Newbie requesting knowledge in beer.

It takes time. Always give a beer another chance. The first IPA i ever had was undrinkable at the time. Now its one I love. Try Ambers, blondes, saisons and belgiums. Good Luck

 

If your really uncertain of styles, get flights... you can get like 4 or more 5 oz pours of various beers for like $10 give or take a few dollars. Join Untappd and get your numbers up.

Everyone palet/tastes as they drink... The beers I liked and hated when I drank are different from nowadays. The beers I like last year are different from now. Rye beers to Over-hopped DIPAs to Sours and Saisons. Just keep drinking...

Cheers

 

Effin A.

 

Start drinking and less thinking. Do this for 6 months. Then come back to this thread.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of beer! Like many have suggested, I also suggest German Lagers/Ales, English Ales and Belgian Ales. This page (click here) also can be a helping hand while making your beer choices. There is a brief summary of flavor profiles, ABV/bitterness and history of the beer. Over time your palate will shift and hoppy/bitter beers will seem to be more enjoyable. If not, then there is plenty of beer to choose from.

Good hunting!

 

Welcome and like someone said above . . . just hang around here and you will find out everything you want to know. I would make the mix six my friend until you get firmly planted into styles you know you like. That way you can try a little bit of everything.

 

Natty ICE in a clutch!

 

To clarify - all the IPAs have been too bitter, or Budweiser was too bitter as well?

 

Welcome to the world of good beer.
Hops have become an integral part to how American brewers seem to want to drink their beer. This has started to turn me off to many Black IPAs of late, but that's for another thread.
Learn your IBU's about good beer and steer South of 45 on them. Are you just drinking the lighter side of the color spectrum? That could be your problem.
Go dark. A place where hops are riding side saddle, and steer clear of Black IPA's.
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, and Smuttynose Old Brown Dog are a couple to check out.

 

None of these are sold in Iowa.
Start with Sierra Nevada's Summerfest and Kellerweis, throw in their Porter or Stout or New Belgium Fat Tire if you want a little more variety.

 

Drink everything, regret nothing

 

If you're like most 21 year olds you don't have a ton of disposable income. If I were in your shoes I would focus on buying variety 12-packs. Usually these have several different styles at reasonable prices. My Iowa distribution knowledge isn't very good so your options may be limited, but this is where I would start if I were interested in learning about beer. Just be careful not to pick out IPA-heavy 12-packs if you're still adjusting to bitterness levels.

 

As a 22 year old, it won't take long before you crave those powerful flavors. Just slowly expand your comfort zone. Whenever a friend has a more intense brew, ask for a sip and slowly get used to the intensity.

 

The advice you have received so far regarding trying cream ales and blondes has been spot on. It also bears repeating that this website and it's rating are guides and recommendations, nothing more. Useful, but not law.
And Happy Birthday!

 

And the psychic saw!

I recommend that you just keep an open mind and never give up on a style of beer. For instance, after my first experience with an IPA I swore I would never drink one again, but now that is what I drink the most. Just took me too damn long to appreciate greatness!

 

Czech style pilsners.

 

When I first started drinking beer, I pretty much hated it. But, thanks to the low price of Busch and my friend's access to a fairly secluded cabin in Western PA, that changed pretty quickly.

In other words, based on my experience I would say that the key to starting your journey in the world of beer is quite simple: just drink. I had to push my way through about 5 cans before I found any enjoyment in the nasty, bitter, bready, strange taste of beer. But, by the end of that weekend I had acclimated enough to the baseline taste of beer (even if it was pretty shitty beer) that I was craving more new variations of the stuff.

Beer is an acquired taste. That is a fact, scientific and everything.

 

Try some Beligian-style beers like Victory Golden Monkey and Delirium Tremens. Also, you shouldn't give up on IPA's just because you didn't like the first few you tried. You will get used to the bitterness quickly, and once you find a few IPA's you like you will be hooked. Given that you're from Iowa you should be on the lookout for anything from Toppling Goliath that you can get your hands on, although you might not be able to appreciate their beers as much as you will be down the road if you stick with this craft beer thing. Cheers!

 

Many will suggest porters and stouts, which are fine recommendations. However, be warned that if you truly do not like bitter tastes, there is some bitterness, at times quite a bit, in porters and stouts (though it is a different type of bitterness than that imposed by hops). I think brown ales are a wonderful suggestion and I would highly suggest that you grab Samuel Smith's Brown, which is widely available.

Additionally, I think you should explore two German styles: Heffeweizen and Kolsch. Neither of those two are hoppy and both are lighter in color (so less possibility of bitterness from roasted malts). Weinstephaner Heffeweizen should be available in your area.

Finally, I would suggest that you try a doppelbock (Celebrator Doppelbock is likely available to you). While Celebrator Doppelbock certainly has a more intense flavor profile than the aforementioned brews, it may be something you enjoy.

Likely your taste buds will become more interested in the bitterness brought on by hops, so the best advice for you at this point is to enjoy the exploration of the expansive world that is craft beer.

 

What providence said - Heffe's and Kolsch, but I also saw someone suggest ambers and milk stouts - these are on the sweeter side and I highly recommend giving them a shot. Find Alaskan Amber, and there should still be plenty of Alaskan Summer (Kolsch - bright orange packaging with a killer whale on it) in the market - pick up those two for sure!