Good day everybody, My name is James, I'm 21 years old and am from southern California though I currently reside in Washington DC. I'm very new to this whole craft beer thing but am enjoying it quite a lot and scrolling through beer advocate in front of the store fridge has helped me with many a beer selection. So I thought I'd say hi! I'm still developing my palate but my current favorite styles are Irish Red Ales and German Schwartz Beers. That being said, I've only gotten to try one or two of each style so far so my view of most styles is definitely skewed. I'm desperately trying to acquire a taste for Porters but have found that the dark chocolate maltiness is just too much(dark anchor and local craft brews). Anyways, its great to finally introduce myself and I'm excited to learn more!
Hi, James, and welcome to BA! I"ve spent a lot of time tasting beer in both places so you should not lack for variety. I'm sure some DC area folks will recommend some current places for breweries and beer stores-- or perhaps you will have some to recommend to us. Happy to have you aboard!
Nice intro, and nice to get to know you a bit. Porters you say? That style was my first favorite and I couldn't find enough of them (this was back in 1996 and they're still tough to find). IPAs are probably my top everyday favorite (maibocks are really on top but they are seasonal), but I only like IPAs that use hops that I like. You could say that every IPA is its own style because of the variety of flavors that you can get from the numerous hop varieties. You'll settle in on your faves as time goes on, and you'll likely discard some styles only to come back to them and like them later. (I hated IPAs when I first started.) If you haven't discovered it yet, on the main menu under Beers is a feature that lists and defines each of the 100+ 'Beer Styles' that BA supports. Each example also gives you a list of beers in that particular style arranged by popularity. This feature may be helpful to your learning quest. Hang around as much as you'd like and enjoy your time here.
Hi James, great to meet you! It's lovely that you're exploring this world and enjoying the experience. We all start somewhere. This place is such a valuable resource for finding new beers and making informed choices because of everyone's advocacy. Irish Red Ales and German Schwartz Beers are good choices. It's normal to have preferences based on whatever number of beers you've tried. Keep trying out different styles and see where it leads. As for Porters it's gradual process and not for everyone. It's okay to take your time and experiment with different companies and their גיוון of the style or, leave it alone. Keep enjoying the way, trying new beers, and opening your knowledge. If you have any more questions, want to recommend or need recommendations, yalla
Hello James, and welcome to Beer Advocate. I enjoy my visits to Southern California including the great breweries there. I had to travel to DC for work last decade, and really enjoyed my visits to Churchkey, which hosts a half dozen casks beers, as well as a wide range of styles on draft and bottled. I hope you have a chance to visit and explore their offerings. https://www.churchkeydc.com/ Cheers!
Thank you PapaGoose! I will definitely start hunting my way down the list since I can probably get a good number of those in the city.
Sounds good! I definitely have alot to try, I'll put Porters on the backburner and come back to em in a bit. Thank you all for the advice.
Thank you very much for the advice! Its definitely been an adjustment going from SoCal to DC. Churchkey is bookmarked in the browser and only 3 metro stops away so I'll definitely check it out. Many thanks!
