Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale

[burke53]

My favorite beer is out early this year! Any recommendations for other must try fall beers?

[MaineFoodFan]

Gritty's Halloween Ale, while not pumpkin flavored, is a real hearty brew without weighing your tastebuds down, and a great alcholic kick that sneaks up on you. Geary's Autumn in another great choice, although from Geary's my favorite is their Hampshire Special Ale.

[grittys457]

Geary's Autumn Ale is the cleanest, best tasting beer of the Maine fall beers. Always has a great label that is matched by the insides.

Also if you are a beer fan and in the Portland area, Novare Res is having Rogue palooza this weekend. Something like 30 Rogue beers on tap. Finally the other Portland in Oregon is giving something back to us.

[MaineFoodFan]

I've been to Novare Res several times and enjoyed it immensely. Anytime I need a little "beer education" I head there.

[TimW]

for pumpkin beer, my favorites are
-Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
-Dogfish Head Punkin
-Southern Tier Pumking

favorite Oktoberfest beer
-Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen
-Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen
-Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen
-Weihenstephaner Festbier

[erin_grogan]

Ahh, Tim, totally agree on the Pumking. I love it. For awhile, Post Road Pumpkin Ale (marketed if not brewed by Brooklyn, I can't remember) was pretty good, but it seemed like last year it wasn't as tasty as I remembered. Could also just have been an issue with my beer store though, their handling of bottles was spotty.

[Kunegunde]

I agree on the Post Road Pumpkin. I discovered it three years ago and it was perfect, spiced just right. Two years ago I taste-tested it against the Dogfish and Smuttynose and it was still my favorite by far. Last year I awaited it eagerly and it was awful--I gave away the rest of the the six-pack.

Luckily my local packy will let you get individual beers to fill out a six-pack. Now that I know this can be so extremely variable, this fall I will try a single bottle apiece before I commit.

Also in reference to gritty's Geary mention below, last year finally did a (by appointment only) brewery tour and it was different than the usual more orchestrated tour. Extremely casual, and the only time I have been able to peer down from the catwalk into an uncovered vat with the beer fermenting below.

[solargarlic]

I prefer the Smuttynose Pumpkin...less spice, more hops. I've heard the new Sierra Tumbler is very good, but not local.