I still buy tons of beer even though I brew. I like to try all the special/new releases and seasonals. I also just returned from Chicago and bought a bunch of beer I can't get where I live.(picture below) I see no need to stop buying commercial beer because in reality I'm not going to brew every single style I like and have it on hand at any given time.
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The Makers Mark is there because it was considerably cheaper than where I live.
Nice selections there!
I wish you would have gotten Goose Island's standard IPA. I'm sure it's not highly rated by the crazy IPA hop heads here, but it's my go-to lawnmower beer. Really REALLY good for a lower-end craft brew that you can find anywhere (around here, anyway). It's like BMC for a hop head. It doesn't blow you away, but you sip it thinking, "Yeahhhh... this is a nice easy-drinking beer. Nice hops! It's got some malt backbone to it too.... A real IPA, just not extreme." Less bitter than SNPA, better freshness and hoppy flavor/aroma. And a solid rich malt backbone. It's a good gateway beer for people who say they can't stand bitter/hoppy beers. (Victory Prima Pils is my other "intro to hops" beer for beer drinking newbs... not that you are one, I'm just trying to explain where these beers fit on the brewing landscape.. well crafted, dependable, easy-drinking, but displaying the unique qualities that set off the hop-head lightbulb in a BMC-drinker's head).
You're in for a treat with the Gumball Head. You'll taste it and think, "What? Beer can taste this different?!!!!" It's a fun beer.
I'm spittin' distance from 2 brothers. Their Domaine DuPage is stellar on tap, but I've always been a little disappointed in the bottles. Let it warm up and breathe.... and drink it quickly. Don't be afraid to let a bit of the carbonation knock off before sampling. If you miss the complexity and richness of the malt and sugars, it's a pretty boring ale. Think of it like a funky scottish ale and taste it accordingly.
Not being much of a hop head, I hope you like the Heavy Handed. I need to be in the right mindset for that one. But it's pretty good.
The Oberon is a must-try. It's probably a touch past its peak at this point. Drink it early. But it's a nice wheat beer. The "traditional" serving is with a wedge of orange, which honestly is just fine on a hot day. Otherwise the beer (especially when it's sat around for awhile) can lack a bit of tartness.... be kind of bland.
And I'm surprised you can't find Southern Tier out east, and I've never had any of their bombers, but I've always been very impressed with their run of the mill beers. I actually tried two of them once, just to fill out a DIY six-pack and they wound up really impressing me... I would describe their brewing technique as "sparkling clean and astonishingly honest". Goose Island, I say, takes a little more creative license, in both extreme and cautious directions at times. But I look forward to trying more from Southern Tier. And both the breweries are ones that I would recommend as being worthy of "I just want something really good and easy drinking, no weird surprises." status. That's talking about their six packs. When it comes to special releases, bombers and 4-packs, all bets are off... but I'd bet that whatever they put out in that format is probably going to be pretty good as well.
And good call on the Edmund Fitzgerald. That's a fine honest beer-lover's beer.
The five bombers to the left of Oberon and the one to the right, I do not recognize (the one to the right looks like a Kalamzoo brewing co beer, but I can't put my finger on it). I also don't recognize the 6-er on the middle level to the right of the Gumballhead, nor the single bottle in front of it. I also don't recognize the 6-er on the bottom right (Is that Founder's? I love their red rye!) so I must reserve comment on those.
Anyway, those are my suggestions and insights off the top of my head. Enjoy!!!