Ive tried over 550 beers based on my Untappd account so I thought i would make a post about what my favorites are from a number of styles. I have generalized quite a bit since there are a lot of individual styles. Scottish Ales are my favorite and most are rated pretty high by me so some categories may have more beers listed. You will also find that a lot of Montana Beers are on here since my opportunity to try them is higher than other beers from around the nation or world.
Scottish/Scotch Ales
Cold Smoke - Kettlehouse Brewing, Missoula, Montana. While this was not the first craft brew I tried, it was the one that set me on a course to be a craft beer snob. One of the rare 5 star rated beers for me on untappd. 6.5% abv and 11 ibu.
7 other scotch ales I ranked at 4.5 and are really good as well: Piper Down by Ballast Point, California (love the label on this one); Big Rock Scottish Ale, Canmore, Alberta, Canada; Heavy Horse, Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT; Fearless Brewing Scottish Ale, Oregon; Tartanic Blackfoot Brewing, Helena, MT; Katabatic Brewing, Livingston, MT; and Dirty Bastard by Founders Brewing Michgan.
Porters
Victory at Sea by Ballast Point Brewing, San Diego, CA, an Imperial/Double Porter at 10.0% abv and 60 ibu. It earned a 4.5 on untappd.
Pistolero Porter, Payette Brewing, Idaho, 6% abv, 13 ibu earned a 4.5 also.
Top of the Feckin Morning, Feckin Brewery, Oregon, another double/Imperial porter, 8.5% and 35 ibu, also 4.5.
there were quite a few 4.25 porters but too many to list.
Ambers
90 Shilling by Odell Brewing of Colorado gets my top vote for ambers at 5.3% abv and 27 ibu this is a really good beer which I rated at 4.5 on Untappd.
These ambers also received 4.5 ratings so they are also very good: Fat Tire by New Belgium Brewing, Colorado (one of the first Craft Beers I tried and liked), Irresistible Amber by Madison River Brewing, Belgrade, MT, and Bomber Mountain by Black Tooth Brewing Wyoming.
Red Ales
Without a doubt, Angry Hanks Brewing's Street Fight Imperial Red ale (Billings,MT) is my favorite Red Ale at 6.5% and no ibu given this beer was another to receive a rare 5 ranking on Untappd.
A couple of other red ales worth mentioning are Good Medicine from Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT and Gonk Amber Ale by Philipsburg Brewing, Philipsburg, MT.
Brown Ales
Another clear choice here is Stand Down Brown by Uber Brewing, Billings, Montana, a 4.5 ranking on Untappd, it has 5.5% abv and 20 ibu.
Two others worth mentioning are Moose Drool Brown Ale by Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT and Buffelhead Brown by Flathead Brewing, Kalispell, MT but also ranked at 4.5 on Untappd.
Stouts
Stouts are a pretty broad group but there is one clear winner: Quilters Irish Death by Iron Horse Brewing, Seattle Washington. A solid 4.75 ranking it has 7.8% abv and 12 ibu. Love this beer.
These 6 also need mentioning, ranked at 4.5 on Untappd: Lugene (whiskey barrel aged milk stout) by ODell Brewing, Colorado, Narwhal Imperial Stout by Sierra Nevada Brewing, California, Yeti Imperial Stout by Great Divide Brewing, Colorado, Red Velvet Oatmeal Stout (with beets, yes beets, this tasted like Red Velvet cake on the finish, hence the name, also another cool label from these guys) Ballast Point, California; Latte Stout, Neptunes Brewery, Livingston, MT and last but not least, Old No 38 Irish Dry Stout from North Coast Brewing, Califonia.
Hefeweizens
Goose Island Hefeweizen from Goose Island Brewing, Illinois (5.3% abv and no listed ibu) and Haybag Hefeweizen from Philipsburg Brewing in Philipsburg Montana (5.5% and 22 ibu) both earned 4.25 on untappd.
Wheat Beers
Trout Slayer from Big Sky Brewing, Missoula Montana was the top wheat beer for me, with 5% abv and 35 ibu, it received a 4.25 on untappd.
Second choice was Sunset Wheat by Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Wisconsin.
Fruit Beers
My top choice here is the Apricot Ale by Pyramid Brewing, Seattle Washington, a 4.5% ranked beer, apricot ales are by far my favorite fruit beers. This one has 5.1% abv and 11 ibu.
A close second is the MOtorboat Apricot ale from Mighty Mo Brewing, right here in Great Falls, MT. another 4.5 ranked beer, it boosts 5% abv with no ibu listed.
Third choice, mainly because this was one of my first craft beers when I wasn't really drinking craft beers is the Huckleberry Wheat Beer from Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT.
We are getting into beer types that I am not so fond of so ranking are lower and there are fewer choices.
Pale Ales
Top Pale Ale was the Prickly Pear Pale Ale from Lewis and Clark Brewing, Helena, MT. This beer boosts having cactus juice in it and that might have been the difference maker for me. I ranked it a 4 on Untappd by far the top Pale Ale. It has 5.9% abv and 23 ibu.
A second choice would be the Tramway Rye Pale Ale by Philipsburg Brewing, Philipsburg MT. 7.0% abv and 70 ibu.
IPAs
IPA (Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT) at 6.2% and 65 ibu, Going to the Sun IPA (Great Northern Brewing, Whitefish,MT) at 5.7% and 54 ibu and Citradelic Tangerine IPA (New Belgium Brewing, Colorado) 6% and 50 ibu were my top IPAs all with 3.5 rankings on Untappd.
Lagers
I am only going to list one on here as there was only one real standout with a lot of other similar ones. Shiner Bock from Spoetzl Brewing, Texas is a really good lager and the clear winner for me in this category. 4.4% abv and 13 ibu it got a 4.25 ranking on Untappd.
Cream Ales
There are two cream ales I am listing both ranked a 4 on untappd: Wexford Irish Style Creme Ale, England at 5% abv and no ibu and O'Connors Irish Cream Ale by Beaver Creek Brewery, Wibaux, Montana, with 4.5% abv and no ibu.
Well that ends this very long post, sorry if it got boring, hope it provided some ideas for fellow craft beer drinkers. Love to see some comments about your favorites in any of the categories. Thanks for reading.