Clear, dark amber pour. Finger-plus off-white head. Thin lacing. 20 IBUs of hop bitterness in the finish. Not a bad offering. Gave it a B-/C+ rating.

New Belgium's Voodoo series produced the seasonal Atomic Pumpkin. Orange-amber hue with a fast dissipating, off-white head. Strong smell of cinnamon and spice, nutmeg and clove. But the real spice was in the habanero chilies used in the brew. Hit from the front to the back. A little green tasting. But the malty pumpkin saved it. Strong at 6.4%, but deceptively not. 10 IBUs gave only a slightly bitter bite. A confusing one... rated a C+.

'71 Pontiac GTO 

Won't you take a ride, ride, ride

On heavy metal

It's the only way that you can travel

Down that road

Satisfied, fied, fied, fied
On heavy metal
Baby won't you ride
Ride it until it explodes
Hea-vy Metal

-Don Felder

Maker's Mark, the Rogue's session notes.

"Beach life can be heaven on earth when storms work their magic without the disaster... Mother Nature seems quite angry these days." - Bill Longenecker
Surf Avenue & Malibu Beach,10/3/2022.

     Hurricane Ian. Regardless of how slow or quiet the hurricane season starts, there is always a 'Maker that hits and leaves a mark. Ian did that. Mostly on Florida's Gulf Coast. But the pain was felt across the state to Jacksonville, then up the Right Coast.

For the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and the OC, we dealt  with the remnants. Six days of high winds and rain. Double to triple-overhead swell. Sometimes rideable. Most times not. Plenty of rips, closeouts, and erosion. Water was in the upper 60s. Me no surf. I was working...yeah that's it. Working. Surfed closed out conditions in the past. Never ended up well for me. Add rubber... took a pass this time 'round.

    Burnish Beer Company has been making their mark in our area since opening last year. The Devil you Know. A New England IPA full of dank notes, Opaque, hazy gold pour with a finger and a half egg-white head. Plenty of citrus and grapefruity hops in the aromas. Mango, juicy oranges, and pine resin in the flavors. Very little malt, and a tad bitter (est. 50 IBUs) in the finish. 6.9% alcohol meant definitely not sessionable... but very drinkable. Rated a B.