If autumn were a flavor, what would it be? I know this task is difficult, so let’s make it easier by thinking in beer terms. What beers taste the most like fall? Is it a pumpkin beer? Maybe an Oktoberfest beer? How about a smoked beer that emulates the aromas of a fall campfire? All of these are absolutely correct. That’s because fall is full of flavors, and the beer you drink reflects you and your personal tastes.
Fall is also definitely a dark beer. There’s no doubt about that. Cold nights, short days. It’s the perfect time for dark, malty, warming beers.
This is especially true as we get into the colder months of autumn. It’s also the perfect time to crack open stouts, porters, and all manner of dark, rich, warming, malty brews.
What beers do I look for in autumn?
I briefly mentioned that fall is the time to start cracking open your favorite dark beers. It’s a season for roasted barley, toasted malts, gently bitter hops, and even barrel-aged brews.
While summer calls for crisp, refreshing beers and piney, bitter, citrus-filled IPAs, autumn calls for beers that pair with caramel, fresh-baked bread, candied nuts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s also a time for beers with much less hop bitterness than those featured during the warmer months.
Also, since it’s the gateway to the holidays, we start to notice wintry spices, cinnamon, and, of course, the king of fall, the pumpkin.
Lastly, it’s a season where high alcohol content is king. While June through September is a great time for crushable, session beers, fall is all about warming, high-ABV brews. I’m talking 7% and beyond.
How I pick my dark fall beers
Clearly, my “dark beers” list should (and is) littered with dark beers. This list has no West Coast IPAs or pilsners. This season calls for dark lagers, Vienna lagers, porters, stouts, and even a Schwarzbier. It should also be balanced, flavorful, and leave me wanting one (or two) more.
The best dark beers to drink this fall
Now that you’ve learned a bit about the appeal of dark beers in the autumn months, what makes a great dark beer, and why I selected the beers on my list, it’s time to add some brews to your fridge from now through the holidays. Keep scrolling to see them in their malty, boozy, hoppy glory.
Ayinger Celebrator
There’s no better way to celebrate crisp fall weather than with an Ayinger Celebrator. This 6.7% ABV Doppelbock is made with the traditional ingredients of the German Purity Law. That means it’s made only with water, barley, hops, and yeast. It gains additional flavor from being aged for around 6 months before bottling. The result is a well-balanced, rich, bold fall beer that opens with notes of roasted malt, fresh-baked bread, dried fruit, coffee beans, and sticky toffee pudding. The palate is centered on notes of caramelized sugar, roasted barley, cocoa, raisins, and gentle spices. The finish is warm, dry, and ends with a mix of hop bitterness, caramel sweetness, and gentle baking spices that leave you craving more.
von Trapp Vienna Lager
If you didn’t know it already, the folks who own the von Trapp Brewing & Bierhall in Stowe, Vermont, are the same family featured in ‘The Sound of Music’. They’re great singers, and their beer is pretty good too. Especially von Trapp Vienna Lager. This 5.2% ABV Austrian-style amber lager is brewed with Munich, Pilsner, and Vienna malts and made using the traditional decoction boiling process. The result is a memorable autumn beer that opens with aromas of fresh-baked bread, roasted barley, and caramelized sugar. Sipping it reveals hints of candied nuts, toffee, honey, biscuit malts, and gently floral Noble hops. The finish is mellow, ending with notes of caramel sweetness and light hop bitterness.
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
In November of 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a cargo freighter, sank during a storm on Lake Superior. To pay tribute to this tragedy, Gordon Lightfoot released an iconic song, and the folks at Great Lakes made this popular 6% ABV porter. Perfect for a fall evening, it’s brewed with 2-Row Base, Crystal, Medium Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, and Apollo, Willamette, and Cascade hops. This creates a rich, complex beer that opens with notes of roasted barley, chocolate fudge, sticky toffee pudding, and gentle floral hops. The palate is loaded with flavors like toasted vanilla beans, roasted malts, raisins, candied nuts, dark chocolate, and light hop bitterness. The finish balances caramel and chocolate sweetness with floral hop bitterness.
Jack’s Abby Copper Legend
This beer earned its name, Copper Legend. It’s a legendary beer that perfectly ushers in cooler fall weather with its malty, balanced flavor profile. This 5.7% Oktoberfest-style beer is brewed with imported Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts; locally grown wheat; and Seitz hops. Made using the traditional decoction brewing method, it begins with scents of toasted barley, fresh-baked bread, honey, and caramelized sugar. The palate delivers notes of sticky toffee pudding, bready malts, honey, dried fruit, and floral Noble hops. The finish is balanced and memorable, ending with a mix of caramel sweetness and gently bitter, floral hops.
Bottom line
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that actually has seasons, fall is a great time of year for beer. The season brings shorter days, cooler weather, and red, gold, and orange leaves gently cascading to the ground. It’s also the perfect time for rich, dark beers. By now, you should see the appeal of these malty, sweet, balanced brews on an autumn day or night. To get the most out of the season, grab one of the beers above and add it to your seasonal fridge (and even your holiday table). If not, I implore you to purchase an Oktoberfest beer, Vienna lager, porter, stout, or other dark beer of your choosing. Take a break from your usual IPA. You’ll be surprised at how well these beers pair with fall weather and events.
