Expanding My Palate

I was in the same boat, what did it for me was trying great examples of the styles.

Founders Porter, Bell's Expedition Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Founder's Breakfast Stout, are all fantastic and should be pretty easy to get.

 

Try a great Munich Dunkel Like Ayinger Altbairisch- it's dark and malty without the roasty character.:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39/134

Once you start getting into something like that then move on to Schwartzbiers like Kostritzer- those are mildly roasty.

 

Flying Dog "Pearl Necklace" was my bridge. Bell's Porter and Left Hand Black Jack Porter would probably help, too.

 

When people want to explore dark beer, then instantly jump for Stouts, which are definitionally the darkest, heaviest, roastiest, etc. It's the equivalent of giving someone their first chili pepper and making it a habanero. Ease yourself in to dark beers. Start with sweeter, smoother styles of dark beer, Belgian Dubbels, English-style Porters, and sooner or later, you'll be guzzling back Stouts like whoa.

Here are a few introductory dark beers to try:

Sam Adams Black Lager
Sam Smiths Taddy Porter
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
Ommegang Dubbel
Schneider Aventinus
Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout

There are a million others, though.

 

If you live in the Great Lakes area: try Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. It's easy drinking and one of the best examples of the style you can find anywhere.

 

Based on what you like, here are a few good "bridge" beers you should try:
Ayinger Celebrator
Ayinger Ur-Weisse
Weihenstephaner Korbinian
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
Rochefort 8
Rochefort 10

You can gradually move into the darker, roastier porters, stouts etc. if you want.

 

Just try a bunch of different styles. There is bound to be something you like. And if you find one your particularly like try as many from that style as you can.

 

My gateway stouts were Guinness and Young's Double Chocolate. Also, milk stouts tend to be more subdued as opposed to punching-you-in-the-face-with-roasted-malt-imperial-stouts. Good examples of this would Left Hand's Milk Stout or Southern Tier's 2X Stout.

 

Also try getting into good coffee if you haven't already. I have found that my recent interest in making high quality coffee and drinking it black has really made me enjoy porters and stouts much more.

 

This is your best answer. Most if not all U.S. craft brewed dark beers use roasted or chocolate malts, which can be pretty harsh to the uninitiated (and the experienced!) palate. Authentic German Dunkels like Ayinger's achieve their darkness primarily from the use of Munich malts and decoction mashing, which will produce a more rounded, less harsh, toasty flavor (lagering helps smooth things out as well). If, after trying some of these toasty tasting beers, you do feel you have "graduated" to the more roasty flavors, then a beer like Koestritzer will be perfect, as it's both very roasty yet immensely drinkable...for these reasons some people even call it a "black pilsner." Prost!

 

One that I had early on that made me say "wow" was Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. I think Goose Island Mild Winter is a decent choice too, as it is "dark" but is very drinkable and not really roasty. But really you just have to keep trying them until you find one you like, or worse, find out you dont like anything dark, although I find the latter to be highly improbable.

 

I would get a Great Lakes Brewing Company sampler pack, it contains a porter, gold lager, amber lager and pale ale all decent beers that are great for transitioning from light lagers. That and if you live in the great lakes it is a local brewery so if you like some of their beers you should be able to get several styles from this brewery.

 

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, the roasty bitter and hoppy bitter flavors can take some time to get used to until you really start appreciating them and being able to taste past the roast.

 

I knew I shouldve said something earlier.

I think these are all great additions he should try. They are the german/belgian influence but he can pick out some of the lighter beer flavors. He could also try the Weienstephaner Hefeweiss-Dark. Might be a good "bridge"

Cheers!

 

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/224 this is a German wheat dopplebock. It's dark but its similar to that styles you mentioned. I believe it would be a good place to start. That along with a lot of what other people are saying.

 

I recommend some Belgian Strong Ales and Dubbels.

Some I enjoy:

-Chimay Red
-Rochefort 6, 8 & 10
-Westmalle Dubbel
-Unibroue La Terrible

 

Just try beers. You may never like darker beers...it's just a thing that develops over time. For me, I explored the IPA world so much I got bored of it and decided to branch out. Porters, stouts, and strong ales were my next stop. And now I am thoroughly enjoying barrel aged beers.

 

Just try as many different styles as you can. I predict with in a year you will be a hop head like most of us. For darker german beers check out Aventinus and Celebrator. Both are amazing doppelbocks.

 

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Ayinger Celebrator, Rochefort, etc.