Thanksgiving 2.7 Beer Quandry Solved!

I have been trying to figure out what theme/concept I can use for the beer portion of Thanksgiving 2.7 this year. The Scandinavian beer selection in the tri-state area is pretty lousy. I will have the few available to me, but to round out that selection I was lost. Last night it came to me. I can and will do a tasting style selection.

     I have decided to offer the few Scandinavian beers I have found, plus some selection from the major beer styles as recognized by the American Brewers Association. Here are the beer styles I am thinking of including in no particular order, with a very brief description.

1. Barley Wine-A beer that has a ABV of at least 11%. Usually a heavy body, with a presence of alcohol and most often intense flavors. American varieties tend towards the hoppy & bitter while European ones are more balanced.
2. India Pale Ale/Pale Ale-Medium bodied with varying color from pale straw to a dark amber. The hop flavor is always very evident in the form of a big herbal scent and citric character. The bitterness can balanced by the sweet malt to overwhelming.
3. Lambic-Fruit versions add whole fruit and they will contribute from a subtle hint to a very intense fruit character.  Light bodied with little or no hop flavor or bitterness. A tartness from the wild yeast is very evident.
4. Porter/Stout-The roasted/dark/chocolate malt lend their color to create a range from from brown to black. Most times the roasted, coffee or chocolate notes will come through. Traditional varieties will keep the hop bitterness low. The body can vary from light to very full. This is a common style to see barrel aging. Oatmeal, coffee or chocolate are often used in brewing to add flavor or change the body & mouth feel.
5. Witbier/Wheat-A cloudy very pale beer. These use a yeast that creates flavors of banana, apples, and clove. Belgian versions are often brewed with an assortment of spices such as coriander and orange peel. Any hop character is almost non-existent.
6. Belgian Abbey/Trappist-This is a family of beers that share spicy notes and strong malt, caramel, and fruit flavors, and aromas. A higher than average ABV which can be completely hidden or overpowering. The malt and sugars used in brewing create a full body with very active carbonation.  
7. Scotch/Scottish Ale-A deep copper or brown in color. A higher than average ABV that is complemented by the malty caramel, and roasted notes. A low bitterness is found in some versions. A rich mouth feel and sometimes a pronounced sweetness are present.
8. Pilsner German/American-The most popular type of beer in America, sort of. This is the style that all those awful macro beers are based on. Pilsners should have a light golden color and have a slightly spicy or floral aroma. German versions should have their bitterness balanced by the malt, but American version can be incredibly bitter. 
9.  Doppelbock-A strong malty sweet beer that has a dark amber to black color. A very full body that has roasted and possibly chocolate notes.
10. Dessert (Chocolate, Peanut Butter, etc)-These can be from any of the existing beer styles, but with an overall flavor reminiscent of chocolate, caramel or some popular dessert such as a pie or a cake. Coffee flavor and bitterness are often present to help offset the sweetness. Usually a heavy body and little or no hop flavor or bitterness. (I want people to experience one of the extremes of brewing)

I feel that this selection covers most of the easier to find types of beer styles that the average American will find in a bar or a restaurant. I am hoping that by offering such a wide selection and my forcing people to use glasses for their beer I can accomplish a couple things this year. 1. My guests will get to try some new and different beers that may be out of their comfort zone, and 2. I can make food/beer pairing suggestions and possible increase everyone's awareness of just how good beer can be.    (I do realize that "dessert beer" is not really a true style, but from my experience the non-connoisseur is unaware the "dessert beer" is even something that exists. I am fortunate that several of the beers I regularly purchase for TH2 are in this style (Pumking, Warlock, Sweet Baby Jesus).)

     I am now doing a mild amount of research to figure out what will be the featured versions of each of the beer styles I have listed. I am as of right now going to attempt to offer 2-4 brands of each style ex.Dessert I'll have Southern Tier's Creme Brulee and DuClaw's Sweet Baby Jesus. This will let me purchase smaller amounts of each brand, but offer a huge variety of beer this year. I'm currently checking prices between 3 or 4 stores for the best deals.
Here are the brands and types I am considering so far (keep in mind I am choosing from what I am able to purchase in the tri-state area).

1. Barley Wine: Weyerbacher-Blithering Idiot, Uinta-Cockeyed Cooper, Schlafly-Barley Wine

2. India Pale Ale: Dogfish Head-60 Minute, Victory-Hopdevil, Southern Tier-2XIPA
3. Lambic: Lindemans-Framboise, Lindemans-Pomme, Fruli-Strawberry
4. Porter/Stout: Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Murphy's-Irish Stout, Clown Shoes-Blaecorn Unidragon
5. Witbier/Wheat: Allagash-White, Flying Dog-In-Heat Wheat,
6. Belgian: Malheur-12, La Trappe-Quadruppel, Allagash-Trippel, Boaks-Two Blind Monks,
7.Scotch/Scottish Ales: Founders-Backwoods/Dirty Bastard,
8. Pilsner: Slyfox-Pikeland Pils, Weihenstephaner-Pilsner,Iron City-Original
9. Doppelbock: Troegs-Troegenator, Weihenstephaner-Korbinian,
10.Dessert: Southern Tier-Creme Brulee, DuClaw-Sweet Baby Jesus, Southern Tier-Chokolat, DuClaw-Dirty Little Freak

     I am looking forward to this plan almost as much as the new dining hall layout idea that was brought up to me last year (more on that at in a later post). The great idea was brought up by the "turkey fry man" Sean was to schedule a "beer tasting hour" after the regular dinner time from around 7pm-9pm. I will highlight it on the menu and I'll add it to the invitations. If I make it a bit more formal and schedule it I think I can drive up greater interest. I want more interest than I had for the apperitif/digestif idea I tried last year. This also has a nice side benefit, it will force me to sit down and take a breather from the days activities while I do something I genuinely enjoy, tasting and discussing beer. I will have many small 1 or 2 ounce glasses for everyone and maybe we can create some craft beer connoisseurs.

     I would like to hear if anyone has favorite beers in the categories I have listed.