Anything dark/roasted, but not overly sweet or overly bitter?

Bell's Porter is roasty without being heavy or bitter. I can't say the same for a lot of other porters however.

Brown ales might fit your desires too. Some have more hops than others, so you might have to experiment til you find one that's at your preferred level of bitterness.

For me, the perfect balance of sweet and bitter is a well-made doppelbock. (Troegenator is plentiful and fairly cheap where I live.) However, they're not roasted. I should also mention that while most of them aren't necessarily sipping beers, they're not exactly chugging beers! (The one that I do like to sip, even though it's actually lower alcohol content than many, is the one that's probably #1, Ayinger's Celebrator. The flavor is just that savory...)

 

Another tame porter, if you can get it, is Yuengling. Or their Black & Tan. Yuengling Lager is also richer than most lagers, richer than some people's Oktoberfests, almost as rich as some people's Bocks, and dirt cheap!

 

have you tried C.R.E.A.M. ?

 

Best thing to do is to either
A) find a bar that has flights, ask the bartender for recommendations and try some
B) do a little research and find a store that does mix 6 and try some different beers
I agree with @MaltheadWeirdo about the brown ales. Not a fan of them myself, but when I find one with coffee, man. Another good one is a Cream Ale, if you can find one with coffee, more the better, similar to Calm before the storm. Schwarzbier is another style that is pretty good. Since you have Shiner in Mizzou have you ever tried Shiner Black? Pils seem to be all the rage now and are clean crisp in taste, good luck finding your stepping stone and welcome to the site. Also here is a list of styles and their taste profiles Styles. Once you find a style that you like you can then look thru and find some of those that are accessible to your location. SeekABrew can help you find who distributes to your area, just click on your state

 

Mild. A good one is simply gorgeous, a joy to drink and you just want another and another. Which you can have because it doesn't make you fall over.

 

Yuengling Porter falls right in line with the Schwarzbier thoughts, so that would be a great place for the op to start. Either that or to run straight to Kostrizer, which seems to be exactly what they are looking for.

 

Guinness foreign export stout - a tasty Irish Dry Stout

 

A schwarz fits the bill I think.

Some brown ales might too, but beware some are too sweet.

Maybe some scotch ales might do it for you. Or a more hoppy than sweet Pilsner.

Finally I bet you'll like Alaskan Amber.

 

I would say either a doppelbock, like the Celebrator, which is not an overly sweet style. But if it still feels too sweet for your style, then you should try various English porters, like Fuller's or Harviestoun's old engine oil. English porters are generally less powerful than American porters which can be daunting. So it's a perfect introduction for you. If you want to stay away from sweet stouts, try Cadillac Mountain Stout by Bar Harbor. It's easily found in New England, dunno about Missouri though...

As for bitterness, not all IPAs are very bitter. Try normal IPAs instead of imperial, and stay away from West Coast IPAs. I would go for a Zodiak Omnipollo or an AleSmith IPA. Lunch by Maine Beer isn't very bitter either, and very fruity.

 

Porter or Dry Stout for sure

 

Stouts are made for straight up drinking as well, not all are imperials with 9+% alcohol. Since you like chocolate, I suggest you try Sam Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout - 5%ABV.

 

Porters for sure. Try Founders Porter, Great Laked Edmund Fitz, Deschutes Black Butte, Sierra Nevada Porter and any other low alcohol porter you can find.

 

Odell cutthroat porter should be on your to try list, too....

 

Sounds to me like porters would be right up your alley - Deschuetes Black Butte and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, specifically. I'd also try New Belgium's 1554 or Brooklyn's Lager.

Brown ales might also be a style you'd dig - Brooklyn's Brown is solid, as is Bell's Best Brown, with one of the best being New Glarus Fat Squirrel (if you can find it). I'd also consider some American ambers - Bell's Amber, Alaskan Amber, and New Belgium's Fat Tire.

As you mentioned, schwarzbiers seem like a good way to go - check out Sprecher's Black Bavarian or Metropolitan's Magnetron.

 

Andechs Dunkel Weiss should fit the bill, as it sounds like doppelbocks might be sweet for you.

 

Tough one. I think you may be on the right track with the Schwarz. I can't think of any that I would really consider sweet. Several have a noticeable bitterness, and I think you will find the deep roasted flavor you are seeking. Too bad Sam Adams discontinued their Black Lager. The other best option is porters. They are typically 5-6% so you can drink a 6 pack, and full of deep roasted//charred/ashy malts and sometimes chocolate flavor.

As others mentioned, some brown ales may suit you. Usually lower abv, and lots of chocolate flavor. Some are on the sweeter side though. You may have more consistent luck with American Stouts. Tons of them at 6% or less.

A few specific beers I think I would recommend are
Founders and Sierra Nevada Porter
Rogue Chocolate Stout (5.8% abv)
Brookyn Chocolate Stout would be a perfect fit if you were willing to look past the 10% abv

 

Brooklyn Chocolate Stout felt like a dry stout too. Nothing sweet there, this was pure bitter chocolate taste (from the roasted malt, no chocolate added).

 

Find a bottle shop that sells singles and get to tryin. Id suggest:
Avery Ellie's Brown Ale
Founders Porter or Odell Cutthroat Porter
Ballast Point Calm Before The Storm (cream ale with coffee flavors)

 

Odell Cutthroat
Deschutes Black Butte