Here's a Cheers to Autumn Beers!

Temperatures are(slowly) dropping. The days are growing shorter. And in case you haven’t noticed, a flood of autumnal colors has begun filling the shelves of your favorite beer shop. Fall beers are here, so it’s time to prepare your palate for brews that have a little extra extra malt, sugar, and spice. Typical seasonals like malty Oktoberfests and spicy Pumpkin Ales are easy to find at Noble Grape. Their orange and rust-colored packaging is synonymous with falling leaves and gourd-filled cornucopias. Although IPA’s can be found year round, they’re so much fun to drink in the Fall with those exotic mulled spices! Come September and October, these beers get all the attention, so we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of these seasonal beers for you this week.

Often released as a fall seasonal, Pumpkin Ales are quite varied. Some brewers opt to add hand-cut pumpkins and drop them in the mash, while others use puree or pumpkin flavoring. These beers also tend to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, like: ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Pumpkin Ales are typically mild, with little to no bitterness, a malty backbone, with some spice often taking the lead. Many will contain a starchy, slightly thick-ish, mouthfeel too. In our opinion, best versions use real pumpkin, while roasting the pumpkin can also add tremendous depth of character for even better results, though both methods are time-consuming and tend to drive brewmasters insane. We are offering the Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale and the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale just to name a few.

In March 1872, over 60 years after the first Oktoberfest, Spaten brewer Josef Sedlmayr attempted to brew a beer similar to the then popular Vienna style lager. His creation, called Maerzen by some for the month it is brewed and Oktoberfest by others for the festival when it is tapped, was a hit. The overall impression left by a good Oktoberfest/Maerzen should be malt but not in the nutty, bready way of a British Brown; after all this is still a German lager. The Vienna or Munich malts lay down a broad but light malt character. With only enough hops to balance, the malty character is dominant in the aroma and flavor without being overwhelming. The body should be light brown with a white head.. A hop lovers dream. Our latest and
greatest Oktoberfest beers new to Noble Grape is Three Floyds Munsterfest and Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest.

If you haven't tried the seasonal beers or if you're a seasoned pro, stop in, tis the season!