Beer Of Choice?

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(05-26-2015, 03:13 PM)djs7685 Wrote: Yeah, going to the local bar for that type of stuff is probably a bad idea if you don't want to spend an arm and a leg. I'd try to find some local shops to go to and the cool thing about a lot of them is that you can get some perks if you become a regular.

The place ~10 minutes from my house hooks me up on prices because I'm there at least once a week. They also keep certain stuff in the back for a few days before putting it on the shelves to give the regulars time to get their hands on it. Now, they'll give it to anybody that specifically asks for it, they won't deny people of the beer, but most people that aren't regulars don't know to go up to the front of the store and ask for something that isn't out on the shelves or in the cooler. The only thing that sucks about this place is their selection isn't quite as good as the places that are about 30-40 minutes away from me. They're further away, slightly more expensive, but they're the only places I can find certain stuff and expect to see the more rare bottles that come through the area.

If I were you, I'd try to find a small shop that specializes in selling single bottles and hope you've got something decent close enough. The awesome part about that type of store is that the owner and employees usually know their stuff about beer. I've gotten a lot of my recommendations from my friends or people I know into craft online, but it's nice going to a store where the employees are actually helpful and not like Best Buy for example when the average guy there is a random asshole trying to sell you the most expensive TV without knowing jack about technology.

To start with, I'd try to find:

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
Founders Porter
Deschutes Black Butte
Bell's Porter

They all should be pretty easy to find at almost any shop that sells singles. They should all be reasonably priced around $2 per bottle as well. From there I'd try out Southern Tier 2X Stout, Rogue Chocolate Stout, and Bell's Kalamazoo Stout. They aren't the really high ABV imperials, but it would give you a nice intro to stouts and see which direction you'd want to go as far as how sweet, dry, or heavy you're wanting to go in the realm of the darker styles.

Beer is awesome.

Rogue Chocolate Stout is killer....