I didn't like the style until I had...

Didn't like sours....until I had Petit Mutant. It freaking flipped my world upside down. Now I can't get enough of them.

 

I was just starting to crave the occasional IPA when I had my first Enjoy By (04.01.13). I bought one at the local liquor store (limit one, ever...really??? I thought). I drank it as soon as I got home to see what the big deal was. The taste, the smell, the fresh, over-the-top hoppy, bitterness...it was pure heaven. I immediately schemed how to get a 2nd one from that little store and it has been GAME ON for IPAs ever since. Interestingly, Enjoy By probably doesn't even make my top 10 in IPAs at this point (and it's barely been a year).

I also didn't really care for stouts until I tried Deschutes Obsidian stout. Now a year later I'm pretty much all IPAs and stouts/porters.

 

I thought I had outgrown lagers until Prima Pils.

Ohhh how naïve I was.

 

Two Hearted is what made me not only tolerate drinking an IPA, but also loving them.

 

I agree. I never thought I would really like a fruit beer until I had Serendipity. I got it in a trade and it was the beer I was initially least interested in when the box arrived. I loved it. The wife did too so that really worked out.

Behemoth got me into barley wines. It was a style I had not even attempted to have in several years. Was at a bar in Chicago that had Behemoth on tap and was absolutely blown away. Decided to give other barely wines a chance and have really grown to love the style. Crazy how your palate can change over years.

 

Never really thought too much of Tripels until I had La Fin Du Monde.

 

Pale Ales were unappealing to me until I had Red Chair.


I'm sure this may raise some eyebrows, but the Belgian IPA that got me was North VII by Ft. George.
YMMV.

 

this

 

As I always say too - Brown Ales aren't my thing except for New Holland Cabin Fever. Try it.

 

I didn't think I liked Doppelbock's until I had Weihenstephaner Korbinian.

 

Barleywines- abacus/sucaba. I had been picking them up as trade fodder as I hadn't tried a barleywine and enjoyed it. Then iopened one of these bastards with two years on it. I consequently consumed my 3 year vert.
IIPA- I had tried several without much fanfare. A fellow ba mentioned that I had a package at his house from another ba we had lunch with earlier in the year. It was my first 4x of heady. Now I'm always chasing the green dragon...

 

I didn't like scotch ales until I had backwoods bastard. It was love at first sip.

I didn't like IPAs until I had 60 minute. Smelled and tasted like the garden of weeden.

I didn't like wits until I had Allagash White. Those heavenly spices still hold a place in my heart.

I didn't like strong belgians until I had trois pistoles. Still one of my favorites.

I didn't like stouts until.. wait nevermind, I've always loved stouts.

BTW awesome thread, really spawned some nostalgia.

 

Barleywines until i had Sleepin' w/ Shaggy, which is an extreme case... which blew me away... now they've grown on me. The first couple I had were just too much for my newbie palette (bigfoot, a few year old DF 120). Now BCBBW is one of my favorites, and reg bigfoot is killer.

 

Barleywines. BCBW.

Admittedly, I'm fairly new to the style, but that one was so unbelievable that I've tried to get up to speed quickly. I'm finding that I'm really partial to BA and English varieties, as I've loved Sucaba, Double DBA, London Balling and Mirror Mirror.

So excited to try rye barrel Old Numbskull when it arrives.

 

Great Divide Titan got me into IPAs
Left Hand Milk Stout...
BCBS...
Atwater Vanilla Java Porter...
Red Oak...
Abt 12...
Shipyard Pumpinkhead...
That's all I can think of for ground breaking firsts.

 

Black IPAs until Blakkr

 

Had Two roads Ol'Factory Pils and was blown away

 

Sadly, they don't appear to be distributed in Illinois. Though next time I'm trading with an East Coaster I'll ask if they can hook me up with some. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Funny, BW's are one of the only styles I dont enjoy (that and most rauchbiers). Ive tried many of the top rated barleywines over the years, even re-trying samplings as my taste buds evolved, and were all meh to disgusting to my palate. I got a BCBBW as an extra with a BCBS trade, and thought it was really good! Not sure what it is about it, and it certainly isn't gonna "get me into barleywines", but a tasty beer!

 

Always passed up on trying stouts until I gave in bought some FBS. Very happy that it easy to get around here.