Most of us can attune the current season with an excuse to drink beer. The days of sitting poolside drinking beers are behind us, but the good news is that we’re moving into bonfire and tailgating territory. With that comes a big change in beer styles that many people are less accustomed to, but can also be the open door into the possibilities of craft beer. With pales ales taking the backseat during the colder months, the brews are going to begin to show more color from more malt roasting and eventually end up with a wide variety of porters and stouts in the winter. For this month, we’ll start with a few different styles you might come across.
I couldn’t do Fall beers without bringing up pumpkin ales. They actually were made by early colonists who used pumpkin and squash as the fermenting medium because other ingredients were scarce. Many breweries these days have brought it back for a seasonal specialty. The Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is a fantastic example of the American brewery’s take on Fall. This one is often described as “pumpkin pie in a glass” and they’re not wrong. It doesn’t have an intense flavor of pumpkin, which is what I believe most skeptics would focus on when considering a beer that tastes like a giant vegetable. What you should focus on is the impressive blending of cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit of vanilla that balance out this beer very well.
The second beer is a variation of a pumpkin ale by The Bruery. Autumn Maple is a strong brew with over 15 pounds of yams per barrel. Similar to the Schlafly before, this one has flavors of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, as well as molasses and maple syrup. The syrup gives it a little extra sweetness and the molasses smooths it out a bit. It drops in at around 10% ABV and I’ve only seen it in large bottles, so it’s a big boy. You’ll need to make sure you have enough firewood set aside while you take your time enjoying one of these by the pit, unless you’re sharing (which I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t want to).
Changing the pace a little, I know not everyone wants to give up their hops even after the summer is gone, but the good news is that since the hops are ready for harvest, some of the freshest hoppy beers available begin to show up in the early fall. One such beer that I enjoy is the Fresh Hop Mirror Pond from Deschutes Brewing. A variation of the original Mirror Pond Pale Ale, this Fresh Hop has a strong Cascade hop flavor, which is a very popular hop used in many successful pale ales. The beer ends a little piney, so it has a different personality than its original. For the hop heads out there, I always recommend snagging a fresh hop beer you run into if you’re out and about and haven’t had your fix of hoppiness lately.
Digging a little deeper and drinking a little darker, the Southern Tier Warlock is an impressive Imperial stout brewed with pumpkin. Meant to be enjoyed as the yang to their Pumpking yin, the Warlock isn’t a pumpkin beer, but it does have a nice touch of the Fall spices that give this brew a sweeter taste. It also has a lighter mouthfeel than many Imperial stouts, so it’s not going to weigh you down as you enjoy it. This one makes a good dessert beer because of the medium sweetness, but it isn’t going to leave you feeling stuffed after having also recently eaten. I will be honest with you, though, that Southern Tier no longer distributes in Kentucky, but just a short trip down to the Tennessee border will get you fixed right up.
Finally, I’m going to mention a special beer by New Holland Brewing called Dragon’s Milk: With S’mores. It has moved up high on my list because of the… everything about it. S’mores pours a deep brown, like the square of chocolate you can smell when it fills the glass. The smooth creaminess of a marshmallow when you take the first sip. The crisp bite of a graham cracker after you swallow makes you consider the complexity of the aftertaste. Dragon’s Milk: With S’mores has a great balance of sweetness with the depth and maltiness of an Imperial stout, and all three aspects of an actual S’more are showcased in this beer. Get some, get your friends, go outside somewhere to hang out and don’t share it with anyone.
-by Josh Helton
