Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

[SurgicalSteel]

I find Flying Dog makes beers in the styles I like very well, unfortunately the only kind you seem to be able to get around here are their IPAs. I'm not a fan of very many IPAs. I want their stouts and hefewiessens (i'm positive I spelled that wrong) to be more available.

[Bakemaster]

There is a brewery that recently opened in Sacramento called New Helvetia. I think it's a relaunching of an old brand. The first time we walked past the pub front, before they opened, I thought it said "New Helvetica" and that we were going to be invaded by the most hipster microbrewery that could ever possibly exist. But I digress. I tried a brew of theirs the other day on draught at a nearby coffee shop/cafe. They call it "red wheat" which completely threw me off as I was expecting something along the lines of a hef. Instead I got a pretty robust ale, mostly bitter hops with some malt behind it; no citrus at all. Probably not something I'm going to go out of my way to order again but it definitely convinced me to try some more of their stuff.

[Puppyclaws]

I find Flying Dog makes beers in the styles I like very well, unfortunately the only kind you seem to be able to get around here are their IPAs. I'm not a fan of very many IPAs. I want their stouts and hefewiessens (i'm positive I spelled that wrong) to be more available.

I have heard people make this complaint of the availability of IPA's vs. other styles before, when it comes to breweries from regions other than your own. I have the good fortune of really liking IPA's, which works out well because it feels like everybody's IPA is available everywhere. I know how you feel, however; when I lived in the Midwest, I loved Rogue and could find it everywhere. In Boston I have trouble finding it...except Dead Guy Ale. Dead Guy Ale is available everywhere, and it's one of the few (though not only...) Rogue products I just don't care for it at all.

[hendusoone]

...I loved Rogue and could find it everywhere. In Boston I have trouble finding it...except Dead Guy Ale. Dead Guy Ale is available everywhere, and it's one of the few (though not only...) Rogue products I just don't care for it at all.

Check out Downtown Wine and Spirits in Davis Square. They have a decent variety of Rogue's beers.

[Puppyclaws]

Thanks for the recommendation; I love that place, but it has been out of the way for me for a while. I have to remember awesome Davis Square stuff is up there and go. I actually feel like Rogue is more available now...still not in bars unless at Sunset or something, but in stores I feel like there is more than when I first moved here and it really bothered me.

[Whitekiboko]

except Dead Guy Ale. Dead Guy Ale is available everywhere, and it's one of the few (though not only...) Rogue products I just don't care for it at all.

I hope the voodoo maple bacon (aka Pink Bottle of Death) is also on that list. It's not the separate ingredients for me, just the execution. It's a far cry from Wide Awake It's Morning.

[TheAmazingRando]

The bacon beer had the same problem as most Rogue beers, to me: rich enticing aroma, weak and disappointing taste. I like their hazelnut brown and their oatmeal stout, but that's about it.

[Puppyclaws]

Actually I really enjoyed that release quite a bit. I like playful beers, and it clearly captured all of those flavors into a beer in what was for me a stand-out, unusual experience. I would almost rather something interesting than good (both together in a beer are rare, really, so many derivatives of tasty but unoriginal). This year's banana peanut butter fiasco, however, was practically undrinkable and tasted like chemicals.

[TheAmazingRando]

I feel like I should try it again. The way I've heard it described doesn't really match my experience, maybe it was too cold or too recently bottled to bring out the more subtle flavors. All I really tasted was smoke.

[hendusoone]

The voodoo maple bacon one was fantastic. But, yeah... the chocolate, banana, and peanut butter? Total disappointment. Would not drink again.

[Tomlidich the second]

so i am newly 21, looking to find out what type of beers i like, no idea where to start. i have had miller light, and tecate, i think i prefered tecate over the miller.

what else should i try?

[Bakemaster]

What other flavors do you like in a drink, or in a meal? While there are flavors in beer that are very characteristic of beer (hops, malt, yeast... what am I missing?), there are also plenty of flavors you might recognize from other places. Citrus, chocolate, oats, and so on.

Personally, I started on Stella Artois. It's pretty friendly for a beginner but I can't really drink it any more, no reason you shouldn't start on a better beer. Since you're in California (right?) you have plenty of options. You could ask around to find a beginner-friendly brewpub sort of place with a good selection on tap (at least a dozen in varying styles) or any place that does tasting flights. You probably haven't developed enough of a familiarity with beer yet to really make sense of a tasting flight, but that doesn't mean you can't get a pretty good idea of what you immediately love or hate.

Or, you could just go through and try bottles as they come. Here are what I'd consider to be some beginner-friendly beers, in a variety of styles, that you should be able to find pretty easily. The list is sort of roughly ordered from light to dark.

Blue Moon Belgian White
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Lagunitas IPA
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Downtown Brown
Anchor Porter
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout

Try some more stuff and let us know what you like and don't like, and we can give more challenging recommendations.

[Tomlidich the second]

What other flavors do you like in a drink, or in a meal? While there are flavors in beer that are very characteristic of beer (hops, malt, yeast... what am I missing?), there are also plenty of flavors you might recognize from other places. Citrus, chocolate, oats, and so on.

Personally, I started on Stella Artois. It's pretty friendly for a beginner but I can't really drink it any more, no reason you shouldn't start on a better beer. Since you're in California (right?) you have plenty of options. You could ask around to find a beginner-friendly brewpub sort of place with a good selection on tap (at least a dozen in varying styles) or any place that does tasting flights. You probably haven't developed enough of a familiarity with beer yet to really make sense of a tasting flight, but that doesn't mean you can't get a pretty good idea of what you immediately love or hate.

Or, you could just go through and try bottles as they come. Here are what I'd consider to be some beginner-friendly beers, in a variety of styles, that you should be able to find pretty easily. The list is sort of roughly ordered from light to dark.

Blue Moon Belgian White
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Lagunitas IPA
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Downtown Brown
Anchor Porter
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout

Try some more stuff and let us know what you like and don't like, and we can give more challenging recommendations.

ah yes i had almost forgot, i DID try the samuel adams boston lager, taste was good, didn't much care for the after taste of it.
as far as drinks go, though usually i have the drink choices of a 12 year old boy ( E.g. soda) i often enjoy more hearty flavors such as a good cup of chai tea.

i have become something of a fan for the taste of straight vodka, no idea if that is related or not. im not even russian, i just enjoy the burning sensation. call me crazy.

[GenericAnimeBoy]

What other flavors do you like in a drink, or in a meal? While there are flavors in beer that are very characteristic of beer (hops, malt, yeast... what am I missing?), there are also plenty of flavors you might recognize from other places. Citrus, chocolate, oats, and so on.

Personally, I started on Stella Artois. It's pretty friendly for a beginner but I can't really drink it any more, no reason you shouldn't start on a better beer. Since you're in California (right?) you have plenty of options. You could ask around to find a beginner-friendly brewpub sort of place with a good selection on tap (at least a dozen in varying styles) or any place that does tasting flights. You probably haven't developed enough of a familiarity with beer yet to really make sense of a tasting flight, but that doesn't mean you can't get a pretty good idea of what you immediately love or hate.

Or, you could just go through and try bottles as they come. Here are what I'd consider to be some beginner-friendly beers, in a variety of styles, that you should be able to find pretty easily. The list is sort of roughly ordered from light to dark.

Blue Moon Belgian White
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Lagunitas IPA
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Downtown Brown
Anchor Porter
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout

Try some more stuff and let us know what you like and don't like, and we can give more challenging recommendations.

ah yes i had almost forgot, i DID try the samuel adams boston lager, taste was good, didn't much care for the after taste of it.
as far as drinks go, though usually i have the drink choices of a 12 year old boy ( E.g. soda) i often enjoy more hearty flavors such as a good cup of chai tea.

i have become something of a fan for the taste of straight vodka, no idea if that is related or not. im not even russian, i just enjoy the burning sensation. call me crazy.

If you're somewhere you can get it, Shiner Bock is a good introductory beer, too. It was my first. Just make sure you get one that's fresh...I've had a couple bad experiences with it due to places storing and serving it past its "best by" date (it loses most of its nice malty aspects and gets a sour, metallic taste).

Also, +1 for Fat Tire if you like malty beers (I do).

[Tomlidich the second]

What other flavors do you like in a drink, or in a meal? While there are flavors in beer that are very characteristic of beer (hops, malt, yeast... what am I missing?), there are also plenty of flavors you might recognize from other places. Citrus, chocolate, oats, and so on.

Personally, I started on Stella Artois. It's pretty friendly for a beginner but I can't really drink it any more, no reason you shouldn't start on a better beer. Since you're in California (right?) you have plenty of options. You could ask around to find a beginner-friendly brewpub sort of place with a good selection on tap (at least a dozen in varying styles) or any place that does tasting flights. You probably haven't developed enough of a familiarity with beer yet to really make sense of a tasting flight, but that doesn't mean you can't get a pretty good idea of what you immediately love or hate.

Or, you could just go through and try bottles as they come. Here are what I'd consider to be some beginner-friendly beers, in a variety of styles, that you should be able to find pretty easily. The list is sort of roughly ordered from light to dark.

Blue Moon Belgian White
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Lagunitas IPA
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Downtown Brown
Anchor Porter
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout

Try some more stuff and let us know what you like and don't like, and we can give more challenging recommendations.

ah yes i had almost forgot, i DID try the samuel adams boston lager, taste was good, didn't much care for the after taste of it.
as far as drinks go, though usually i have the drink choices of a 12 year old boy ( E.g. soda) i often enjoy more hearty flavors such as a good cup of chai tea.

i have become something of a fan for the taste of straight vodka, no idea if that is related or not. im not even russian, i just enjoy the burning sensation. call me crazy.

If you're somewhere you can get it, Shiner Bock is a good introductory beer, too. It was my first. Just make sure you get one that's fresh...I've had a couple bad experiences with it due to places storing and serving it past its "best by" date (it loses most of its nice malty aspects and gets a sour, metallic taste).

Also, +1 for Fat Tire if you like malty beers (I do).

well, ran down to my local store, and they have exactly... none of these, except for the samuel adams i disliked.
are they more common elsewhere or something?

[Puppyclaws]

I actually found I grew into beer by drinking ciders, which were much more pleasant to drink than beer before my taste buds adjusted. So, I might recommend starting with some of those; Woodchuck do a pretty decent job. Red Stripe I found to be a pleasant introductory beer as well.

[Bakemaster]

well, ran down to my local store, and they have exactly... none of these, except for the samuel adams i disliked.
are they more common elsewhere or something?

I got the idea from your post history that you're Californian, and everything I listed is either brewed in California or has extensive distribution in California. What exactly does "my local store" mean? Are you talking about, like, Target?

[SurgicalSteel]

Tom:
I would try to find a store that has a dedicated beer section (as opposed to just a few six-packs of Coors in the freezer aisle). Places like Wegmans and Total Wine will have a mix-and-match program, where there's a special shelf of single 12 oz bottles you can put in a 6-pack carrier. The great thing about this is you can buy single bottles of six different beers, decide what you like, then buy more of what you like.

Also, I think you misunderstand Bakemaster's question. What kind of flavors do you like, in all kinds of edible things, not just drinks. Do you like dark bitter chocolate? Do you like sweet, fruity flavors? Creamy, buttery flavors? Earthy, bread flavors?

The beer that got me into beer was a Guiness on tap. I followed that with Stone's Ruination, which nearly put me off beer again. Turns out I don't much care for California IPAs. But after that was Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale, which put me right back on board.

Some general guidelines (someone correct me if I'm wrong about any of these):
Strong, bitter, almost biting flavors:
IPAs. These will be strong and bitter. Generally, Rye IPAs less so, Double IPAs very much so, and Belgian IPAs bitter but kind of fruity. Stone Brewery is know for very strong IPAs. Careful drinking these if you're out and about, they are high ABV and can knock you flat after a couple bottles.

Full and rich:
Look for stouts and porters. Milk stouts, chocolate stouts, oatmeal stouts, coffee stouts. Belgian dupples, triples and quads probably count here too. Big fan of Young's Chocolate Stout, Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter, and Dragon's Milk. The same warning about drinking while out and about applies to some of these (especially the Dragon's Milk).

Light and refreshing:
Look for wheat beers, which includes hefeweizens, weissbiers and kristallweizens. These will be lighter, possibly citrusy, and refreshing. Great for very hot days. Many will be low ABV, some will even be session beers (meaning you can probably have four or five in a social setting without getting too sloppy). This also seems to be the category (along with stouts) that people like experimenting with. If you like sweet and refreshing, there are cherry wheats, blueberry wheats, honey wheats, etc. My favorite in this category is Harpoon's UFO White, a nice hefeweizen with strong orange citrus flavors.

Don't know much about ales or lagers (or history or biology).

I think coriander is another flavor that you be hard pressed to find outside of beer.

[Tomlidich the second]

well, ran down to my local store, and they have exactly... none of these, except for the samuel adams i disliked.
are they more common elsewhere or something?

I got the idea from your post history that you're Californian, and everything I listed is either brewed in California or has extensive distribution in California. What exactly does "my local store" mean? Are you talking about, like, Target?

ralphs actually, ill try a different one that possibly has a larger alcohol section.

if it helps any, im in the los angeles area. i may hit up a bevmo and see what they have

Also, I think you misunderstand Bakemaster's question. What kind of flavors do you like, in all kinds of edible things, not just drinks. Do you like dark bitter chocolate? Do you like sweet, fruity flavors? Creamy, buttery flavors? Earthy, bread flavors?

uhhhh... yes have some?
im not usually a picky guy, i love all kinds of different flavors, for that matter, i love food. if i didn't have such an active lifestyle, i would probably be very very fat.

[Bakemaster]

Any BevMo probably carries everything on my list. My local SaveMart or Safeway has most of them, and even gas stations often have Blue Moon in the fridge since it's made by... Coors? I dunno anything about Ralph's, we don't have those up north, at least not that I've seen.

If you like a lot of flavors and are adventuresome, then just work your way through a bunch of styles. Watch out for heavy hitters like strong ales, barleywines, most things that say "strong" or "extra" in the name. Probably stay in the 4-6% alcohol by volume (ABV) range until you get your bearings. And you can ask the people who work at BevMo for advice, they're usually pretty helpful when I'm there.

I think coriander is another flavor that you be hard pressed to find outside of beer.

Not really. It's the seed of the cilantro plant, used frequently for pickling and in Indian cooking. Maybe beer is just where you find it as a stand-alone flavor as opposed to part of a mix of spices.

[Роберт]

I like pretty much everything in the aformentioned "Full and rich" category.

For something pretty non-offensive and drinkable, I the Japanese beers I had, too. I forget their names.

I also like Black Lagers for flavorful.

Really, the idea of getting a selection (make your own six pack) is the best. Go for very different beers. See through ones and dark ones, a porter, a stout, and IPA, a wheat, etc.

If you find one you really like, you can ask about what's similar to that. There's tons of variety and flavor in beer.

[TheAmazingRando]

If you can find it (which you probably can, since you're in LA and it's from San Diego) try Alesmith's Nut Brown Ale. It's a great introduction to darker beers, rich and flavorful but also smooth and easy to drink.

For Pale Ales, Russian River's Row 2/Hill 56 (it's been all around San Diego lately and I've seen it up in Riverside too) is probably the smoothest example of the style I've ever had, so you might want to look for that.

[SurgicalSteel]

If you find something you want to try but are worried about spending the big bucks (because damn, some craft beers are expensive) there's a good chance it's been reviewed at beeradvocate.com. Maybe try asking here too, I'd be happy to describe something I've tried to you.

[roband]

Looking to arrange a tour to a local brewery. Very excited.

Hoping I don't fail to arrange it adequately, I would not want to be accused of not being able to arrange a pissup in a brewery.

Been to 5 beer festivals in the last week, tried some new stuff. Nothing too outrageous, but new things are always nice.
Need some time off beer though.. too much.

[Tomlidich the second]

If you find something you want to try but are worried about spending the big bucks (because damn, some craft beers are expensive) there's a good chance it's been reviewed at beeradvocate.com. Maybe try asking here too, I'd be happy to describe something I've tried to you.

well, im not TOO worried, i have a good amount of expendable income, but wasting money is never really a good thing.

this does make me curious though, what are some truly horrible beers you guys have had?

[freezeblade]

what are some truly horrible beers you guys have had?

I can think of a few, but mainly because the batches were off.
-Unintentionally soured kilf-lifter. I was at a sour fest and they brought a keg of a batch that soured by itself. horrible.
-Random Hefewizen at a kinda crappy brewpub, the flavor was how urinal cake smells.
-This is the shit that's killing Elvis. It was an American strong ale that had a deep fried peanutbutter-banana sandwich in it. not that it was horrible, but so strange it was offputting.

There's some other ones, but these are ones that pop out in my head. I've had some horrible homebrew, some of it by me, but that doesn't really count.

[Heisenberg]

For the visual learner: Don't drink these

Spoiler:

Drink these instead

Spoiler:

[Tomlidich the second]

For the visual learner: Don't drink these

Spoiler:

Drink these instead

Spoiler:

too late on the bud light lime.

good god that stuff makes piss sound appetizing.

[TheAmazingRando]

I've had beers I found strange and not particularly tasty but I can only think of a few beers that I actually find disgusting and undrinkable:
Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock (tastes like V8 to me)
Newcastle Brown Ale (too sweet and just...blech)
Hammer 30 (disgustingly sweet, but it's a Fresh & Easy exclusive brand and dirt cheap, so I'm not sure it counts)
Zorg (only a dollar and it comes in a 50oz plastic flip-cap bottle and it's the most vile thing I've ever tasted - like they dumped a bunch of malt syrup in afterwards to sweeten it)

[Bakemaster]

Oh god that blue dog blueberry really is complete shit.

I've never been a fan of Great White, Longboard, or a bunch of other lightish beers with colorful branding. Actually to be honest, the only Lost Coast brew I've liked is Downtown Brown. People really like their Tangerine Wheat but to me it just tastes like a 70/30 mix of american macro lager and orange soda. Which I don't like.

[Tomlidich the second]

so i went and got a six pack of the blue moon belgian white from bev mo.

gosh, such very friendly employees, this is how customer service should be. sgined up for the bev mo membership.

anywho, i like the beer alot, its very crisp and refreshing. its quite nice.

edit: i was actually reall nervous about going in (are they gonna card me? am i not gonna get my beer? am i gonna get harsh looks for being so young? ahhhhhh) had a minor panic attack in the car then sucked it up.

but they saw i was nervous and were quite friendly throughout the process.

[Роберт]

Glad I'm not the only one who felt mildly awkward my first time.

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

Seriously. "Wait, I *am* 21, right? Is my birthday today? Is it Thursday still?"

[Tomlidich the second]

Seriously. "Wait, I *am* 21, right? Is my birthday today? Is it Thursday still?"

hahaha this ^

i would have run out ON my birthday but then: "wait, so do i have to like be 21 to THE SECOND or just today being my birthday will slide? do i need to wait till tomorrow? AGHHHHH"

[TheAmazingRando]

I'm pretty sure in most states you can technically legally drink the day before your birthday, since by that point you're legally 21 years and one day old. Depends on whether the law says you need to be 21 years old, or says you can't drink before your 21st birthday.

I say technically because even though you won't be breaking the law, you probably won't find anyone willing to sell you alcohol.

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

Here, at least, stores tend to have signs that say "You must have been born on or before today's date in $year in order to buy alcohol." Assuming those signs accurately reflect the law, Michigan at least doesn't allow for the day-before-your-day interpretation.

[hendusoone]

So, had a bottle of Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti tonight, from Great Divide. It's quite nice. A very good chocolatey imperial stout. Definitely recommended.

A couple nights ago was a bottle of Class of 88 Barleywine, from Rogue/North Coast/Deschutes. It wasn't quite what I look for in a barleywine, but it was still a very tasty beer. It's also the first beer I've seen that has anything to do with Deschutes this far east. They REALLY need to start distributing their regular stuff out here, it's so good.

[folkhero]

Did no one else do the "power hour" when you turned 21? That is going to a bar midnight of your birthday and drinking as much as you can (or they will serve you) for the hour or two (or more) before the bar closes. Because that certainly put me into the mental state of 'I can legally buy ethyl alcohol now.'

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

I was at a midnight organ recital, made possible by the fact that the day before my birthday is Halloween.

[Tomlidich the second]

So, had a bottle of Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti tonight, from Great Divide. It's quite nice. A very good chocolatey imperial stout. Definitely recommended.

A couple nights ago was a bottle of Class of 88 Barleywine, from Rogue/North Coast/Deschutes. It wasn't quite what I look for in a barleywine, but it was still a very tasty beer. It's also the first beer I've seen that has anything to do with Deschutes this far east. They REALLY need to start distributing their regular stuff out here, it's so good.

chocolate? in beer?
that sounds bizarre.