Tips for a beer newbie?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Jayh5, Jul 25, 2013.

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  1. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Welcome to the place where lighter wallets are born.
     
    #21 nc41, Jul 25, 2013
    MichPaul, Auslander, starkmarvelo and 1 other person like this.
  2. Duhast500

    Duhast500 Pooh-Bah (1,597) Nov 14, 2007 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah

    You have quite a few breweries there in NC so you have a lot of options to choose from. Foothills brewing is the one I've herd the most buzz about. That would be a good place to start.
     
    #22 Duhast500, Jul 25, 2013
  3. Jacurdy60

    Jacurdy60 Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2013 Massachusetts

    Try everything. Read up on the beer terms. Read other BA's reviews AFTER you review a beer. I've only been in this since January, so I'm with you. You learn pretty quickly. Albeit, I know there's a ton more to learn.
     
    #23 Jacurdy60, Jul 25, 2013
  4. BigGene

    BigGene Initiate (0) Oct 30, 2010 Florida

    I know Foothills Brewing http://foothillsbrewing.com/index.html has some amazing beer and they have the Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate release coming up soon.
     
    #24 BigGene, Jul 25, 2013
  5. Beerista

    Beerista Initiate (0) Sep 11, 2012 Massachusetts

    Try posting on the South Atlantic forum to get advice on great local beers and, as important, what "major" beers are available where you live.

    Have a good time.
     
    #25 Beerista, Jul 25, 2013
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  6. mtomlins

    mtomlins Pooh-Bah (1,585) Mar 12, 2010 Canada (ON)
    Pooh-Bah

    Welcome to the site and the craft world! My first suggestion would be to take some notes while you are drinking new beers. For me it forced me to really think about what I was drinking and the specific flavor profile of a beer. It really helped develop my palate and move beyond generic descriptors of malty, hoppy, sour, etc. You don't have to spend a lot of time doing it, whatever feels right.

    As for NC suggestions, I have none (sorry!), but Terrapin from Athens disributes some killer stuff; see if you find them in your area. Also, use the website, there is an incredible amount of info already out there (e.g., here is the beer page for NC).

    Prost!
     
    #26 mtomlins, Jul 25, 2013
  7. starkmarvelo

    starkmarvelo Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Texas

    Soon you'll be like everyone else on Beer Advocate, and you'll know everything and you'll quickly discredit any argument by anyone. You'll make snap decisions about people based on their Avatar and the three sentences they wrote, but you'll know nothing about them. Seriously, steer clear of the beer talk forum and stick with your regional forum and get to know those people. You'll meet up, share some bottles, trade, go to bottle releases, and make some pretty cool friends along the way. Oh, and support you local craft brewers, they usually have something stellar that not may others know about...whalez come later.

    Just my 2 pfennige.
     
    #27 starkmarvelo, Jul 25, 2013
  8. Nutwood

    Nutwood Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2012 Kentucky

    Learn the proper pronounciation for "gueuze".
     
    #28 Nutwood, Jul 25, 2013
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  9. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Where are you located in NC? There are some interesting breweries around the state but knowing what part you live in will help in getting some more concrete suggestions. Are you looking for the tour that covers more of the brewing process or are you more interested in the tasting rooms?

    Asheville is a great visit - lots of breweries in the area and you can visit multiple in a day (though I suggest a designated driver or some other form of transportation/bus)... I like Wicked Weed, Wedge, Green Man, and Lexington Ave Brewery (LAB). There are a couple of good beer shops as well.

    Raleigh has Trophy Brewing, Lonerider, and Big Boss with others like Aviator pretty close by. There are quite a fe decent restaurants that have good tap/bottle lists as well as some nice beer shops.

    If you are down east, there is Duck-Rabbit and Mother Earth.

    If you are in the triad, I would suggest checking out Foothills and maybe Olde Hickory. Great shops in Greensboro, High Point, and Winsont-Salem.

    I'm in the triad so if you are local, hit me up with a private message and maybe we can get together and grab a beer some time (or share a couple of bottles).
     
    #29 dbrauneis, Jul 25, 2013
  10. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I would suggest that you can peruse other BA reviews when you are shopping if you want to get an idea of what a beer might taste like before committing to purchasing it but I would agree that you should not be reading them while you are tasting the beer as they might influence your thoughts.

    If you decide to get into reviewing beers, here are some suggestions I have given to others in the past...

    A couple of resources that I found really helpful when I was just getting started with reviewing were:
    - https://www.beeradvocate.com/ratebeer/?path=/documents/tastingsheet.pdf
    - http://beeradvocate.com/articles/637
    - Reviews by metter98 and BuckeyeNation (and other Top Reviewers)

    The parts I found most helpful were the different lists of terms which help me to be more standardized with other reviewers.

    I personally like the reviews where the descriptions are organized more by the different categories (appearance, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and overall) because it makes it easier for me to check when I am shopping for new beers. Not necessarily the exact format I use but where it broken down by sentence or paragraph.
     
    #30 dbrauneis, Jul 25, 2013
  11. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Piedmont Ale House in Burlington is a great place as well, over 20+ craft taps, and no BMC shit.
     
    #31 nc41, Jul 25, 2013
  12. GimmeGumballHead

    GimmeGumballHead Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2010 Illinois


    THIS. SO MUCH THIS.
     
    #32 GimmeGumballHead, Jul 25, 2013
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  13. azorie

    azorie Pooh-Bah (2,471) Mar 18, 2006 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    Buy tasting beer by Randy Mosher. its only beer. they will make more if its any good. bombers are over priced, lol

    drink the originals of the style if you can. more hops does not mean the beer is better. etc etc.:grinning:
     
    #33 azorie, Jul 25, 2013
  14. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    But, buying one bomber is a better bet than buying a six of something you may not like.
     
    #34 nc41, Jul 25, 2013
  15. Genuine

    Genuine Maven (1,347) May 7, 2009 Connecticut

    Welcome to the wonderul world of Craft Beer! I remember when I first started out, all full of excitement and adventure!

    You'll have fun learning and enjoy all that it has to offer. We'll see how long it takes for the homebrew bug to bite as well!
     
    #35 Genuine, Jul 25, 2013
  16. RichardMNixon

    RichardMNixon Maven (1,431) Jun 24, 2012 Pennsylvania

    This is something I've recently decided on too. Don't chase whales before you've finished that list.
     
    #36 RichardMNixon, Jul 25, 2013
  17. rowingbrewer

    rowingbrewer Maven (1,420) May 28, 2010 Massachusetts
    Trader

    Don't go after every new beer you hear about. try different beers and styles, and if your inclined to trade do so for locals not the latest one off. I will be taking my own advice shortly
     
    #37 rowingbrewer, Jul 25, 2013
  18. azorie

    azorie Pooh-Bah (2,471) Mar 18, 2006 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    most places sell singles now I found.
     
    #38 azorie, Jul 25, 2013
  19. mythaeus

    mythaeus Pooh-Bah (2,074) Jul 22, 2013 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm new to the site, but not new to beers. I've had my fair share all over the world (mostly crappy) and around the States.

    What I just started recently, that I wish I did a lot earlier, was to pull up the BeerAdvocate Top 250 list and look for those in local craft beer stores. I "rediscovered" a lot of beers and types this way because at some point I got crappy beers for a particular type and decided to shun them altogether. It's been a GREAT couple of months for me hunting these beers down both in bottles and locally on drafts, getting to try out what the guys/gals on BeerAdvocate enjoy the most. I've expanded my horizon and knowledge greatly through that list and have become rather friendly with the local craft beer stores because of that list. Occasionally I do pickup some that are not on the list that are new from a particular brewery that I like, but my focus right now is completely on that list.

    Al
     
    #39 mythaeus, Jul 25, 2013
  20. Ranbot

    Ranbot Pooh-Bah (2,463) Nov 27, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Beer festivals are a fun way to quickly try many different styles and breweries. Check the Beer Advocate calendar for one in your area. http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar/2013/07

    Don't get caught up in trading for or embarking in cross-country trips for rare [hyped] beers right away. It's expensive, time-consuming, and you probably won't really appreciate those beers until you have some experience with various styles. Get your training wheels on whatever is locally available to you.
     
    #40 Ranbot, Jul 25, 2013
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