New England’s fall beer

The time has come to look for pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oatmeal- flavored brews popping up in our favorite pubs and on our shelves. With rich flavors, these beers are meant to transition you into winter. Here’s a list of beers that New England brewers have said are their best offering when the leaves start to change, with Oktoberfests, pumpkin ales, flavorful stouts, and a few that we can’t quite put our finger on.

Hex Ourtoberfest

Made by:
Magic Hat Brewing Co.

Location: South Burlington, Vt.
Alcohol by volume: 5.4 percent

“At Magic Hat, we like to do our own thing by putting our own twist on traditional styles,” head brewer Justin McCarthy said. Magic Hat took a couple German Oktoberfest-style beers and combined them into a beer they could call their own. Catch Hex on shelves through Oct. 15.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Double ESB

Made by:
Shipyard Brewing Co.

Location: Portland, Maine
Alcohol by volume: 13.2 percent

Bourbon Barrel isn’t just a catchy name. The beer starts out at 11.2 percent alcohol by volume when it goes into barrels, and after six months, it settles at 13.2 percent, said vice president of sales, Bruce Forsley. The barrels, which previously contained bourbon, are hit with a torch until properly “toasted.’’ The beer is then added and blends into a combination that adds smokiness of the barrels and the flavor of the bourbon.

Dubbel Dimples

Brewer:
Idle Hands Craft Ales

Location: Everett
Alcohol by volume: 7.5 percent

Idle Hands brewed its first beer last August. The operation is run by Chris Tkach and his wife, Grace. This season, Tkach developed the Dubbel Dimples. The ale features rich, complex flavors of dried cherries, apricots, and raisins, which go well together when the temperature starts to drop.

Imperial Pumpkin

Made by:
Long Trail Brewing Co.

Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vt.
Alcohol by volume: 8 percent

Long Trail’s Imperial Pumpkin has a “much more intense flavor experience” than the its regular pumpkin beer, said brewer Dave Hartmann. The beer features two to three times the amount of pumpkin. It was also brewed in a smaller batch.

Narraganset Fest

Made by: Narraganset Brewing Co.
Location: Providence, R.I.
Alcohol by volume: 5.5 percent

The German style Marzen lager has some hardware. Besides being available in a can, it won the silver medal at the World Beer Championships in 2010 and 2011. “It’s has a roasted malt characteristic with a balanced hop profile,’’ said Mark Hellendrung, the owner and president of the brewery.

Pumpkin Ale

Made by:
Long Trail Brewing Co.

Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vt.
Alcohol by volume: 5.5 percent

Introduced this year, the Pumpkin Ale from Long Trail is considered a traditional New England beer, according to brewer Dave Hartmann. “The actual pumpkin doesn’t have that much flavor,” Hartmann said. “But it adds a little bit of body to the beer.” It is spiced with the traditional nutmeg, ginger, and clove.

The Great Pumpkin Ale

Made by:
Cambridge Brewing Co.

Location: Cambridge
Alcohol by volume: 4.4 percent

CBC founder Phil Bannatyne first brewed the Great Pumpkin Ale in autumn of 1990. It was so good, said brewmaster Will Meyers, that they still use the original recipe each year. “It’s a nice, light, drinkable beer,’’ he said. CBC adds in only a little cinnamon and allspice into the recipe to keep the spices subtle, Meyers said.

Thanksgiving Ale

Made by:
Mayflower Brewing Co.

Location: Plymouth
Alcohol by volume: 6.7 percent

Mayflower evoked its namesake with this ber and aged it in oak barrels. Drew Brosseau, founder and president of Mayflower said that they only make a small batch — the equivalent of 1,000 cases — available in kegs, 22-ounce bottles, and on draft starting at the end of October. He said it typically sells out in a week.

Harvest

Made by:
Long Trail Brewing Co.

Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vt.
Alcohol by volume: 3.6 percent

Long Trail brews this fall seasonal every year since 1994. It is on the mild side in terms of alcohol percentage and features local ingredients from Vermont.

Marzen Lager Oktoberfest

Made by:
Newport Storm Brewery

Location: Newport, R.I.
Alcohol by volume: 5 percent

Three different types of malts were used to brew this lager. “The maltier beer is geared towards the cooler weather,’’ said Taylor Butzbach, public relations manager at the brewery. “We ferment it at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.’’ She said the beer is very smooth has a soft warming flavor, making it perfect for chillier weather.

Leviathan Baltic Porter

Made by:
Harpoon Brewery

Location: Boston
Alcohol by volume: 9.5 percent

“It has high alcohol content, there is a lot of fruit, and a very full flavor,’’ said Sean Cornelius, Harpoon’s head brewer. He said this hearty beer is made with de-husked roasted malts, which gives it a full roasted flavor as the absence of the husk concentrates the roastedness of the malt. The porter also has notes of raisin and molasses, and the addition of East Kent Goldings hops create an earthy finish. They also offer the Harpoon Octoberfest, Pumpkin Cider, and UFO Pumpkin in the fall.

Samuel Adams Fat Jack

Made by:
Boston Beer Co.

Location: Boston
Alcohol by volume: 8.5 percent

“This is sort of an imperial pumpkin or double pumpkin style… It’s really complex with a lot of flavors,’’ said brewery manager Jennifer Glanville. She said they use 28 pounds of pumpkin per barrel, whereas the original Harvest Pumpkin has 17. “Sometimes if you get to 8.5 percent alcohol, beers can get a little harsh, but it finishes surprisingly, maybe dangerously smooth.’’

Fisherman’s Imperial Pumpkin Stout

Made by:
Cape Ann Brewing Co.

Location: Gloucester
Alcohol by volume: 9 percent

“The Imperial Pumpkin Stout is the regular stout on steroids,” said head brewer Jeremy Goldberg. It has more alcohol, more flavor that you would expect, more chocolate notes, and spices. Goldberg said every ingredient was doubled. It will be available through the end of Thanksgiving in all liquor stores.

Otter Creek Oktoberfest

Made By:
Otter Creek Brewing

Location: Middlebury, Vt.
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8 percent

Described as a “true lager yeast,’’ brewmaster Mike Gerhart said Otter Creek’s Oktoberfest has gone through some big changes this year, now using imported Vienna milner and pilsner malt to create a caramel-malty flavor. “It’s a very deep, rich, malty, but crisp amber lager and that’s what make a true Octoberfest shine,’’ he said.

Hooker Octoberfest

Made by:
Thomas Hooker Brewing Co.

Location: Bloomfield, Conn.
Alcohol by volume: 5.8 percent

This is a traditional German Oktoberfest. The beer won first place in a 2008 New York Times tasting of Oktoberfests, and Matt Lauer of the Today Show sampled it on camera and liked it, brewery president Curt Cameron said.

Pumpkin Ale

Made by:
Wolaver’s Organic Brewing

Location: Middlebury, Vt.
Alcohol by Volume: 5.8 percent
Wolaver’s Organic Brewing uses Vermont-grown organic products to make their beer. The Pumpkin Ale contains organic hops and about 1,000 pounds of pumpkin, harvested right up the street from the brewery. “We’re literally adding everything in your grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe,’’ said brewmaster Mike Gerhart.