The best thing about beer in general is the fact that there are styles and flavors to fit any palate. Drink what you like. If you enjoy piney, bitter IPAs, you’ll drink them all year long. The same goes for crisp pilsners.
How about bold, malt-driven brews? Well, if that’s your thing, there are countless beers available well-suited for you. And while you can drink them any time of the year, they just hit differently in the fall.
That’s because, regardless of where you live, you likely need something richer, robust, and more warming, with a slightly higher alcohol content on a chilly, potentially rainy, windy fall day. That’s where barley wines, scotch ales, dark lagers, amber ales, brown ales, and porters come in.
To find these malt-centric gems, we decided to go to the professionals for help. We asked a few well-known brewers and craft beer experts to tell us their absolute favorite beers for malt fans. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Devils Backbone’s Schwartz Bier
Nick Nock, head brewer at SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Devils Backbone’s Schwartz Bier is a can’t miss malty, early fall beer. The beer was made for shorts and hoodie weather. Little roast, some bottom-of-your toaster notes, but Euro-hopped to balance it out and keep it crisp. You’ll want to stock up on this beer for the next few weeks.
Founders Dirty Bastard
Dan Schmelzer, head brewer at the Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Seattle Taproom & Beer Sanctuary in Seattle
ABV: 8.5%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Founders’ Dirty Bastard is my pick. Being a native Midwesterner, Founders’ Dirty Bastard scotch ale is the first that comes to mind when I think of malty, rich beers. Full-bodied and boozy, scotch ales are brewed with a smattering of specialty malts that provide flavors ranging from toasted bread to candied fruits while producing a wonderfully captivating deep ruby color. This brew is no exception. Just a hint of peat smoke wafts through the mix, while a hefty hop dose brings the IBUs to 50 to balance out the malt sweetness and keeps you coming back for more.
Forager Wolf and Otter
Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado
ABV: 11%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Forager’s Wolf and Otter. It has a big rich, big mouth feel without being overly sweet or cloying. Forager’s beer is an English barley wine that spent a significant amount of time in different types of barrels. What could be better on a cool fall day?
New Belgium Fat Tire
Ty Nash, head brewmaster at Little Dry Creek Brewery in Greenwood Village, Colorado
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
If I’m drinking a malty beer, I’ll usually go for a Fat Tire. The flavor is classic, with notes of toast and a slight floral hop in the nose. There’s a reason this amber ale is one of the most popular on the market. It’s well-balanced, loaded with flavor, and well-suited for autumnal drinking.
Sam Adams Utopias
Judy Neff, owner and brewer at Checkerspot Brewing Company in Baltimore
ABV: 28-30%
Average Price: $250
Why This Beer?
Sam Adams Utopias. Clocking in at almost 30% ABV, this beer is so rich and the most full-flavored beer around — it drinks more like a fine port or cognac. If you can get your hands on a bottle, make a point to savor this malt-driven, flavorful beer as long as you can.
Suarez Estimation
Kyle Warren, lead brewer at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Suarez Estimation. The beers from Suarez Family Brewery are not unlike the family themselves — humble, honest, and welcoming. They produce many fine beers, but one near the top of my list is their Altbier, Estimation. Inspired by a particular brewery in Dusseldorf, Estimation encompasses what can be achieved when malt complexity meets top-tier drinkability. Fruity, crackery, yet floral and slightly bitter, every sip unfolds a new layer and leaves you wanting more.
Drekker Sticky Digits
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $7.99 for a 16-ounce can
Why This Beer?
2021 was the first year I got my hands on Sticky Digits from Drekker and I’ve been waiting for them to release it again. As of writing this, they have. Sticky Digits is a s’mores porter that’s not just blowing smoke – it’s sweetened with chocolate malt, cacao nibs, graham crackers, brown sugar, toasted marshmallows, lactose, and vanilla beans. Here’s the thing about this beer: it’s thin and drinkable. This is not your buddy’s heavy, pastry-filled stout that you can only take a few sips of before getting full. I’ll have another! Sticky fingers and all.
New Holland Dragon’s Milk
Max Shafer, brew master at Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
ABV: 11%
Average Price: $16.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk Stout harmoniously melds all the flavors I want in a malty, rich beer. The bourbon barrel aging enhances the coffee and chocolate notes hugging your taste buds, leaving you warmed and soothed. It isn’t every day that you can find a beer as bold and rich as this.
Austin Beerworks Black Thunder
Eric Warner, brew master at Karbach Brewing in Houston
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Austin Beerworks brews a beer seasonally called Black Thunder. It’s a beautifully made Schwarzbier. Toasty and roasty, but super clean which makes it a great Southern drinker. Filled with flavors like nutty sweetness, roasted coffee beans, caramel malts, and lightly grassy hops, this is a great malty fall beer.
Bierstadt Snüpinator Doppelbock
Nico Cervantes, brewer at Resolute Brewing in Centennial, Colorado
ABV: 8.6%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Snüpinator Doppelbock from Bierstadt. It’s a big-bodied flavor bomb reminiscent of almost-burnt caramel, honey, and toffee. Deceptively drinkable for how much alcohol is present, but always a treat to enjoy for the brief time of the year that it’s on tap.