Beerly illiterate, looking for help

Some of the best beer is brewed right here in Ohio. Here are a few breweries for you to look up:

Cleveland, Oh - Great Lakes Brewing
Columbus, Oh - Columbus Brewing
Cincinnati, Oh - MadTree, Rheingeist, Mt. Carmel, Rivertown

 

Could be the best advice in this thread. I always read both of those fine fellows after trying/reviewing a beer, to see how my palate understood a beer vs. theirs. Buckeyenation may have the finest palate on this site.

 

If your state allows to build a sixer. The keys are in your hands. As you say like the lighter side of beer. It's cool. American craft beer is making good in-roads into a many of the styles which bmc adjunct beer has held court on.

To tread into our waters on your terms. Cold.
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils (there's plenty more hops, cos 'Murica, but this is goodin.)
New Belgium Shift. It's a lager that can drink cold, but it's getting into that place where it can also handle the ambient temperature just as nicely.
Are just a few examples .

Also, expand those tastebuds and get a flight from your local good suds merchant and dig in with some food to back it up.. Don't worry what we think. Just come and steal our knowledge.
There's really no better way to explore the options than to just get into the thick of it, orgy style.
And...
You will just have to get used to buying beer in cans all over again. Cos that's where many breweries are moving towards, and most of the myths about it and the metallic taste to go with the myth are gone. Crack it and pour it into a glass.
There's really only a couple ways that cans will work against a beer, but truthfully.
A. That's going to be old product.
B. Those cans should have never made it onto market in the first place. They are called low fills.
Welcome to our world. Enjoy the stay.

 

You also might try SE Indiana as well. There's some really good beers that don't get distributed to our market here in Ohio. If you are within a 45 minute drive to Lawrenceburg/Aurora, you can find some others....

 

Skunking is the off-flavoring effect that light can have on the beer, and typically a beer in a clear or green bottle is more susceptible to skunking. When buying beer in green or clear bottles you should try to determine if they are fresh and have not been sitting on the store shelf right under the lights. There are some beers in clear or green bottles, so don't let this warning cause you to shy away from them.. just be cautious.

Beers are not seriously affected by moving them from room temp to fridge and then back to room temp, it's just the extremes that you want to avoid regarding storage temps.

 

If you are only going to have two bottles per week then you can spend plenty on the best beers you can find. That's what I would do. I would also treat it like an adventure, which even though I drink more than two a week, I have done. Buy anything that catches your eye. =) You have so much beer to look forward to.

 

Spend a little time browsing this - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/

also, the beer styles guide will be helpful I think. Don't be afraid of trying an IPA either, some will steer you away from that but I've been surprised at how well received they've been by some of the people I've 'convinced' to try them. I recommend Summit Saga

 

It's not dark, but it's not pee water, and it's a very popular style so they're easy to find. Don't get one of the more expensive ones on the shelf though, they may be a little um, advanced?

 

I agree with German Styles, especially Kolsch, maybe even kellerbiers and other wheat beers.

Generally, it sounds like you would like wheat beers of any type. I don't know why people are recommending IPAs and stuff like that to you.

Go for the beers that are craft but light still: i.e. wheat, cream ale, maybe some pilsners, kolsch, american lagers as recommended above (i.e. stuff by Great Lakes), also I agreew tih Tongorad and Cavedave's suggestions so anything that they said should fit well.

 

a common misconception. If a beer gets quite hot it can sort of go bad, but not in the same way as 'skunking' which is strictly a light issue.

 

I recommended an IPA because I don't want this person to be locked in to a certain quadrant of the beer world. If I can give my mom a a summit saga and see her face light up, I think it's worth a try for everyone looking to try new things.

 

another suggestion, if you're looking to learn your way around the terminology and flavor profiles, etc, would be to try new beers while reading the reviews on this site. That way, you can sort of see the way that others are articulating the differences and similarities that you're noticing. After doing this a while, you'll start to understand what hoppy mean, what the malt backbone is, etc.

 

Read this thread:
"How your craft beer experience has changed: Year 1, 5, 10, 15...now?"
http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...rience-has-changed-year-1-5-10-15-now.135106/

A lot of people document their craft journey here, and I think it is a great way for you to understand how others have expanded their beer palettes over the years. It's a progression, and everyone's journey will be a little different.

 

And don't worry about ratings and writing reviews. I use a spreadsheet to keep track of beers I have had, what my impressions are, what flavors I can pick out, etc. Some I reviewed once I got the lingo down and felt confident, some I have the notes and can review when I get around to it. Reading the reviews can give you some insight into the flavors and aromas to expect, but the bottom line is actually where you are right now....do you like the beer? No...that isn't very technical, but that is what matters to you at the end of the day.

As others have said, treat it is a fun adventure and don't obsess over things. When it starts adding stress, it isn't fun any more. I've done the random approach myself...mixed six packs or a bunch of random bottles...and approach with an open mind. Brewery tours with tastings or flights are great plus you can talk to people and learn things immediately.

 

Plenty of greatadvice here but I don't believe anyone has informed you that referring to Bud/Miller/Coors as pee water is the first step in the appreciation of craft beer. Your next step will be to get rid of the chilled mugs. If you can't wean yourself off chilled mugs, if you have an outside area protected from the elements, chill them there. Do not chill them in the fridge or freezer. As the weather gets warmer, the mugs won't be as chilled and you will hopefully notice more taste from your beer. Only then will you get what we are all talking about.

Cheers.

 

Well, you mentioned you like Kolsch. Reissdorf is an excellent representation of the style.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/288/2040

 

Have you tried a Blue moon? tell them no fruit. ;.)
ask for a non chilled glass.
worked for my wife.

 

For a start go with a decent german hefeweizen then branch to dunkel and Marzens when I started I loved a good Brown ale something with good rich bready notes or scottish ales english pales are a good start too

 

that makes sense. it just seems like he's not in the position to like those right now. I remember transitioning from BMC to lighter flavored beers and than getting into IPAs and stouts later as my palate progressed so my recommendation was based on what seems like the normal progression. Maybe there is no normal progression though and that's all in my head.