Looking to experiment and try new things

Also, OP, have you tried Old Chub Scottish Ale? That's my favorite Scottish Ale.

 

Trust me, one of my local big retailers had Salvatore on the Shelf a year past the best by date last month. It's refreshing to see fresh Imports for a change. I truly expect it to last a season.

 

Sounds like you've got a chance to be the change you wish to see. If you can just drink TW volumes of imports maybe they'll keep of fresh for you

 

The Beers of Fame list is a great resource for anyone looking to branch out. Some real classics on there that are generally more accessible and easier to find than the beers on the Top 250 Overall list. Pick out some that look good, read some reviews, and try 'em all! There's something for everyone:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/fame/

 

Do places by you so mixed 6 packs as an option? I would just got to a store you trust with freshness, pick six random beers, don’t look anything up about them and enjoy the surprises. I love drinking beers without knowing anything about them beforehand, no mental bias or anything to mess with your thoughts on said beer. That’s just what I would do and I think it’d be fun. Cheers.

 

I would look for SN hazy little thing, the Sam Adams hazy IPA, possibly the voodoo ranger series from new Belgium, those are all more or less nationally available and are to varying degrees "easy drinking" modern ipas.

You might also see some Toppling Goliath as they are Iowa based and they are well regarded for their ipas. I have limited experience personally and nothing I've had was super low bitterness but I found it all very enjoyable and not extremely bitter either

 

Saw the title of this thread and thought I’d logged into Tinder by mistake. Anyway, on the dark side, maybe give Schwarzbier or Rauchbier a try. These are styles you don’t see everyday, so might likely be new and different for you. Perhaps a Dunkelweizen, which is a dark wheat beer.

 

I started off with stouts, porters, and brown ales. This spring I’ve started drinking helles lagers I really enjoy these beers on the hotter days. I was a big fan of Sierra Nevada/ bitburger octoberfest this year so when they collaborated again to make triple hopd lager I bought cases of it. If you can find it I recommend bitburger triple hopd lager.

 

You could try an English IPA. They tend to be much less bitter, more malty. and also are often lower ABV. Goose IPA can be obtained pretty much anywhere. Now granted it sucks, but it does check some of your aforementioned boxes.

 

“Looking to experiment and try new things”

I suggest college and a bottle of tequila.

 

If you like darker beers, I highly recommend Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Sam Smith's Nut Brown may also be something you enjoy. I'm not sure how available those beers are in your area, but my understanding is that Sam Smith's is pretty widely available.

 

Founders All Day IPA. It's lower ABV and lower on the bitterness but will still have a nice bite, especially with a palate that is fresh to IPAs. I can also second some of the NEIPAs suggestions however my only caution there would be some of them are so low on the bitterness scale that they aren't good gateway hoppy/bitterness beers if you are trying to cut your teeth and acquire a taste.

Since you like darker beers try some fresh Sierra Nevada Torpedo, it's a nice bridger between malty and hoppy.

From experience don't give up and keep trying various Pale Ales and IPAs. The cool thing about the style is that unlike some others each one can be drastically different from the next and you will find some you hate and some you love and there's so many different malt/hops combinations and for me it was really fun exploring and learning about which ones my palate liked vs not.

 

Some decent recommendations here, considering the challenges posed by your location. If you're looking specifically for IPAs, I agree with the Two Hearted, SN Torpedo, and SN Hazy Little Thing recommendations. I'd also consider:
- SN Tropical Torpedo
- New Belgium Citradelic

Another way of easing into hoppy beers is to try some American Pale Ales. These will typically have lower ABV than IPAs and are often less aggressively bitter. Pseudo Sue was already recommended, here are a few other options:
- Deschutes Mirror Pond
- Dogfish Head American Beauty
- Lagunitas 12th of Never
- Goose Island Green Line

The other recommendations I'd make are hoppy (or slightly hoppy) versions of other styles:
- Boulevard 80-acre hoppy wheat
- Bell's Amber Ale
- Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Most of these should be available at a Hyvee, depending on how far out in the sticks you are. Our friends and family are around the Quad Cities, Des Moines, and Iowa City, but it sounds like your selection might be more limited. In any case, @Josh_McIntire I hope you reply in the thread with what you try and what you thought of it.