Good serious beer for a noob

A nice bottle of Abyss would be nice, smooth mellow, a great beer and won't break the bank. By serious in flavor I'm assuming you mean no big IPA's/IPA's, no Sours.

 

Are you near Founders?

 

Delerium

 

Founders Breakfast Stout. I love the stuff. So smooth and creamy.

Plus an appropriate label for the occasion, perhaps...

 

Why do you feel the need to impose your tastes on him?
If you want to give him a gift, get something he likes and not something you want him to like.

 

There are at least three other threads right now with virtually the same question. Correction--they are started by noobs themselves asking the same question. But I'll make essentially the same suggestion I made earlier--start with a variety of Germans and Pilsners. Make a variety pack that includes some combination oh Spaten, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephaner, [only a super fresh] Pilsner Urquell (the BA ratings don't reflect freshness), perhaps some German styles from Great Lakes or Pilsners from Victory. Include some Kolsch, Heller, Hefe, a Bock and add some Oktoberfest (perhaps Sam Adams, which is already out, or Paulaner, if you can find it). I'd skip the Doppelbock and Dunkel for the first round, but would definitely include them in subsequent tastings. That should make preferences fairly clear. If the preference is for hoppy Pilsners, move on to IPLs and IPAs. If Bocks and Doppelbocks, some of the Belgian ales might appeal, especially Dubbels and golden. If Hefe, move on to basic Saisons and Belgian Blonde. If darker ones are appealing, move on to stouts, porters and dark ales. Not really sure how to broach sours, fruit and barleywines, but much later and very carefully. I've been drinking the good stuff for 30 years and still can't stomach most sours, but, other than "summer ales" and "summer lagers" I'll drink almost any good beer (under my personal definition, "summer X" is almost automatically not "good beer"). The plan, of course, is not foolproof and YMMV

 

Founders makes great stuff right across the board.

 

Those high-abv beers, I have found, really put new people off. If you've gotta, go with something coffee or chocolate adjunc't (made a new word up, awww yee)... like the Yeti variants, or maybe a creme brulee.


Otherwise, you could do something super cool... like write a brewery close to you and explain your circumstance. See if they can get you a SUPER FRESH version of their pilsner or APA, that you can open with him a few days after/the day of his child's birth. That way, it's kinda the same idea... but wayyy cooler.

 

Maybe Sprecher Black Bavarian would be a good one. It's not too heavy or bitter.

 

If he's got a kid on the way I'm not sure adding an expensive hobby to his life is the way to go.

 

How close are you to oddside? I have heard, from a noobie friend of mine, that there Pale Ale is friggin incredible.

 

Fantome Saison

 

The guy got sick off 8.5% beer, and you want to double down on that?

Great idea.

 

I did not realize you were asking for a high ABV beer so disregard my previous post. Good luck though!

 

I would start off with Oberon. Or if you want to go a bit more hoppy, start with a fresh Two Hearted. Always check the bottled on dates!

 

Old Rasputin, done and done.

 

La Trappe Is'Ador. I was a BMC guy until I had this. Great gateway beer for me.