Fall is a magical time of year and we all know that it is the season for pumpkin-spiced everything. From pumpkin pie to the widely coveted pumpkin spiced lattes, no one can deny the distinctive taste of autumn. 

The world of craft beer is no different in sharing in the seasonal Fall flavor craze. Here are five fantastic beers to kick off the fall season.

Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider: if you are looking for a cider that reminds you of that pumpkin scented candle you just love to melt on your stove top on a chilly Autumn night, look no further. This specialty cider is marked at 6.9 percent ABV, a high alcohol content for the Woodchuck. This medium bodied amber cider uses real pumpkin and apple with a hint of squash. It offers an authentic and earthy pumpkin flavor. It is creamy with added crisp apple and vanilla flavors that gives the true taste of fall.

Dogfish Town’s Punkin Ale: this full-bodied brown ale is essentially pumpkin pie in the form of a delicious beer with a lot of spice and hops. At 7 percent ABV, the Punkin Ale offers a layered taste of spices, brown sugar, hops, cinnamon, nutmeg and hints of pumpkin. It is also named after the Delaware pumpkin hurling match, “Punkin Chunkin.”

Lexington’s West Sixth DankeChain Oktoberfest: this is a traditional German-styled beer with a heavy malt flavor of moderate strength at 5.5 percent ABV. This local seasonal brew hits the palate with hints of wheat and honey with a grassy, caramel finish. The West Sixth DankeChain Oktoberfest is certainly a local favorite here in Lexington and undeniably a delicious Fall flavor. It is especially worth a try if you are a local beer connoisseur.

Related: Bottoms up at The Burl

Boulevard Brewing’s Funky Pumpkin: this is a spices sour ale at 5.8 ABV. This pumpkin ale gives drinkers just a hint of pumpkin spices while kicking it up a notch with other Fall spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger, with the sourness adding a bit of tartness to all of the spice. The sour ale uses a toasty malt that goes great with favorite fall foods like roasted turkey and pumpkin pie — a great ale to bring to Thanksgiving dinner with the family.

The Bruery’s Autumn Maple: standing at 10 percent ABV. Rather than the traditional pumpkin flavored Fall ales, Autumn Maple is brewed with a whopping 15 pounds of yams per barrel. Autumn Maple is a bold and spicy Belgian brown ale made with traditional Belgian yeast with heavy flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, molasses and allspice. It is the perfect ale for sipping while sitting fireside on a chilly autumn night.

Whatever Fall flavor you may crave, just remember that while you are standing in the 30-minute line for that four o’clock pumpkin spiced latte, you could be sipping on one of these delectable craft Fall brews at a local taproom that will warm you up just as much as that fresh coffee.

Christie Netherton is the beer columnist of the Kentucky Kernel. 

Email [email protected].