Overwhelmed?

I still get a combination of kid in a candy store / overwhelmed every time i cross the border and hit even a grocery store

 

Don't feel bad, I am like that when I get out of town/state. My wife senses it and ask me if we need to find a liquor store so I can see if there is some "strange" in there.

 

Unfortunately a lot of the super sought after beers you hear all about but never see are " behind the counter " and very difficult to find. Establish a rapport with your local beverage center employees and frequent the same places often. And then if you know something is being sent to your area...ask them about it. Same goes for bars. They may know when a keg you are interested in is getting tapped. Having friends within this hobby can really help.

This goes for the hyped up stuff only though really. Just enjoy yourself and keep cool. Give yourself some time before you go whale hunting.

 

The best way to try before you buy, save for the bar scene, is mixed singles. Every couple months I do a mixed six, gotta watch your bottle dates on the hoppier stuff, but this is a great way to explore with out leaving your wallet sore.

 

Yes, more and more I am overwhelmed by the huge volume of great beer that surrounds me in the better stores.

 

Agree with Wesmantooth. I have a bit of a buying problem too. Be aware that you can't try even close to everything, even if you only buy singles. So I'd say I'm not exactly overwhelmed, but sometimes I feel like I can't keep up with the new and delicious looking beers that are released every week, between the beer store and my local breweries. What to do????
I currently have too many beers but luckily I'm having a party today.

 

7) Find a friend or two that is also in to craft beer. Have bottle shares and talk about the beers.

 

sounds like you are finding your way, those beers you listed are great ones . welcome and cheers!.

 

Sometimes my liver feels overwhelmed.

But seriously, the huge number of new beers constantly coming out is exciting, but sorting through the huge number of mediocre ones to find the gems can be overwhelming.

 

Well, it was no whale that @biggerboat58's avatar (Quint the Captain) was was overwhelmed by! He did need a few more Narragansetts.

 

When I was branching out I used the Beers of Fame here. Back then it was 100 beers and they had to be around for 2 years. Now it's 250 beers and they have to be around for 10 years. Still a great place to start. Many of them are really easy to obtain. Here's a link to places that ship.

http://onlinebeerstores.homestead.com/

 

Don't worry, you'll learn quick enough that your are supposed to ...

1) Wait in long lines in all sorts of weather for limited releases because everything else is inferior.

2) Acquire a massive amount of glassware but only use a few because it makes the beer taste better.

3) Have an epiphany that the more turbid and opaque a beer is the better it gets.

jk ...

Have fun exploring, take it as far as your can but always remember beer is supposed to be fun!!

 

Beers of fame, mixed sixers and sampler packs are great place to start.

After a year or 2, some of these "hot" new beers everyone is trading for, truck chasing and overpaying for here in 2016 will probably be easier to obtain in 2018 for you.

Beer sampling is kinda like golf. If you're new to golf, you're not going to become a great player simply by buying the $1,000+ set of latest clubs. It's really just for showing off at that point. Better off to buy a set that is a few years old for way less money and using the savings on taking some lessons. That's how you get good, plus the new set really won't seem that much better than the older options. Much of it is mental (see how it applies to beers as well?)

 

You eat the elephant one bite at a time. The same is true with the Golden Age of Beer we find ourselves in. Develop a plan to broaden your beer exposure - I suggest the style approach - and you'll soon learn what your preferences are.

 

Amen on finding a store with a GOOD singles section. Many mix-6 sections are full of beer that is near or past the best by date, so be sure to check that info. If you do all of your exploring via 4/6-packs, you can end up with a full fridge in no time. You also might be stuck with quite a few beers that you don't really like. There are too many great options out there to be stuck with beer that you find mediocre.

 

Overwhelemed? Nah. I long ago made peace with the fact that I can never hope to try it all and that has actually been quite liberating.
The keys to the building and your beer awareness are in flights, mixed six packs, and breweries sample cases. You can clear out a lot of the underbrush and zero in on where you want this ride to take you. It's your palate. and all we can offer is advice for your development of it. First advice. Taste widely.
If reading is your thing. Get "Tasting Beer.." by Randy Mosher.
Also...
If you don't really like it the first time. Try it again later. A lot of what you'll probably end up loving will be an acquired taste that will require time to develop, and forming strong opinions about something at first might just mean that you should wait a minute and then investigate it further and you can get that Ah-ha moment where it makes sense.

 

I'm into craft beer for, 1, 1/5 year now, maybe two.

And i'm still pretty excited to try new beers, to taste all those flavours, it's really amazing!

 

When i feel overwhelmed i just stick to my favorites. I love to tick new beers and try to get 10 new beers a month just my preference to keep it interesting. Nothing wrong with not trying every beer out there. At first when i got into it, i stuck to one style at a time. That helps. Cheers.

 

Try to search for styles and flavors you like, and check out similar beers, maybe even some local breweries. I'm only a couple years in and I am loving every great beer I try.