Good Stouts for beginners?

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald should be right up your alley, then.

 

excellent list, most are widely available too.

 

There is no beginner stout. Just levels of greatness. Some have strong bittering/ashy elements that are a litte harsh. But then again, those generally aren't considered really good ones either.

My first love (and still love), is the Samual Smith lineup of Oatmeal Stout, Taddy Porter, Russian Imperial and Organic Chocolate. All of those 4 are superb, inexpensive and easy to find.

 

How do you figure that?

 

The one thing you need to tell novice drinkers, if you offer them a 10%+ ABV BA stout, is to not think of it as a beer, but an after dinner sipping liqueur instead. I've had alot of people cringe when trying a sample of a big BA stout because the boldness and thickness catches them off guard.

 

They have a long history of infection issues. I don't recommend buying their beers. This is not heresay or parroting, I have bought 6pks and singles of their beers over the last 6 years or so, and have gotten bad ones quite a few times. I'm done. Really no reason to roll the dice, even though they are good when right. Just IMO.

 

Which Duck-Rabbit are you speaking of. The one in NC or the one in NY?

 

Samuel. Smith's. Oatmeal. Stout.

 

Never had an issue, but, then again, I drink most of their beer on draught.

 

None. Are. Better.

 

You should change your username to StoutBeginner69

 

The Alpha and The Omega.

 

BCBS. Go big or go home.

 

I was a "beginner" at 13 drinking Schlitz pounders. I don't condone that, when your 21 plus go for a Guinness Foreign Export.

 

Deschutes Obsidian and Black Butte are very easy to find on the shelves and I feel they do a great job of representing the style. If you want something bolder, go for Ten Fidy or Old Rasputin. When you're ready to try a bit of bourbon and oak flavors in your stouts, get some Big Bad Baptist.

During the cooler months, I actually prefer barleywines, old ales, and winter warmers. Deschutes Jubelale is my go to 6 pack during the cooler months.

 

The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9790/) out of NC. Never heard of any other Duck Rabbit breweries.

 

I used to really enjoy Duck Rabbit a very long time ago, but I gave up on them for the same reason. I have been assured by multiple sources they finally solved the problem, but I just can't bring myself to chance it.

 

I don't know how widely available it is but Ipswich Brewery (from MA) distributes to New Jersey and their Oatmeal Stout is a fantastic representation of the style and can be had for $10 a sixer.

Absolutely worth a pickup if you come across it.

 

When threads pop up that ask what brewery would you want distributed to your state, I've put Duck-Rabbit in my top 3 of realistic choices for US breweries. People have expressed surprise with that. Their QC issues are well known, but that hasn't changed my mind yet.

Is there really one in NY?

So as not to derail the thread, if one had to get by with only the porters of Duck-Rabbit, things wouldn't be so bad.

 

There is a Dead Rabbit pub in lower Manhattan, but Duck Rabbit has one brewery location I am almost certain, and it is in NC.