its phillip, it looks like most of the pics of all these beers are from you. Ok, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE USE A BEER GLASS!
Some beers, the difference won't be quite as dramatic, but for many beers, it might as well be a completely different beer between being in a proper glass and not. It's like, um, eating a great meal but with a clothespin on your nose, or watching a movie in a high end calibrated setup but with dark sunglasses on.
Not only will you get the bouquet for the smell/taste, you can to appreciate the differences in the head the different bears will have, the carbonation, etc.
Then you can also appreciate the variations in color.
If I could only have one glass, I would pick a Duvel glass. There are a number of artsy versions too now, but a nice thing about the original one is that you can see the color better.
Sam Adams glass is pretty cool and cheap, but it overflows quickly with many beers.
One of the most versatile glasses I've had is the Hennepin glass, but unfortunately it's a bit delicate. I think it's the only beer glass that I've broken, and I think I've broken three of them.
A one trick pony glass that I'm still glad to have is my Carlsberg glass. Carlsberg out of it is criminally smooth. Only other competition that comes to mind was a Boddington straight from the draft.
Anyway, rant over. Best American beer I've discovered in many years is Rogue Hazelnut. I didn't even think I liked hazelnut, and I know I don't like this flavor in coffee. Great in a Duvel glass, but let the beer warm up a bit if your fridge is like 36F or whatever.
Best beer I've discovered anywhere in recent memory was Val-Dieu Triple, it is
PHENOMENAL, you can find it in Canada, but my search for it in the US is fruitless.
You obviously haven't had an Old Fashioned with a muddled Luxardo Gourmet Cherry, or any of the great cocktails that use Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.
(IMO, the 2nd most important modifying liqueur there is after Cointreau.)