You didn't really think I forgot about you, did you? 

Yeah, I took some extended time from away from these parts--life's been busy. Michelle and I bought a house, one of our kids started school, work's been hectic, yada yad yada. You know how it gets.

But! It's fall now, and Oktoberfest season is in full swing. This year's blog offerings will be few (okay, couple. I'll have two), yet I'll give them the whole John Likes Beer treatment. First up is something that I'm glad is around and I found: Sam Adams' Non-Alcoholic Octoberfest.

You didn't really think I'd let March slip away without a bock post, did you? Because there's no way I'd do that.

Sure, the bock drought I noted in previous years is still going on (for some reason), but that's not enough to dissuade me from trying at least one new-to-me variant of this spring varietal! After some serious search, I found a single can of Northern Row's Cooper Heller Bock. See that goat-disguised barrel on the label art? Yeah, I think this one'll fit this month's bill just fine.

Ho ho ho! I hope your day's been great and that Santa was good to you. We're winding down after our seasonal festivities. The kids are playing with their new toys and, when I have time for them, there are a few video games calling my name. Before then, though, let's have some beer.

After my December went completely sideways, I found I only had time for one Christmas beer post. That's what we're up to this evening: Sun King's Electric Reindeer.

This month's gotten away from me, but, honestly, I knew that'd happen. Between my returning to work, juggling homelife with a wonderful wife and two rambunctious beans, NaNoWriMo (which I've adjusted from writing fifty-thousand words this month to just "write every day"), and the rest of everything happening, well, it's pretty clear that the blog would fall by the wayside.

But it's maple month, the best month for beer drinking of the year! I won't let it slip away so easily. That's why, tonight, I'm getting around to Wandering Monsters' Viator Obscura: Maple Barrel Aged.