10 Amazing autumn beers

This Marzen-style brew made in Fort Worth, Texas, is dark amber in color with a hint of malty sweetness in the finish. Toasty and smooth, this has a medium body and is a great choice for those who find traditional Oktoberfest beers to be a little overpowering.

If your favorite part of Thanksgiving is sweet potatoes and pumpin pie, the Autumn Maple from The Bruery is exactly what you've been craving. Made in California with Belgian yeast, nutmeg, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla, allspice, maple syrup and yams (yes, yams), its bold and spicy flavor is reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

With dark malts, this earthy and toasty dunkelweizen has a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied and warm-finishing, there's even a bit of black pepper in the mix. As an added bonus, drinking from New Belgium, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, means drinking green! They derive 100 percent of their electricity from wind power.

Try Dunkel Weiss with beer-braised brisket and root vegetables >>

If you're a fan of lighter beers, try the Cuvee des Trolls. With natural sugar and dried orange peel, this pale ale is the perfect blend of sweetness and bitterness. A Belgian beer that's name means "vat of the trolls," it's brewed with blond malts, giving it extra carbonation and a creamy finish.

Though Blue Moon is now owned by MillerCoors, they haven't given up their microbrew roots. This pumpkin ale has the flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. All at a price that won't break the bank.

Where are our hop fans? This beer's for you! The fact that it comes in a can might turn some drinkers off, but don't let its appearance fool you. Inside that orange and gold can hides a refreshing Brooklyn-brewed beer made with fresh (wet) hops, pumpkin, ginger and white pepper. With an aroma that brings to mind fall vegetation, it's a great spin on hops, with a citrusy, herby flavor that's not extra bitter like many hoppy beers.

It's not surprising New Belgium made the list twice (spoiler alert: three times!). What is surprising is how they did it. This special edition beer is the result of a collaboration with Seattle's Elysian Brewing Company. This beer isn't for everyone, though. With a little cranberry added to the pumpkin, it's got a, well, kick!

This California company has brewed a dark, roasty beer with a subtle (and not too sweet) chocolate flavor that finishes with just a hint of fresh-brewed coffee taste. This is the perfect beer to cut through the dreariness of a cold or rainy fall day.

Substitute Velvet Martin for the beer in these festive Guinness recipes >>

Pecan may be the official tree of the Lone Star State, but it seems their neighbors to the east in Louisiana one-upped them with this pecan-flavored ale. If a nut-flavored beer isn't your thing, don't worry. It's just hoppy enough to taste more like a beer than a pecan pie.

New Belgium knocked it out of the park this fall with this, the third of their autumn beers to make our list. A red ale, this beautifully colored brew is quite refreshing with a floral hint of pine and citrus balanced with the roasty flavors of nuts, coffees and caramel. Hoppy though it may be, it's not unusual to find fans of maltier beers enjoying this as much as anyone else.