Fall is here whether you like it or not. Those lovely summer ales and lagers are being replaced by fall and winter beers. I’m going to cover the pumpkin beers next month, so look for some new arrivals there, but for now, I am going to focus on some other fall seasonal beers. These beers are simple. You will not have to travel to distant lands or wait in line or visit a certain store on a certain day at a certain time. The byproduct of all of the hype around certain breweries and beers in the area is that great beer is left sitting on the shelf for those in the know to just snap up without a wait. Here are five of those beers. Cheers!

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale (5% ABV)
A lot of breweries spend a lot of time and money getting their beers to taste like chocolate or coffee. You, in turn, end up spending a lot of money to buy these beers. Here is an old favorite of mine that is sitting on the shelf of many great stores – and even a few great bars – just waiting for you. The mouthfeel is a little thinner than you might expect, but then again, this is a brown ale, not a stout. The color is a little light, and the carbonation is a little on the lively side, but give this English import a chance; you won’t be disappointed. Be sure to take your time and let it warm as you enjoy it. The coffee, nut and chocolate notes really shine as it warms above 45 degrees.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ale Oro de Calabaza (8% ABV)
Jolly Pumpkin is the name of the brewery; I assure you, no pumpkins were harmed in the making of this biere de garde-style of beer. Lively carbonation, almost champagne-like, hits you right away, along with a strong lemon aroma. There is a peppery finish on the tongue, as well as a gentle reminder that this beer spent some time in an oak barrel. The alcohol is hidden well, and every sip brings something new. As it warmed, cardamom became more pronounced. If you are going to a BYOB or are having Asian takeout and you want to avoid hoppy beer, this is for you. Sharing a bottle with a wine drinker? This is an obvious choice. Looking for a classy bottle to bring somewhere as a gift? This is it.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Ale (9.6% ABV)
I have written before about various beers and how the alcohol is well hidden. Not this one. I’m surprised it’s only 9.6% ABV. This beer ages incredibly well. I have bottles from six different years in my cellar, and I have seen three different years for sale in stores recently. As this beer ages, the hop presence will fade and the malt characteristics will become more prominent. Those characteristics include stone fruit and dark caramel. This is a perfect beverage to enjoy after that first early snowfall or some leaf and brush work. There is something about a Bigfoot and a fireplace to make the end of summer a little bit more palatable and a nap inevitable.

Berkshire Brewing Oktoberfest (7.5% ABV)
Berkshire Brewing Company is one of the most underrated breweries in New England. I have written before about the Coffeehouse Porter. If you have not tried it yet, grab a bottle while you are out grabbing a bottle of Oktoberfest. The Oktoberfest is another excellent offering from this Deerfield, Mass., brewery. Beautiful copper color, earthy noble hop aroma, softly sweet toffee malt flavor – it all works together, as it should. It is ridiculously drinkable and, bar none, one of the best beers of this style available anywhere and an incredible value for the price.

Sam Adams Utopias (29% ABV)
This is my favorite beer experience. Writing this article for as long as I have, those are some pretty big words to put to paper. This is an expensive bottle of beer ($200 for roughly 20 ounces of beer). It’s not even carbonated. It’s not even fresh. It’s a blend that includes decades-old, flat, barrel-aged beer. Oh, but the final blend is something special. It’s port, cognac, bourbon, barrel and flavors I never even knew existed all together. I shared this bottle around the holidays with close family and friends. Ordinarily, they would never have experienced this. I have to recommend this if you are going to share it for something special, like the holidays or another special event. I certainly will not hesitate to share another bottle of Utopias again.

By Kerry Cyganiewicz