"Starter" Stouts

have him try Deschutes' Black Butte Porter and Obsidian Stout. Those are pretty good intros into darker/heavier beer. I'd also recommend Old Rasputin.

 

Try some Baltic Porters like Okacim, Baltika, Smuttnose Baltic. They are not stouts but the cleaner yeast flavors due to lager yeast make them approachable to noobs. Most are in the 7% range and can can be all over the map for sweetnes/dryness, chocolaty/roasty, etc.

 

Obsidian and other oatmeal stouts such as the classic Samuel Smith's will also fill the bill.

 

It truly amazes me what some people recommend as "starter" stouts. Storm King? BCS? Parabola? Choklat? Come on, starter stouts?

That being said, there were a ton of great responses for starters. Sam Smith Oatmeal, Obsidian, Bell's Kalamazoo, Cream and even the Sierra Nevada Porter, Stout, Founders Porter, Edmund Fitz and Black Butte Porter are all great choices. Another I'll throw into the mix is Dogfish Head WWS, great starter stout......ok, just joking. Seriously, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout though might be another good one. I've come to really like that easy drinking beer.

 

Message me and I'll send you some GLBC Fitz. No trade just sharing the wealth.

 

I think stouts are just stronger or heavier porters. In fact at one point Guinness was called a porter. So honestly there is a lot of overlap. A stout should generally be stronger and thicker though...generally....



as for the ops question I wouldn't worry too much about a starter stout...Id just grab some you think are good and see what he likes.

 

I'm not sure what's available in Maryland. If it's anything like South Carolina (in terms of the "bigger" craft brands) then I'd recommend

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout (thick and creamy body without really strong flavors)
Avery Out-Of-Bounds Stout (closest thing I can find to Deschutes Obsidian out here)
Left Hand Milk Stout (which you already mentioned)
Sierra Nevada Stout (not spectacular but very solid, like most regular SN beers)

 

Anything Founders when it comes to porters and stouts, this is what they do best IMO.

 

Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout.
The Oatmeal Stout seems to get mentioned more, but the Imperial Stout is a perfect example of a great classic stout.

 

Seriously. Founders Breakfast Stout. Does its style right.

 

Star Hill Dark Star, great, and under 5%

http://www.starrhill.com/brews/brew_item/dark-starr-stout

 

The first two to pop into my head are:

Weyerbacher Old Heathen
Bell's Special Double Cream

 

Sam Adams Cream Stout, Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout both solid intros.

 

SN Stout
Guinness Extra Stout (in a different league than Guinness)

 

SN Stout
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
Green Flash Double Stout

Also Great Divide Yeti, Lagunita's Imperial Stout for RIS

 

According to Seekabrew here are some good starter Stouts/Porters available in AZ

Anchor Porter
Bell's Porter or Expedition Stout
Sierra Nevada Porter

 

another vote for these as i'm sure they've been mentioned a dozen times:

old raspy
FBS
brooklyn black chocolate

 

Flying Dog Pearl Necklace is good and easy drinking and available in MD since it's brewed there.