Beer Suggestion

[nightflier]

OK, I'll admit that beer and ale are not my forte, but I've been asked to purchase a retirement gift for someone who is and the gift certificate I was given to purchase it is for Trader Joe's. The retiree likes deep/dark/sweet/malty beers and I was wondering if any beer afficionadoes out there could point me to the deepest darkest beer at TJ's. I'm actually more of a Stella Artois or Grolsch drinker (I guess that makes me a lightweight?), but this is really off my radar.

[JSE]

No idea if Trader Joes carries this but....

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22/3635

is one hell of a great deep dark malty sweet beer. One of my favs.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Yeah, this thread had Cartman written all over it. :lol:

[Woochifer]

Why not check with the Trader Joe's staff? They stock a lot of microbrewed stuff in those fancy large bottles, and judging by the people who work there, I'm sure you'll find somebody there that has sampled a fair number of them.

If you want something dark and thick, look for porters or stouts (Guinness is probably the most famous stout beer). Those are often microbrewed with all kinds of flavors (sometimes bizarre) added. They don't necessarily have higher alcohol content, they just have a very thick body compared to clear beers like lagers and ales.

If you want something that's more of a keepsake, like wine, I know that TJ carries Chimay. These Belgian beers have very high alcohol content, but they are quite good and can supposedly keep for years (most beers can't be stored very long). Another "keepsake" beer is the limited edition Samuel Adams Utopia, which is actually strong enough to be classified as hard alcohol.

Also, if you're looking for a retirement gift from Trader Joe's, why not wine or liquor? A single malt scotch or a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin? Or any wine beside the two-buck chucks?

[bobsticks]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1315/541684473_77aba9983b.jpg?v=0

Guinness is, assuredly, the best known but why not try something different? Within the same type but certainly with a body and spirit of it's own, I recommend Mackeson Stout...

...and if'n yer up for Woochie's suggestion of a distilled beverage, The Laphroaig is the way to go...

http://http://autonomoussource.com/blog/mt-static/pics/laphroaig.jpg

[Auricauricle]

The Laphroaig is surely nice, but howaboutta Bruichladdich to wet yer whistle?

[nightflier]

Laphroaig? Is that even English? Oh wait, I googled it. Well, if that's not a spelling nightmare. I guess it's from the same corner of the globe as Loiminchay (that Kandinsky model sure looks interesting...).

So I'm going to buy something in the next day or two. I haden't thought about asking the staff (duh), but they do seem a little young to be beer connoisseurs at my local store. Well, if they have Mackeson Stout, I'll grab that. Never heard of it, but it sounds like what he might like.

Personally I wouldn't touch anything that has an "opaque motor oil like pour" (beeradvocate.com), but they redeem themselves by saying that the "sweet vanilla and buttery toffee dominate the nose." Reading up on this stuff, it looks like what I'm looking for is a "Milk Stout" which sounds a bit gross, but I'm new to the beer-lingo. If only the gift certificate was from BevMo - now that's a store I can spend hours in.

[bobsticks]

The Laphroaig is a favorite of mine though I will admit it is a bit of an acquired taste. The Mac will be a hit with your buddy for sure. After reading your desription it was the irst thing that came to mind...