I dunno about too many categories. There is a difference in taste between an APA and an EPA.
Looking over that list, it seems to be about equal parts solid picks, beers I've never heard of, and utter bull****. For example:
Category 41: Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian-Style Wheat (35 Entries)
Gold Hoegaarden
InBev Belgium N.V./S.A.
Jupille-sur-Meuse, Belgium
Silver Ommegang Witte
Brewery Ommegang
Cooperstown, New York
Bronze Mill Street Belgian-Style Wit
Mill Street Brewery
Toronto, Canada
Never heard of the bronze winner. The silver winner is from a brewery I love, and this is a beer I like from them. And then wtf is Hoegaarden doing at #1? I mean, it's certainly not bad beer, but there's a long list of Belgian-style whites I like better.
Also, many beers on that list seem to be mis-categorized. Maybe they were entered into a category with softer competition? But, like La Fin Du Monde won the gold for Belgian Strong Pale Ales, but it says on the bottle that it's a tripel. Tastes similar to any other tripel I've had, too. Anderson Valley's Brother David Double took bronze in the Belgian Strong Dark Ale category, but it wasn't entered (or didn't place) in it's proper category: dubbels.
Beers I'm happy to see get some love:
The Wise ESB
Elysian Brewing Co.
Seattle, WA
Silver, ESBs (this is a great beer from a smallish brewery if you ever get to try it. I think they've recently started bottling it)
La Fin du Monde
La Brasserie Unibroue
Chambly, Quebec
Gold, Belgian Strong Pale Ales
Allagash Dubbel
Allagash Brewing Co.
Portland, Maine
Gold, Belgian Dubbels (although I was surprised it was #1. There are one or two others I prefer)
Brooklyn Lager
The Brooklyn Brewery
Bronze, American Amber Lager (although it bills itself as a European-style lager)
JW Dundee's Doppelbock
High Falls Brewing Co.
Bronze, Doppelbocks (from my city. Haven't tried it, actually)
Allagash Curieux
Allagash Brewing Co.
Portland, Maine
Bronze, Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer (I'll have to try the silver and gold winners if they're ranking them ahead of one of my 3 favorite beers on the planet)
The ones that beat the Curieux were:
Paradox Grain
BrewDog
Fraserburgh, United Kingdom (gold)
Silver Elmer's Reserve
Newport Beach Brewing Co.
Newport Beach, California (silver)
Allagash Tripel
Allagash Brewing Co.
Portland, Maine
Silver, Tripels (more love for a great brewery)
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, New York
Gold, British Imperial Stout (surprised it was this high, but I buy lots of this beer when its in season)
Aventinus
Schneider Weisse
Kelheim, Germany
Bronze, Weizenbocks (I'll have to try the Penn Weizen Bock (silver) and the Plank Heller Weizenbock (gold) since I
the Schneider)
Gonzo Imperial Porter
Flying Dog Brewery
Denver, Colorado
Gold, American Imperial Stout (This is a damn good beer, but it's no imperial stout. It's an imperial
porter. Just like the name says)