Looking for some stout advice!

EVil Twin Imperial Biscotti break is absolutely delicious, and not bitter or alcoholic tasting at all.
Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout is tasty and very easy to drink.
Deschutes black Butte porter (NOT the anniversary) isn't exactly a stout but it's fantastic and if you're interested ins touts you may as well check out porters.

 

Bell's Java Stout, Bell's Kalamazoo, New Holland The Poet, Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Sierra Nevada Stout (not on the list), Southern Tier 2X Stout, Stone Coffee Milk Stout.

 

yeah smoked porters are very intense and not for everybody, you have to be really into that smokey flavor. Porters are technically a type of lager, and they're typically less sweet the stouts, but they can share similar characteristics.
Also try any milk stout you see, they're often smooth and palatable, good for people warming up to stouts.

 

Both of these BA's are spot on.

If you like IPAs you should try Victory's Storm King. It is a hoppy stout.
(If you don't get Victory where you are, let me know we can work out a trade)
I also think you should try Founders Porter. It is a great beer.
Another Porter is Tallgrass Zombie Monkey

Some other suggestions:
Founders Breakfast Stout
Bells Double Cream Stout and/or Cherry Stout (Ok any of Bell's Stouts)
Terrapin Wake N Bake
Deuschtes Obsidian

 

Seeing that you're from Illinois, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, Founders Porter, Breakfast Stout, and Dark Penance (black IPA, but coming from IPAs you'll probably like it), Pipeworks does a lot of milk stouts, Three Floyds Moloko, Bells Java and Double Cream, Left Hand Milk Stout and Milk Stout Nitro, Sam Smith's Taddy Porter, Oatmeal Stout, and Imperial Stout (don't worry, it's not like American imperial stouts), North Coast Old Rasputin (also an imperial, but not boozy at all), Deschutes Black Butte and Obsidian, Sierra Nevada Porter and Stout, Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin and Wookey Jack (black IPA, but not overly hoppy), Maine Mean Old Tom, Victory Storm King (imperial, but pretty hoppy, so you should enjoy it), and Port Board Meeting (brown ale, but very dark and closer to a porter in my opinion).

The difference between porter and stout is negligible and solely nominal these days. In short, stout used to be a stronger version of porter. It's basically whatever the brewer wants to call their beer now. @jesskidden can probably find one of his extensive write-ups on the subject and copy-paste it here, or you could save him the trouble and search it on here. Happy hunting, and remember: the bigger the beer, the warmer you'll seem, so get used to those imperials and Baltics!

 

This is going to open up a huge can of worms, I'm sure, but porters are decidedly not lagers. If you are defining ale vs. lager by the yeast used, then Baltic porters are historically lagers since they are historically brewed with lager yeast, but regular porters are ales by this definition since they use ale yeast. These days, some Baltic porters can even be fermented with ale yeast and are really no more than imperial porters as a result.

 

This porter vs. stout discussion always comes up. The consensus seems to be they're basically the same, although imperial stouts are easier to come by than imperial porters, but they do exist.

 

Yes, it's worth repeating because some drinkers wanting a stout might ignore a porter or vice versa yet there is in fact no difference.Porter is the family name, the stronger ones were called stout but particularly in the aftermath of WW1 when strengths were reduced many stouts were discontinued and replaced by the basic porters relabelled as these stouts.

 

Founders Breakfast Stout, Dark Horse One Oatmeal Stout and Too Cream Stout, Stone's Coffee Milk Stout...

 

Sounds like you want Porters more so than Stouts, being in Chicago a BCBS is about as good as a stout gets.

 

I also am an IPA lover and am moving in the same direction as you. Last week I had Founders Breakfast Stout for the first time...simply amazing. It is a double at 8.3 abv but you would never guess it...extremely smooth and balanced. Double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout (bottle label)...it's also very easy to find right now, sold in 4 packs at most decent bottle shops and quality grocery stores...cheers!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/11757/?ba=Boca-X

 

Oh yes...being in Chicago you might also be able to find this St. Louis brew...well worth asking for...Schlafly Coffee Stout. I've seen it popping up locally and I'm about two hours south of the Arch!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/583/1994/

 

After you've had a chance to try several of the lower ABV stouts and porters, you really ought to try a couple of higher ABV stouts such as DFH World Wide Stout so you can see what is out there. Just don't try to drink it cold. That is a criminal act for beer this amazing (and expensive).

 

Wolavers Alta Gracia Coffee Porter (seasonal coming soon)
Bells Kalamazoo Stout (brewed with licorice and a damn ducking good beer)
Founders Dark Penance (a BIPA but still might fit yer desire)
Sierra Nevada Stout (legit lower ABV year round old faithful)

 

I'd pick up a bottle or two of the NB Salted Belgian Chocolate. Plus, this is so cool that this beer store uses Beer Menus. Wish more places around me used it. It's great to walk into a place and already know which beer you want and map out what beers are in your sights!

 

Going down your list, I would recommend Ipswich Oatmeal Stout. Very nice drinking and somewhat under the radar. The Left Hand Milk Stout is also worth a try. Rogue Oatmeal also is rather approachable.

I would also keep in mind the Old Rasputin and Brooklyn Black Cherry once you've gone more into stouts. They're a bit "bigger" than the first two I mentioned but oh so good and not that hard to come by.

 

Like you I have been trying to get into stouts as the days get shorter and cooler. Although many here disdain them I do enjoy the dry Irish Stouts in the nitro cans - both Guinness and Murphys. Although neither of these are on the rather impressive list from your bottle shop they are widely available. As others have noted, the Sierra Nevada Stout is really quite nice. I just picked some up and I will be getting it again. Like the Irish Stouts I mentioned I realize this is not on your list but it is widely available. I've had the Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro. While I didn't think it delivered on that ultra creamy mouthfeel that I live in Murphys I did enjoy the taste. Both versions ( regular and Nitro) are on your list.