Most Definitive Beers of their Type?

The "Beer Styles" page is a good place to start. Beers are sorted by # of reviews which will give you a good idea of the definitive examples for each style. You can also sort them by top rated.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/

Another good resource is the Beers of Fame list. Each beer on there gets good ratings has been in existence for at least 10 yrs.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/fame/

 

The beer style page that @Jacobob10 suggested will help. I'll call it out few specifically that I think you may want to try if you haven't already. They are all solid representations of their style in my opinion. Since you're in Michigan, I will focus on beers that you should be able to find fairly easily.

Porter - Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, Bells Porter
Stout - Bells Kalamazoo
Imperial Stout - Bells Expedition, Dark Horse Plead the 5th
Stout with Adjuncts - Founders Breakfast Stout
American Barleywine - Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
American IPA - Bells Two Hearted, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Dark Horse Crooked Tree
Double IPA - Bells Hopslam
Hefeweizen - Weihenstephan
Pilsner - Pilsner Urquell
Oktoberfest - Great Lakes Oktoberfest
Gueuze - Lindemanns Cuvee Rene
Dubbel - Chimay Red, Rochefort 6
Tripel - Westmalle Tripel
Belgian Strong Pale Ale - Duvel

 

A good place to start with saisons is of course Saison DuPont.

 

Except for Fuller's ESB and Kolsch there really aren't many definitive beers simply because styles themselves evolve.They began simply as names , often applied loosely and interchangeably . There have been hundreds of IPAs for example with the names being the only thing in common.
This may seem unhelpful but is a fair assessment of the situation. Organisations such as the BJCP (which is specifically for homebrewing competition classes) do attempt to tie styles down but have to regularly update things.

 

Beers that exemply the style for me ill just add a few of the styles i really like....

IPA, this depends. Thete seems to be an east coast, NE, west coast sub versions but since i live in NJ ill say 60 minute ipa by Dogfish head

Wit, allagash white

Pilsner, Pilsner Urquell

Vienna\Amber, Boston Lager

Kolsch, Schlafly Kolsch.

 

Tripel - La Fin Du Monde
Pilsner - Konig Pilsner
Hefeweissen - Weihenstephaner
Eisbock - Aventinus Eisbock
Russian Imperial stout - Ten Fidy
English Pale Ale - Fullers London Pride
Dubbel - Westmalle Dubbel
Witbier - Hoegaarden

 

This approaches the question from a different angle, but in the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) you can view a list of beers by category that are the standard by which homebrewed beers are judged. You can download the style guidelines:
http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

At the bottom of each category you will see "Commercial Examples" which give you a baseline. Like you mentioned in your original post this will not always be a favorite...

 

It's not that I don't wish to submit a list of beers pertaining to certain styles to you for reference, because I kinda do, and could... but... everyone is going to have a different list of beers based off of variables like personal preference, location of residence, distro availability, etc. Some people will suggest drinking local, others will raise their nose and only drink whales, and everything in between... so I'd agree with those who suggested reading the Beer Styles page here on Beer Advocate or finding another helpful resource to inform you on what you're seeking. Find a couple styles you like and go from there (shouldn't be hard seeing that your in Michigan). Enjoy the adventure and hunt, and as always, CHEERS!

 

That probably the best way to go about it. The categories here on BA aren't separated by flavorings or treatment like that BJCP does, so going by the 'top' examples won't always get you to what you're looking for.

 

Using the lists in the database here can be a tricky way to navigate since they are organized by most reviewed and highest rated. A beer that can be a perfectly good representation of a style might get average reviews while an extreme beer can get much more praise. A beer with coffee in it can have high scores and strong sales, but the only thing it can be a definitive representation of is a beer with coffee in it.

As @marquis points out, there's really no such thing anyway, but that doesn't mean that you can't get a lot out of the exercise of trying.

Threads like this one below might be a more useful tool to navigate the waters:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/favorite-classic-of-the-style.323499/

Another approach is to ignore the idea of looking for the standards and just work your way through the beers of a widely available brewery that successfully handles a diverse lineup. You'll get different levels of success this way. Breweries like Sierra Nevada, Victory, and maybe Brooklyn would be decent choices.

Lastly, you said you were already enjoying yourself tremendously. Well, if it ain't broke... Foundations will sneak up on you in time.

 

Your in Michigan. Drink your way through the offerings of Founders, Bells and Dark Horse. That will give you a dann good foundation.

 

And, perhaps, unrealistic expectations.

 

What happened to American Pale Ale and SNPA?

 

in all honesty the BJCP style guidelines is a great resource and has excellent examples listed for each style.
It can be found here ---> http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php (this is from the 2008 guidelines and can be viewed online and is easier to navigate)
the 2015 version is only available in PDF or word packets I believe but can be found on the top of the page here and available for download ----> http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

 

Good suggestion, Missed that one. I just came up with some styles and good example off the top of my head. I didn't mean for it to be an exhaustive list.

 

In a helpful manner, I'll anwer your question with some questions:

What is it that you are TRULY attempting to accomplish?

What is it that you are TRULY searching for?

Are you attempting to make certain that you only get the very best craft brews?

Are you attempting to minimize your exposure to what may be deemed as "bad brew?"

Kevin Zraly, (the World renowned wine sommelier at World renowned Windows on The World restaurant that sat upon the top of the World Trade Center) in his books and classes teaching about wine, early on teaches a few key points that you may apply to your craft brew journey (I'm making broad statements here and, not quoting; and you may put these in any order you wish): Don't base any of your purchase decisions (your budget excepting) on cost; don't put 100% stock in reviews that you read about any particular brew (one BA's "drain pour" may be your bottle of 24karat Gold); of most importance in all this, get what YOU like; and except the fact that in your journey, you WILL come across some brew that you do not like. Even if you are not into wine, I highly recommend you read any of Kevin Zraly's books.

All that being said, while the "STYLE" list and the "BEERS of FAME" list on BA, and the BJCP "STYLE" list may get you in the ballpark, much is going to be based upon your personal taste. Naturally, I can't catagorize a St. Bernardus ABT 12 as a American Double/Imperial IPA, nor is a Stone Thunderstruck a Belgian Quadrupel, nor is a Duvel a stout.

Study how the various styles are created. If you have a local shop where you are able to obtain the raw ingredients to make home brew, go there and get some of those ingredients. Learn their unique qualities. You'll be amazed at what you discover!!! Keep a handwritten dossier of the brews that you consume. You'll find it to be an immense help in your craft brew journey!!!

HAPPY CRAFT BREW TRAILS to you GOOD SIR!!!

CHEERS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

That's COOL!!!

When I was once really, REALLY, big into cigars, wine, cognac, and the like, I became a student of those (particularly cigars and wine).

Become a student of this craft brew world.

It is kinda cool when you reach a point you are able to assist a fellow consumer in a shop with what they may be seeking. It will require asking them questions about what other things they like as far as food, drink, etc., then guide them toward a selection that person may enjoy. When you get to that point, most people are very appreciative of the guidance you may provide.

DIVE IN HEAD FIRST my friend!!! It's a MEGA craft brew world out there!!! SOAK IT ALLLLLL IN!!!

CHEERS!!!

 

I don't know if I understand fully your question. Are you trying to figure out what each particular style should taste like in order to give you an understanding of what styles you like? If this is the case Sierra Nevada may be a place to start. Every style they do exemplifies what that style should taste like. Plus in terms of craft they are relatively cheap. If this isn't what you were asking please ignore and move down to next reply. Cheers!!