Newbie looking for suggestions.

dont drink and drive

 

If they're bottle dated it wouldn't matter at all, but if they're not its a better chance they lose inventory control and that sixer has a better shot at selling first than a lonely bottle. I don't usually buy hoppy stuff from T W for that reason .

 

get yourself some gumballhead

 

A nice Dortmunder Gold would be nice if you get Great Lakes.

 

Bells Two-Hearted Ale

 

There are too many beers on here that do not exist in our market. If you want to expand into some different styles try the following from more local brewers:

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout
Smuttynose Porter
Pretty Things Jack D'Or (Saison/Belgian Style)
Whales Tale Pale Ale/Mayflower Pale Ale
Wachusett Light IPA (low ABV, low bitterness)

Those a few good local examples of a few different styles.

Bells? Great Lakes?? FFF??? Come on guys.

 

Go to BeerMe or Seek a Brew and see what is available in the region. BeerMe lists breweries, Seek tells you distribution. Then you get an idea of what is available. Massachusetts has pretty decent distribution, I think, but it does depend a little on where you live. Julio's is way above average. Tullys up in Maine is wonderful, but can be pricey and it is a road trip. Yankee Spirits is decent. Kappy's is OK. Wines and More has huge selection, but watch the dates. Wegmans too - lots of choices, but some old bottles at times.

Some good suggestions so far. I am relatively new to taking craft seriously myself but have been drinking better beer for quite a while. I still don't have a plan and my method is more or less try anything. If I don't like it move on, but I don't give up on a style after one try. Don't be afraid to branch out. This is a case where I can agree it is only beer and the good thing about it is there's always another one just around the corner.

Stores have tastings, too. Some have a beer night or some such where you can learn a lot...Julio's and Tullys come to mind. Not as good as getting a flight since most only can give you a sip, but another way to try something new. There is no shortage of beer - there is plenty. If you find a style you really dig, look it up on here to find more in the same category. There's a list of examples by styles. You might not be able to find some of them locally, but enough to keep you busy.

Welcome aboard...it is a fun ride! There are some great breweries in New England and the surrounding area. Keep an open mind, don't worry about the hype train, and explore. You don't have to get all exotic/rare to enjoy some fine brews.

 

Hey...don't be goin' all common sense on people here...

Seriously glad to see somebody make this point.

 

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis!

 

It's not just about "try this beer or that beer". It's also about getting your mind right.

Read about and familiarize yourself with background on the various styles before you taste them. Having knowledge helps you begin to put beers into a contextual framework. Knowledge deepens appreciation.

Try to get out and try different styles of beers, and even if you don't really like a particular style on the first try, come back to it later, and try another beer in that style. Within any given style there are wide ranges of flavor and balance and emphasis so don't write off an entire style category because you don't care for the first example you try.

There are many flavors, smeels and textures in craft beer that you may not have experienced before, so set your mind to be open, and prepare to be fascinated. Do not be put off by anything the first, second, or even third time you experience it. Expect the unexpected.

If you had told me 2 years ago that I would love tasting leather, tobacco, and barnyard in my beer I would have been skeptical at best. Now I love that stuff along with a lot of other once weird things that are now familiar.

 

Were there any that you didn't like?

 

Seriously.

Solid advice. I wouldn't worry about trying all the specific suggestions people are throwing out as much as just getting your feet wet trying different styles of beer. I think it's safe to say that alot of us started down the wheat beer path before expanding into other styles. As Nutwood said, keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try something again just because you didn't like it the first time you had it. Once you start trying different styles your palate will change and it may do so rather quickly.

As others have said I would either buy singles (although it doesn't seem like there are many stores in MA that do that - unrelated, Total Wine is GREAT if you're just getting into craft) or go to bars that offer flights. I'm not sure where you are in MA, but I would also suggest going to breweries. Harpoon makes a plethora of different beers and you can take a brewery tour and get all the samples you want...pretty nice way to get a crash course into a number of different styles. And keep an eye out if any local liquor stores are having tastings. The better craft stores will occasionally have local (and sometimes not so local) brewers in to pour their beers.

 

Weihenstephaner , ayinger, you can get Goose island matilda and sofie easily and you should. Visit Cambridge brewing company and try some ask the bartender for suggestions. Find saisons from Mystic - renauld was awesome and hazy jane is an easy starter. Look for idle hands blanche de grace which is just appearing, night shift try honeydew & bee tea, sixpoint apollo . north coast pranqster is also available near Boston. Less intimidating than lord hobo or publick house, asgard sunset grill and most taverns on the squares have a wide selection and have no issue letting you try two or three before buying.as people have said similar styles are hefeweizens, wits, kristalweizen and suprising to me some belgian strong pales can fit in a similar tasting profile. It looks you may have similar tastes to me and I easily progressed to triples, quads, saisons and strong belgian pales.