Looking for beer suggestions

If you're into IPA's the most obvious would be Boneyard RPM (or any of their other IPA variants). When it's fresh, it's an intense hop-bomb that will definitely clear your palate.

Edit: Note, you can only get Boneyard on tap right now, because they do not have a canning operation set up yet.

For stouts, the most obvious choice would be Deschutes Black Butte XXIV (not to be confused with the regular Black Butte Porter). Also, keep in mind that Deschutes Abyss is releasing in November, and it's considered to be one of the best stouts in the world.

Otherwise, you should try all of the Hair of the Dog beers, and all of the Cascade beers (assuming you like sours). Those two are unique in the world, and I wouldn't consider anyone to know Oregon brewing without knowing those two.

 

No offense, but I'm starting to not understand these types of threads. This site ranks and singles out thousands of beers. All the top beers to the shit are listed in every single style and category. Look at the lists, use them as a general guide, and go out and drink those beers. There is a long list(s) for ipa's and stouts.

 

She's new & wants to join in on the fun. Give her a little slack.
You can find anything discussed here somewhere else but this is a very social site. Discussing stuff that is repetitive is OK in my opinion.

 

yah, give her a break Kenny!
I live on the east coast so I won't be too much help but I'd suggest checking out seekabrew.com and then perhaps cruising around this site a bit and see what breweries/beers you find being mentioned a bunch. I can't name specific beers but I can suggest some brewery names that stick out to me.
ninkasi, lagunitas, ommegang, Oskar blues, Avery, deschutes, alesmith, Russian river (I'm sure everyone would agree Pliny the elder is a must try), Firestone walker, stone, hair of the dog, green flash...

maybe look up some of those folks on here and see what particular beers get high ratings. I dunno, somewhere to start. or perhaps you already knew that much...

 

If you want a departure from the IPAs and Stouts I would suggest picking up some Logsdon.

 

Since you're in Salem, I'd suggest hitting Venti's Taphouse & getting a sampler tray or two. They have 24 beers on tap, so there's always a good selection of styles. I think it's 6 4oz. pours for $8. They had a pumpkin beer event Wednesday, so the taplist is a little pumpkin heavy right now.

I second Spaceloaf's recommendation of Boneyard's IPAs. Franklin's bottle shop in downtown Salem has Hop Venom (my current favorite) on tap right now.

 

Agree 100% on Logsdon, as well as others' recommendations of Boneyard, HotD, Cascade, Deschutes, etc. So many great breweries in the region.

I avoided Upright for the longest time for the stupidest reason—I don't care for their labels/branding—but they also make some outstanding Belgian-style beers, some more traditional and some with a more aggressive American-style hop profile.

 

I've never been a fan of listening to other opinions when trying things. You know the old Price Is Right show, when the crowd tells the idiot contestant what to choose, and the dumb contestant listens to them? It's as if they act like they don't have a brain and need help picking door #1 or door #2. Come on. Yeah, make your own decision, I don't know why people are afraid of that. How do you know what people tell you is true?

 

Well, it wouldn't be the most obvious choice for a newbie, given that both this site and Deschutes refer to all of the Black Butte anniversary beers as porters. With that said, this is a good recommendation --- I love these and look forward to them every year.

 

A couple problems.

First, OP asked for opinions. It's not like people are submitting unsolicitied advice here.

Second, IIRC Price Is Right had two or three doors and it was completely random chance which was the best one to pick. When it comes to IPAs there are probably thousands to choose from, and some are clearly better than others. If 10 people tell the OP to try Boneyard RPM and 0 tell her to try [insert random lesser IPA here], she'd be an idiot not to at least try RPM.

By all means, try as many beers as you can and form your own opinions about what you like. But in general I've found the collective opinion here @ BA (whenever that term can be legitimately applied) to be pretty accurate.

 

I apoligize. Sorry for being a dick. But this site is a pretty much a walking guide for the blind when it comes to good beer. How can you not read the top beers list(s) and not come away with a good understanding of what you should try out? Again pretty dickish. Look at the ranks for top ipa's and stouts. Go out and find them, and drink them. Figure out which styles you enjoy the most. Try everything you can from the good to the bad. Beer is life. Experience it all.

 

You're not a dick. I just disagreed. I agree that the lists are a good starting point but disagree that it shouldn't be discussed.
For the OP, I would suggest starting out with some off the shelf stuff - Inversion, Black Butte, Alaskan Amber - and decide what you like. If you decide you like hoppy (Inversion) venture on to maybe a Hop Stoopid or Racer 5 or other commonly available beer and then you're ready to tackle the list.
Also, definitely drink local. Find out the local breweries. Visit them. Go on a tour. Taste all their beers.
Have fun.