Someone interested enough to read all the way through this thread may want to investigate this site:

http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/04winners.htm

for suggestions of beers to try; this is the medalists' list from the just-concluded Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

These awards are perhaps the most prestigious in American brewing and, since they present gold/silver/bronze medals in 67 categories ranging from non-alcoholic beer to barleywines, there is a style here for anybody.