I'll second Hendricks and The Botanist, found them both to be excellent as well as both the standard and barrel aged versions of Blue Coat.
Beer:
Yes, by all means something dark, black butte is a solid starter from your neck and I'd also drop in Guinness, not as much for the flavour but as one of the few nitrogenated cans available they can get a sense of the textural difference without the need to abscond to the pub.
Sure, I guess bud, the logic is sound and kinda funny. Then maybe a good pils for comparison (Firestone Walker Pivo or Victory Prima).
A pale ale (Ballast Point Grunion or Alpine Happy Birthday), a West Coast IPA (Alpine Duet or Stone IPA) and a Northeast IPA (most of these are only locally/brewery available - check Great Notion maybe or Omnipollo's Fatamorgana) to taste what hops can do.
Then a wheat (Franziskaner) and a wit (Allagash White) for what yeast can do.