Suggestions for a recent convert?

Start here.

http://beeradvocate.com/lists/fame

Some of these are harder to find than others, but you should have access to most of these. This will give you a well rounded view of styles and some of the better beers out there. Most wont break the bank either.

Cheers!

 

Don't forget the tic-tacs to mask the swishing noise!

 

Well, since youre in NC (I assume from your first post), I can give some recommendations. We do get alot of the top 100, but local stuff is a sure bet here in NC. If youre near the Triangle, hit up Roth and LoneRider. Just sample their stuff. Triangle Brewing Co in Durham makes some approachable Belgians, and Fullsteam has some good stuff as well. Definitely grab Duck Rabbit Hoppy Bunny, Foothills Hoppyum, and Natty Greene's Freedom IPA. Just try everything local, but dont be scared of Olde Hickory and Foothills bombers. Theyre reasonably priced and usually taste pretty good.

Do grab Sweetwater IPA. Its a steal for a six pack and tastes really good.

 

Those are all pretty good suggestions. I would add that as much s I wanted to like it, the Belgian I got from Triangle just didn't my taste buds right.

 

Actually, I change my recommendation. You're new, so you should try every good IPA you can find. Torpedo, Racer 5, and Finest Kind are all great IPAs you should be trying. You have access to Flying Dog, so you should try Raging Bitch and Double Dog too - if you can find their single hop imperials, definitely try them. Especially if you have a decent shop nearby that will allow you to mix a six. Hop Devil, Hop Wallop, and Yakima Glory are all also worth trying.

 

There has to be a small beer shop that is carrying a ton of high end singles in your area (Boston has a ton of them popping up). If not push a local shop to try it (great profit margin for the shop). If all else fails you can join one of those beer of the month places online where they send you 6, 12 or 24 different beers each month.