New to Beer..and BeerAdvocate..

It's good to see another BR beer advocate here. Heiner Brau, Bayou Teche, and NOLA are all making solid beer. Tin Roof is local, though I haven't been completely pleased with their product. As far as stores go, the links provided here are a good place to start. You could also check your local Winn Dixie or Albertson stores and occasionally find diamonds in the rough.

 

You're going through the most natural progression of all: finding your own way of what you like and don't like.

Anchor Porter is a wonderful beer. If you can gran their bock I would highly recommend it.

 

Haha none taken, I thought the same right after I posted that. I just wanted to make sure that the OP didn't feel pressured to jump in too quickly and try every beer possible/start spending a lot like I know myself and many others around here have done. Not that I totally regret it, I've found a hobby I love but it can have downsides. I had just finished reading this story before I saw this thread, it's a hilarious and supremely depressing look at one man's fall into craft beer madness: http://adam-jackson.net/beer/ebay/#comments

 

Welcome to the club brother.

So many great beers out there and never a better time to enter the world than now. I would say start with IPAs and stouts, porters and work your way into Barley Wines and Sours.

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/ratebeer/?path=/shop-mobile.asp

This is from ratebeer another very good beer rating website. Alternatively you could just use your profile on BA to rate beers here along with your tasting notes, although there is no mobile app for this website. If you don't want a full rating on the side of each page for beers is a spot to just give a number rating. Another word of advice don't feel like you have to spend too much, I rarely spend more the $10 for a 750ml or 6pk, never traded, and there are still plenty of new beers to try. Be chill and have fun with it

 

Drink as many different beers as you can. I learn something new about beer everyday just by drinking different styles, and breweries. It is always great when you learn doing something you like.

 

You started off with some great brews. Welcome to BA and trust me when I say there are some great people on this site. Cheers.

 

Seriously, props for trying Old Rasputin this early and enjoying it. I've had a lot of beers and that is still one of the best. Try making a float with it!

 

Welcome! Have a wonderful journey through the beer world.

 

I think if I would of started with Old Rasputin when I started my "beer journey" I probably would have tucked my tail and ran... so kudos to liking it enjoying the heavy malt stuff (now it's a beer that I love).
You're starting off right, though: getting a feel for different beers and styles and asking for people's opinions here. There's a ton of great folks on here that have lots of wisdom - but remember that everyone's beer journey is different and yours will be, too.
If I were to go back and do it again, I probably would have kept a log of some sort with the beers I had tried and put a "+' for beers that I liked and a "-" for beers that were so-so or I didn't want to spend the money on again. Exploring different beers in the style that you marked "+" would have helped me explore that style more and understand it better. But, return to the "-" ones later down the road... once your palate gets used to beer it will start liking a wider variety of them.

Like I said, everyone's journey is different, so go out there, enjoy, have some fun, and drink lots of good beer!

 

My advice: try everything.

 

Anchor porter is awesome! If you like that I would recommend Bells porter as well. If it strikes your fancy try it. Just remember if you try one example of a style and don't like it, don't let that beer speak for the style. There are so many representations out there someone is bound to make an example you'll enjoy.

Read what kind of hops are in the beer, what yeast is used, what malts they use, see what reoccurring ingredients are in the beers you are fond of. That will make it a little easier to select beers in the future. I would recommend maybe not reviewing but taking notes on what you taste and smell. I wouldn't and don't place a lot of value in reviews just because I'd rather drink it and form my own opinion. I check reviews when I taste something that I cant quite put my finger on, or if I'm trading for something thats not available in my area and want to know if based on tasting notes it's a beer I might enjoy.

I would't get caught up in writing reviews on this sight right away. You've got so many things to taste yet and your palate I'm assuming is still a little green. I got caught up in reviewing when I first started and I noticed I would focus more on writing a review, rather than enjoying my beer. Which ultimately lead to me posting content that was not all that informative and honestly the majority of my reviews were written before I really knew what I was tasting.

In summation enjoy your beer do your best to dissect what you taste and have fun. Don't worry about whales or trading quite yet, Im sure you have plenty of things to try in your area without adding shipping costs, breakage, and keeping up with BM's into the mix. Just plop down in your best arm chair and try something new for now.

I would also recommend The brewmasters Table, and Oxfords Companion to Beer. Two awesome books that might blow your mind.

Welcome to the community, Ignore the trolls, and soak up as much knowledge as you can. Cheers!

 

Get to know what YOU like, not what other like. Take it from there, and explore. That's when it's fun. Find yourself a "favorite brewery" and explore all of their creations.

 

Drink.

 

Welcome friend. You have contributed nothing at all and already have more "likes than me! You will do well here
Seriously though, cheers brother.

 

Let me start off by saying welcome. This is a great community and you'll find plenty of friendly advice here.

Great advice. Try everything, don't focus on styles, and avoid the hype. There's plenty out there to be enjoyed, both beer and the experiences that come with it!