Beer update! I haven't been drinking large amounts lately but I've been trying a variety of new beers.
Guinness Extra Stout - My wife was drinking Guinness because they say it helps with milk production (which is half-true, really any beer will help) and one day the grocery store was out of Guinness draught so she bought Extra Stout. I've actually never had it before and was surprised that it was noticeably different. Obviously it is still distinctly a Guinness but it is much sharper and has a hoppier bite to it. I prefer the Draught version which is creamier and smoother but this was a decent substitute.
Railway City Black Coal Stout - Has the usual coffee/chocolate malt flavour but with a bit of smoky taste. The body was fairly thin for a stout. Not bad but didn't blow me away.
Big Rig "Midnight Kissed My Cow" Double Chocolate Milk Stout - Fairly creamy body and a mild vanilla aftertaste with the usual stout flavours, though as expected this one is more chocolate/cocoa than coffee. Pretty easy to drink while still having a good amount of flavour.
Fuller's London Porter - I've had this before but don't think I've posted it here. It's hard to go wrong with this one. It's creamy and chocolately with decent body and a bit of hops in the aftertaste. It's one of those beers that, in my opinion, hits all of the notes of what a good porter should be without any one area really standing out. I guess that makes it a well-balanced beer. It won't blow you away but you always won't ever be disappointed.
Flying Monkeys Deep Tracks American Brown Ale - I wasn't really sure what to expect from an "American" brown ale but Flying Monkeys is usually solid so I gave it a try. Turns out the American part meant extra hops so this was a fairly standard brown ale with a mild hoppy aftertaste. Not bad.
Muddy York Porter - This brewery is in my neighbourhood, tucked away in an industrial area. On Saturday I dropped a load of stuff at the dump and noticed on the way back that they had a sign out saying the Brewery store was open so I decided I should finally figure out exactly where they are located and drop in. This porter was their original flagship beer so I grabbed a couple bottle and it did not disappoint. It was full bodied and had a strong cocoa flavour with a bit of sweetness. Very delicious.
Black Oak Nutcracker Porter - I'm sure I've posted this before but I'm going to post it again because it's probably my favourite beer. This is basically Christmas in a bottle. It's slightly sweet with dark chocolate and a hint of cinnamon. I think they actually add whole cinnamon sticks at some point during the brewing process. The only downside to this beer is that Black Oak started releasing their seasonal beers only in 650ml bottles and sometimes I just wanted a normal 355ml serving. Not that I mind drinking a big pint but since it's seasonal I'd like to make it last a bit longer. That said, with everything that has been going on in my life since last Winter I recently discovered two bottles of this beer in a cabinet in my basement! I think I moved them down there when we were getting ready for renovations and totally forgot about them. Score!