Dogfish Head

Went to the beach at Cape Henlopen, DE on Saturday. Our friend K.L. came along. The beach itself is not really worth writing about – we got there early, the weather was excellent, and we had a great time. Saw two pods of dolphins, one quite close to shore. I went for a run along the beach, which was a nice change from my usual asphalt-bound running routine, though I only covered a mile and a half at most. Our only misadventure was a rogue wave that soaked most of our stuff and killed my portable CD player in late afternoon as the tide was coming up.

Afterwards, we drove into the town of Rehoboth Beach proper, as we usually do, and stopped in at the original Dogfish Head, where I had a Palo Santo Marron, their latest extreme concoction. I had tried it once before at an event, but here I was able to focus and taste it properly. It was absolutely delicious. Dark, with a pronounced head, it looks like a stout, but was really its own animal. At 12% ABV, its strength is in the barley wine territory, but it is far less sweet. The flavor is smoky, resiny, and perfectly balanced between all basic flavors. On the nose – and this is going to sound bizarre, I know – it made me think of beef jerky. All in all, a delicious brew.

Unfortunately, we also made a mistake of eating dinner at Dogfish Head, and the food was as disappointing as it had been in the past, contrary to the rumors that things have improved in the kitchen. We are finally swearing it off for good. The service was so slow, that by the time we were done, there wasn't time left to walk around the town, and we got in the car and drove home.