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Last weekend saw the Nashville Brew Fest come and go, and I was lucky enough to attend this year. It was a hell of an event. 50 breweries and beer-related brands (hard seltzer, hard cider, beer yoga, etc.) threw up tents on the grounds of Nashville’s minor league baseball First Horizon Park as the crowds streamed in.

I ended up tasting about 40 of the beers on offer before I had to tap out (not sorry). And yeah, there were some good beers and a lot of “meh” beers. It all can’t be good, folks.

To that end, I’m calling out the 10 beers amongst those 40 or so at this year’s Nashville Brew Fest that really did stand out. My litmus for judging these beers was pretty easy: Is it well made? Does it deliver on what’s promised? Most importantly, does it actually taste good? I’m also coming off 14 years of living in Germany and two years of living in the Czech Republic, so I fully admit I was very spoiled by great beer for a good portion of my adult life.

Okay, let’s dive in and see if we can find you a beer to sip on as the leaves start to fall. I’ve included prices and where to find these brews on each entry, so click on those links!

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• Craft Beer Experts Reveal Their Favorite Lagers On Earth
• Every Oktoberfest Beer We Could Find, Blind Tasted And Ranked

10. Bell’s Octoberfest Beer

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $12 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Bell’s is synonymous with great craft beer these days. This seasonal release is made from lightly toasted malt that’s mixed with Lager yeast, local water, and a few German hops. That’s it.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a light sense of herbal hops with a dash of sweetgrass next to soft caramel malts with a hint of sweetness. The palate largely follows the sweeter end of the malts with a hint of grassy hops underneath that sweetness. The end is balanced and refreshing with a light sense of hop flowers and more of that caramel malt with a light fizziness.

Bottom Line:

This is a perfectly good beer. I wouldn’t confuse it for an actual Munich Oktoberfest beer in a bazillion years — it’s way too sweet for that. Take that away, and it’s a nice and easy refresher with a good balance between the light hops and caramel malts.

Where To Buy:

Bell’s is available in most states now. Check here to find delivery near you.

9. Southern Grist Hardee’s Strawberry Biscuit Ale

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $12 (four-pack)

The Beer:

Southern Grist is renowned for its collabs and ability to make any dessert into a drinkable beer (their Key Lime Pie ale is shockingly tart and creamy and not overly sweet). This new collab with Hardee’s (or Carl’s Jr. depending on your state) infuses 200 pounds of Hardee’s breakfast biscuits — which is arguably the best biscuit in fast food — with a dash of strawberry puree into their cream ale.

Tasting Notes:

The beer opens with a hint of that strawberry on the nose with the essence of a buttermilk biscuit lurking underneath, which actually works with the creamy malts. The palate is subtle and has a nice balance of real strawberry with creamy whipped butter fats, a hint of buttery southern biscuit, and a nice edge of tartness. There’s a whisper of hoppiness on the back end that works with the strawberry vibes.

Bottom Line:

This is way better than you’d ever expect. It’s still a fruity ale that has a gimmick, sure. But the strawberry feels real (not syrupy) and this isn’t overly sweet. It leans way more into the malt and biscuit, giving it a nice depth. It’s a good one-off afternoon sipper is what I’m getting at.

Where To Buy:

If you live in these seven states, click here for delivery.

8. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $15 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Dogfish Head’s beloved Punkin Ale is back! The brown ale is made with fresh pumpkin meat, brown sugar, and a mix of spices.

Tasting Notes:

The nose hits on a savory pumpkin pie with a big dash of cinnamon and nutmeg next to what feels like a freshly cut pumpkin. The palate marries that cinnamon and nutmeg with a dollop of wet brown sugar with a more roasted pumpkin vibe to it and a nice dose of caramel malts underneath it all kind of like an almost burnt pie crust. The end has a nice fizziness to it that helps keep the spices, sugar, and pumpkin in balance.

Bottom Line:

This is another perfectly good beer. It’s not my favorite pumpkin ale or even the best one I tasted at the event — hence its lower ranking. But it is a solid sipper that delivers exactly what is promised without relying on too much sugar to hide defects.

Where To Buy:

Available nationwide.

7. The Bruery Siesta Saturday Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

ABV: 18.6%

Average Price: $45 (750ml bottle)

The Beer:

The Bruery out in California is all about pushing beer into the future while still celebrating the great traditions of its various European roots. Siesta Saturday is a great example of exactly that. The brew is an imperial stout that’s barreled in ex-tequila barrels with cacao nibs, cayenne, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. After a long rest, that beer is bottled.

Tasting Notes:

A dusty sense of dark cacao powder laced with dried ancho chilis comes through on the nose and is tempered by a smooth vanilla bean with a hint of butter toffee. The palate leans into the dark malted barley with a sense of espresso bean oils next to waxy cacao beans. The spice quietly lingers under the bitter coffee/chocolate feel as the cinnamon adds a sharpness to the soft vanilla and hints of walnuts.

Bottom Line:

This was so complex while still feeling easy drinking. It was just smooth AF but carried distinct flavor notes that made sense on the palate.

Where To Buy:

Available in several states, but mostly California and the Northeast. Order here for delivery.

6. Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $11 (six-pack)

The Beer:

This dark pumpkin ale is a true classic. The beer is made with a mix of Pale, Munich, CaraHell, C-20, C-45, and Special B malts that are cut with a dash of Magnum hops. Then the folks at Elysian add raw and roasted pumpkin seeds and some pumpkin flesh into the fermenter. After that, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice are added during conditioning.

Tasting Notes:

You really feel the fresh pumpkin on the nose with the ginger leading the way on the spice front. The palate folds all of this into a layered pumpkin pie that leans more savory and eggy than sweet as the spices stay sharp and a hint of sweetness comes in from the malty base with a whisper of burnt caramel. The end has a nice mouthfeel that’s part creamy and part fizzy, creating a nice balance.

Bottom Line:

This is a really solid pumpkin ale. It’s way less sweet pumpkin pie and far more layers of those ingredients without leaning into brown sugar. It’s distinct and very easy to drink.

Where To Buy:

Elysian is available in dozens of states, coast to coast. Click here to find it.

5. 3 Floyds Pillar of Beasts Barrel-Aged Barley Wine

ABV: 13.7%

Average Price: $25 (750ml bottle)

The Beer:

3 Floyds is one of those beers that people spend days lining up for. This release is a barley wine (a strong ale) that’s brewed with salted caramel, vanilla beans, and cocoa nibs. That brew then goes into ex-bourbon barrels for a 12-month rest before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This has a subtle yet enticing nose full of dark chocolate that’s almost creamy next to sour espresso cut with salted caramel and plenty of fresh vanilla pods. The palate has a creamy nature with a hint of roasted malts that leans toward burnt sugars as the dark chocolate takes on the tartness of the espresso and sweetens slightly toward nutmeg and clove. The end has a hint of sour cherry tobacco rolled with vanilla bean husks and dusted with dark chocolate powder.

Bottom Line:

This was nicely complex and very tasty, especially if you’re looking for a hint of bourbon in your beer. This is also the part of the list where this ranking is basically splitting hairs from here on out.

Where To Buy:

3 Floyds is available in 19 states plus DC. Click here for delivery.

4. Black Abbey The Rose Blonde

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $11 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Black Abbey is the beer lover’s brewery out in Tennessee. The Rose mixes Belgian Ale yeast with malted barley and local water before barely hopping it. The result is everyone’s favorite Black Abbey brew.

Tasting Notes:

A light sense of cloves stuck in an orange peel leads to a hint of banana chips just touched by salt. The palate is pure silk with a hint of caramel malt next to a good sense of bright Belgian yeastiness next to more clove and a bit of allspice. The end gets a twinge of woodiness to the spices as the silky body of the beer leans into banana bread.

Bottom Line:

This is a super easy-drinking ale. To be fair, it was a great palate cleanser on the day too, which might be why it’s a little higher on this ranking. Still, this is a very crushable beer with a balanced flavor profile.

Where To Buy:

Tennessee and various high-end beer bars/stores outside of the state. Click here to buy for pick-up in Nashville.

3. Founder 4 Giants and the Haze of Destiny

ABV: 8.4%

Average Price: $11 (four-pack)

The Beer:

This New England IPA from craft-beer-darling, Founders, is more than just a fruit bomb like so many other NEIPAs. The barley is amped up with a large dose of oat and wheat to smooth out the whole experience and add in a more classic IPA vibe before hopping and canning.

Tasting Notes:

The beer opens way more like a West Coast IPA with good hits of pine resin, sawdust, dank hop flowers, caramel malts, and big notes of orange and grapefruit zest. The palate is deeply malty with a lemon-vanilla sheet cake vibe next to orange-laced honey, more grapefruit oils, dry sweetgrass, and a hint of dry black tea. The end leaves you with a sense of creamy toffee next to orange oil-laced sweetgrass dipped in pine pitch.

Bottom Line:

This felt like the best of both worlds: West Coast and New England IPAs. The fruit was there but it was sharp more than sweet. The woody resins were also there but complementary and not overpowering. It’s just a really well-balanced beer that was a joy to taste.

Where To Buy:

Founders beers are available nationwide (depending on the release’s availability). Click here to find it near you.

2. Xül Beer Paper Crowns New England IPA

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $20 (four-pack)

The Beer:

Xül Beer Co. has been burning up the awards circuit lately and is quickly becoming a beer lover’s favorite find. The juice in this can is brewed with London Ale III yeasts, and malted barley, and is both hopped and dry hopped with Citra and Citra Cryo hops.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a mix of old peach skins, mango juice, and plenty of dank pine resin that leans toward sticky cannabis flowers. The palate marries the resin to the mouthfeel with a chewy vibe as toasted coconut, pineapple skins, and more fresh mango lead to a light caramel malted sweetness. The end balances the dank hops with a burst of orange oils layered with almost sweet pine resin, pureed mango, and a hint of savory papaya.

Bottom Line:

On a hot day, this is a delight. It has a great balance between the dank hops and the super fruity ones. Nothing is overplayed but everything is distinct. This was a great sip of beer.

Where To Buy:

Xül Beer is available in various locations in the South and Midwest and expanding in beer aficionado corners. Click here to find one near you.

1. Victory Prima Pils

ABV: 5.3%

Average Price: $10 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Victory Prima Pils is one of those beers that truly nails a classic German pilsner vibe. The brew is made with Pilsner malts, local water, lager yeast, and a mix of Tettnang, Hallertau, Spalt, Saaz hops. And that’s all it needs.

Tasting Notes:

The nose feels crisp and full of soft yet aromatic grassy hops, summer wildflowers, and a dash of lemon oils. The palate is soft yet effervescent with a hint of sweetgrass and lemon tree bark next to soft malts with a faint hint of caramel sweetness. The end is lush and fizzy and leans into the balance of those mildly sweet malts and the grassiness of the hops with a hint of bright summer flowers.

Bottom Line:

This was exactly what it promised to be and just plain delicious. This was also the only beer I actually went back for a second pour of to actually drink and not just taste.

Where To Buy:

Victory is available in most states. Click here to find it near you.

Even though the most dramatic part of 21 Savage’s ICE ordeal is three years in the rearview, he still faces fallout from his 2019 arrest because the case has been delayed going to trial so many times. Now, with the actual court date creeping closer, Savage is trying to make his case clear; he should not be deported because he never should have been stopped in the first place. To that end, his lawyers have filed a motion to suppress evidence of gun and drug charges against him from appearing in court, according to TMZ.

When he was pulled over in 2019, police say they witnessed him throw a bottle of codeine out of the car, while they also found a gun in his car. His lawyers say that the gun was legal. However, once he was arrested, he was turned over to ICE custody and it was revealed that Savage was originally a citizen of the United Kingdom. He immigrated to the US as a young teen and his mother never updated their visas, making him technically an illegal resident of the US. However, he has argued that he was applying for a new visa and that he doesn’t actually know anyone in his original home country.

Unfortunately, because of his status, 21 has been unable to tour outside of the US, and he can’t handle his ICE case until the police case is resolved. If a judge agrees that the traffic stop that led to all this was unlawful, it could be the first step in Savage becoming a true citizen.

New York Fashion Week is well underway and K-pop stars are no stranger to such events, especially when fashion is an inspiration to the global spectacle.

In celebration of Peter Do’s highly anticipated Spring/Summer 2023 men’s, women’s and unisex collections, the New York-based designer taps SM Entertainment artist and NCT member JENO to open up the show’s runway on September 13.

“It was a natural choice to have JENO open the show,” Peter Do says in a press release. “JENO embodies the Peter Do man — multifaceted, confident, and a trailblazer. I have so much respect for these artists because there is so much time put into their craft that people simply don’t see. Few realize the intensity of what is happening behind the scenes to achieve the end product; it’s very similar to fashion so I identify with that process very much. As a brand forging its own path in the industry, we are proud to partner with the leading global player in K-pop to help write the future of fashion.”

Peter Do’s collection introduces the theme of “TIME” with a personalized invitation memory box that consists of an SM-branded disposable camera, a recipe from Do’s late father, a note from the designer, a pack of needles and thread, measuring tape, an old-school mix CD featuring SM artists Do grew up listening to, and cookies stamped with “PD” and “SM,” in which he mentions SM Entertainment’s impact on his life growing up.

“There’s the nostalgia of listening to Girls’ Generation songs on the bus on my way to school,” Do mentions further in the presser. “When we started the brand, we were listening to Red Velvet on repeat while building studio furniture.”

Red Velvet’s Seulgi will also be in front row attendance as a the guest of honor ahead of her solo debut next month. SMROOKIES SHOHEI and EUNSEOK are said to make their NYFW debut as they walk the runway as well.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the highly anticipated second installment in Rian Johnson‘s burgeoning Benoit Blanc detective series, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and, appropriately, it killed. As the first round of reviews pour in, critics are loving not just Daniel Craig’s return as Blanc, but Johnson’s stellar hand at putting together yet another madcap cast of murder suspects. (Seriously, this film is stacked with talent.)

You can see what critics are saying below, and don’t worry, the excerpts are spoiler-free. There will be very little revealed in the way of plot, but a whole revealed in praise for yet another satisfying whodunnit from Johnson.

Mike Ryan, Uproxx:

Glass Onion is just a great time watching a movie. It’s a rare movie (especially at a film festival where I have places I have to be) in which I wished it were longer. I would have gladly spent more time with these characters, played by actors who are all obviously having a wonderful time. I already miss them. Make more movies like this. What fun.

Caryn James, BBC:

Where the original depended on the oddball family members-turned-murder suspects being investigated by Benoit Blanc, Craig’s hilariously over-the-top world-famous detective, Glass Onion relies on the plot’s secrets, lies, misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Filled with delicious cameos and loaded with more comic moments than the previous film.

Alison Willmore, Vulture:

Movies taking place during the early days of our global acquaintanceship with the novel coronavirus have tended to all feel the same, because so many of us were just sitting at home, feeling frightening and isolated and terribly bored. But the characters in Glass Onion aren’t the kind that would feel like they’d be subjected to those same rules, even the ones who consider themselves nominally more responsible. They’re basically doing a short, and very high-end, version of forming a pod, accelerating right into the dramas that accompany the meltdown of so many similar arrangements.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

Is “Glass Onion” a better movie than the first “Knives Out”? Not necessarily. But it’s a bigger, showier, even more elaborately multi-faceted shell-game mystery. Craig has figured out how to let his wry performance sneak up on you all over again, and the suspects hover in a tasty zone between toxic and sympathetic.

Benjamin Lee, The Guardian:

Johnson’s more extravagant and often indulgent sequel will likely find those who prefer it to the original, it’s so stuffed with so much that it’ll surely prove more fun to those who appreciate getting more bang for their buck. It’s hard not to have fun when Johnson pulls the strings, I just wish he’d not pulled quite so many and quite so hard.

Kate Erbland, IndieWire:

Johnson needn’t worry about a sophomore slump, because while “Glass Onion” holds some resemblance to his 2019 smash hit (stacked casts, lavish locations, Daniel Craig having the time of his goddamn life), this sequel is zippily and zanily its own thrill ride, and Johnson can’t churn these babies out fast enough.

John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter:

This picture offers more action, more delicious comeuppances, more daring design and a few genuinely surprising cameos just for good measure. Yet it doesn’t suffer from the usual “give ’em the same thing, but more of it” bloat common in sequels to surprise hits. Its ensemble is more varied than Knives‘, and its critique of the clueless rich more relevant to our age.

Kristy Puchko, Mashable:

Rian Johnson is single-handedly reviving the whodunnit genre. Sure, Kenneth Branagh’s been churning out Hercule Poirot adaptations busting at the seams with big names. But where Branagh’s detective movies are fondly looking back at the past through a tediously romantic (and self-indulgent) lens, Johnson’s original stories use the framework of an Agatha Christie novel to create something exhilaratingly new, with fresh surprises, a gleeful wit, and a lively social commentary.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premieres December 23 on Netflix.

Whoopi Goldberg is one of only 17 people to achieve an EGOT, having won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Ghost), a Grammy for Best Comedy Album, a Tony for Best Musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie), and two Emmys, including Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for The View. She’s also appeared in multiple huge TV shows and movies, including Sister Act, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Theodore Rex (it’s huge among podcasts that cover bad movies, at least). Goldberg has been famous since before I was born, and yet, much like her The View co-stars, I was “today-years-old” when I realized something about her: she doesn’t have eyebrows.

Decider reports that the revelation came during a discussion about bleached brows. “I have to do this with a straight face. Stars like Kendall Jenner, Lady Gaga, and Doja Cat are getting in on the trend of shaving or bleaching their eyebrows,” Goldberg said before tilting her head and asking her co-hosts, “How do you feel about this no-brow look?”

Sara Haines was first to weigh in, admitting that she never noticed Goldberg’s lack of eyebrows throughout the six years they’ve sat next to each other in the show. She added, “I look right into your eyes and I did not know this.” When Sunny Hostin asked Goldberg if she “ever had eyebrows,” she confirmed that yes, she had brows “as a little kid,” but her mom “removed them” after she started to get “bumps” on her face. She explained that she’s kept up the practice because it’s what she’s used to: “I don’t know my face with eyebrows unless I’m working,” she said.

Ana Navarro added, “I, too, was today-years-old when I noticed you had no eyebrows.”

Last week, it was Meghan McCain’s “big t*ts.” This week, it’s Goldberg’s lack of eyebrows. What will we learn about a current or former The View host next week? I’m breaking the news now: Joy Behar doesn’t have an appendix. Shocking stuff.

(Via Decider)

Sometimes, is can be hard to tell what exactly the internet is talking about at any given moment. There is always some Main Character on Twitter or Instagram who posts something silly, then everyone dunks on them for the next 24-48 hours before the world moves on. It’s the circle of life! But sometimes, a misunderstanding can escalate the situation. For example, many people on Twitter are under the impression that Halle Berry, a 56-year-old actress, and Halle Bailey, a 22-year-old singer/actress are the same person. They are not.

Listen, reading can be difficult. But it can also be very important if you don’t wish for people to make a little fun of you on the internet! One Twitter user attempted to hate on Berry for being cast in Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action movie… though the only problem is that she is not in the movie. The role went to Bailey, and Disney revealed the movie’s first look over the weekend.

“Halle Berry is nearly 60 playing the role of a 16 year old girl. This is what happens when you upset a fandom.” The account tweeted, along with a screenshot showing they “disliked” the teaser trailer. Berry responded to the tweet with a meme, though the original tweet has since been deleted. But, since this is 2022, everything is immortalized on PopCrave.

This will likely keep happening if people keep jumping to conclusions and blast off choice words on the internet. You live and learn!

As Elton John wraps the US leg of his seemingly final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, his final stop at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium will be livestreamed on November 20 through Disney+. The news was unveiled during Disney’s annual D23 Expo last week for a larger series about John’s goodbye tour, which continues through 2023 in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

In addition to Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, the tour will be the subject of an upcoming documentary. Co-directed by R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry) and John’s husband David Furnish, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will include both recent footage and unseen archival moments from his decades-long live career. While it will be featured exclusively on Disney+, Deadline reports that there are plans for a “festival run and limited theatrical release.” The documentary deal was reportedly for $30 million.

John’s first two performances at Dodger Stadium on November 17 and 19 will be filmed as additional footage for the planned tour documentary, which does not have an official release date.

Outside of his extensive Farewell touring schedule, John has still found time to share new music. He recently released a duet with Britney Spears called “Hold Me Closer,” which is a new version of his 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer.” The re-imagined track has reached the top of Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, as of September 10.

A complete list of Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour dates is available here.

If there’s anything you can count on, it’s that Nicki Minaj’s most enthusiastic fans — aka the Barbz — will try to start beef with any and every other female rapper she gives them a reason to — even if she never actually names that artist. During a recent episode of her podcast, Queen Radio, Nicki alleged that an unnamed artist with whom she’d previously collaborated offered her a drink, and when she declined because she might be pregnant, told her she could “go to the clinic.”

Of course, the Barbz didn’t take this well, because, for many of them, innuendo is fact, shade is absolute, Nicki’s word is law, and every day is a new opportunity to pick a fight with Nicki’s contemporaries on her behalf. For some reason, one, in particular, decided that Nicki’s anecdote referred to Megan Thee Stallion, who did work with Nicki in 2019 on the song “Hot Girl Summer” and has been known to occasionally encourage her friends to take a shot directly out of the bottle. Megan, however, wasn’t having it.

“Nicki Minaj is accusing you of encouraging abortion & child endangerment w/ alcohol,” wrote the stan. “This isn’t something to stay quiet on.” Meg shot back with just one word: “LIE.” Unfortunately, this opened the door for more Barbz to lash out at Megan. “No names were mentioned but u were first to respond?” wrote one. “So this person didn’t mention me?” Meg replied. “THIS PERSON BE SO FCKN FOR REAL RIGHT NOW” responded another Barb. “This person … as in the person who pressed the @ button” Meg explained. “y’all not this crazy.”

That might be… optimistic on her part. Barbz have shown repeatedly and often, that they don’t need logic or reason to fly off the handle (sometimes, I think Nicki Minaj’s fan club is really just a hate club for everyone else). Meg has often blamed a lot of the friction that exists between female rappers on their fans, but if we’re being honest, there is one fan base behind most of it and they’re often proud of themselves for being this way.

The AFC West is going to be a gauntlet this season, which we knew coming in after the three teams chasing the Chiefs spent the offseason loading up on more talent.

The previously basement dwelling Broncos added Russell Wilson, finally bringing on a high-caliber QB for the first time since Peyton Manning. The Chargers upgraded their defense with a trade for Khalil Mack and signing J.C. Jackson, while the Raiders added Davante Adams and others to try and keep up in the offensive arms race in the division. All the while, the Chiefs still employ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with plenty more talent despite the departure of Tyreek Hill.

In Week 1, the Chiefs made quite the statement to the rest of the division and league with a 44-21 thumping of the Cardinals in Arizona, with Mahomes throwing for five touchdowns to remind everyone that Josh Allen and the Bills will have plenty of competition in the AFC this year. Those five TD passes weren’t even his best, as that came on a deep cross throw to Kelce, in which he dropped it in between three defenders on an absolute dime.

It’s the kind of throw that often leads to an announcer saying “only Mahomes,” but there happens to be another absolute freak throwing passes in his same division that made almost an identical throw in his Week 1 matchup. Justin Herbert didn’t put up as gaudy a statline as Mahomes, but the Chargers got a win over the Raiders in their opener thanks to their star QB’s ability to make similarly preposterous passes. On a nearly identical looking play, just to the right side of the field instead of the left (against a similar zone look), Herbert dropped a ball in over the heads of two chasing defenders to Keenan Allen for a big gain for L.A. — as Jared Dubin of CBS Sports pointed out in a thread looking at some of the best passes of the week from the All-22.

It really is wild that we have multiple quarterbacks capable (and maybe more importantly, willing) to make these kinds of throws and these full field angles offer some great insight into what makes playing defense now so difficult. These receivers aren’t particularly open, but even when you play good defense, if you have linebackers or DBs turning to chase, the elite QBs will happily flick a pass by their earhole knowing they aren’t looking for it, even if in tight coverage.

Mahomes and Herbert are two of the best at it right now (along with Allen and Aaron Rodgers, as the short list of guys who regularly make WTF throws), and godspeed to AFC West defenses trying to figure out how to slow them down.

When it comes to beer, there are none quite as divisive as the fall seasonal infused with pumpkin. Whether it’s an ale, lager, stout, or something else, pumpkin-flavored beer is either beloved and eagerly awaited or derided and despised, without much in-between. This probably has something to do with the phenomenon whereby pumpkin beers seem to either be lightly flavored with pumpkin and have just a hint of spice, and have just enough complementary flavors to even everything out, orrrr they’re the flavor palate equivalent of a pumpkin spice candy exploding in a beer can.

Regardless of how you feel about it, breweries all over the country release their versions every fall. That means that when late summer and early autumn arrive, there’s a veritable cornucopia of options for pumpkin beer almost anywhere beer is sold.

We found eight of these pumpkin-fueled brews and instead of simply kicking back and drinking them while we watched early-season NFL games and waited for fall to arrive, we decided to nose them, taste them, and rank them. Yes, we tackled pumpkin beer. Keep scrolling to see how everything turned out.

Today’s Lineup:

• Southern Tier Pumking
• Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
• Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale
• Elysian Night Owl
• Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale
• Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
• Two Roads Roadsmary’s Baby
• New Holland Ichabod

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of butterscotch, cinnamon, ginger, caramel malts, and a healthy dose of baked pumpkin greet my nose before my first sip. The palate was more of the same with ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet, cooked pumpkin taking center stage. Even with all of the various flavors, everything seemed to be in proper balance. Overall, a decent example of the style.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of dried fruits, pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, oak, and sweet caramel met my nose before the first sip. The palate is filled with flavors like raisins, vanilla beans, caramel, bready malts, and ripe pumpkin. It’s surprisingly complex and flavorful for a pumpkin ale. This one is something special for sure.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This doesn’t smell like any pumpkin beer I’ve ever had. In fact, it barely smells like pumpkin beer. There’s maybe a hint of cooked pumpkin and some cinnamon, but not much else. Overall, a very boring nose. Drinking it revealed more muted pumpkin and maybe some cinnamon and nutmeg. While I don’t like overly spiced, sweet pumpkin beers, this one almost had no flavor at all.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Immediately a parade of wintry spices hit my nose. Allspice, cinnamon, ginger, the whole game was there. But they left little to no actual beer or even pumpkin aroma to be found. The taste was more of the same with a cavalcade of spices as well as an overly sweet caramel flavor. Overall, this beer doesn’t know if it wants to be spicy, sweet, or even taste like pumpkin.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This beer smells like you just got trapped in a closet filled with pumpkin spice candles at Yankee Candle. It’s heavy on cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. But those aromas were so strong that I didn’t notice anything else. The palate is a little better with a decent malt backbone, but it was more of the over-the-top wintry spices like allspice and cinnamon. It was just too much.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This beer literally smells like a pumpkin pie. There’s a hint of graham cracker, sweet pumpkins, fall spices, and maybe a little nutty sweetness. Sipping it revealed more biscuity malts, toasted vanilla beans, cinnamon, and more pumpkin. While it seems more like a dessert beer than a regular sipper, it’s a well-balanced, memorable seasonal brew.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This beer smells like a pumpkin pie that was put into a blender and then mixed with a water beer. Allspice and cinnamon are dominant. The flavor is a different story altogether. While there are notes of cinnamon, pumpkin, and other spices, it’s all very thin, watery, and weak. This is one of the least exciting pumpkin beers I’ve ever tried.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Another overly spiced pumpkin beer. The nose is dominated by allspice, cinnamon, and even a hint of pepper. No noticeable pumpkin though. The palate had more spices but also had a nice hint of fresh pumpkin flavor and a bit of malt flavor in the background. Still heavily spiced, but not uncomfortably so like some I’ve tried.

Part 2: The Rankings

8) Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale (Taste 7)

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This popular wheat ale from Shipyard out of Portland, Maine is surprisingly low in alcohol (4.5% ABV) for a pumpkin beer. It’s light, crisp, and brewed with Willamette and Saphir hops as well as Pale Ale, Whole Wheat, Munich Light malts, and pumpkin and spice flavors.

Bottom Line:

This is watery, thin, and surprisingly bland for a spiced pumpkin ale. It’s an absolute snooze-fest of a beer.

7) Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (Taste 5)

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This is a surprisingly complicated fall seasonal beer. It’s made by fermenting pounds of pumpkin with brewer’s wort and sugar before everything is filtered with a spice infusion of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. This is pumpkin spice to the maximum.

Bottom Line:

This is the type of beer for those fall fanatics who are obsessed with anything pumpkin spice. It’s loaded with everything you love. For the rest of us, it’s a no-go.

6) Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Taste 3)

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This is one of the first pumpkin beers I ever tried more than a decade ago. This 5% ABV pumpkin ale is supposed to taste the way a similar beer would have tasted during colonial days. They do this by adding a massive number of pumpkins and spices during the brewing process.

Bottom Line:

Brooklyn does a lot of things well. Its pumpkin beer isn’t one of them. This beer is the capital of Flavorless City in the country of Bland.

5) Elysian Night Owl (Taste 4)

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

The most well-known of Elysian’s fall lineup, Night Owl is a pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin puree and juice. It gets its spiced flavor from the addition of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. On top of that, the pumpkin is cranked up even high by the addition of roasted and raw pumpkin seeds in the mash.

Bottom Line:

This beer is all over the place. It’s over-the-top spiced, it’s weirdly sweet, and it doesn’t taste enough like pumpkins. I’m sure it has its fans. I’m just not one of them.

4) Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (Taste 8)

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Dogfish Head’s popular pumpkin beer is technically a brown ale. It’s brewed with real pumpkins, brown sugar, and various seasonal spices. It’s named for a Delaware fall event referred to as “Punkin Chunkin” in which people build contraptions to throw pumpkins as far as possible.

Bottom Line:

Still a little more spiced than I’d prefer, Dogfish Head’s pumpkin seasonal at least leans in the right direction. There’s slightly more going on with this beer than simply pumpkin spice.

3) New Holland Ichabod (Taste 1)

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Named for the protagonist in the Washington Irving fall classic story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” this pumpkin ale is brewed with real pumpkin, malted barley, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It was created to taste like fall in a can.

Bottom Line:

New Holland’s Ichabod is loaded with fall spices and fresh pumpkin, but it also has enough of a malt backbone to even everything out.

2) Southern Tier Pumking (Taste 6)

ABV: 8.6%

Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

This bold, high-ABV imperial pumpkin ale is eagerly awaited every fall by its fans. Brewed with ale yeast, two hop varieties, two different malts, pumpkin, and spices, it’s been an autumnal favorite for years.

Bottom Line:

This is a complex, surprisingly well-balanced, bold pumpkin beer. It’s so flavorful you’ll want to go back to it again and again. Especially on chilly fall nights.

1) Two Roads Roadsmary’s Baby (Taste 2)

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Named for the iconic horror film Rosemary’s Baby, this seasonal favorite from Two Roads begins as your classic pumpkin ale. But the folks at Two Roads decided that wasn’t good enough as they aged it in former rum barrels to add a sweet, oaky, rich flavor.

Bottom Line:

This is the best of the bunch by far. It’s easy to add too many spices and make pumpkin ales one-dimensional. But this one has it all. Warming spices, dried fruits, sweet malts, and a nice pumpkin flavor.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Pumpkin ales are really tricky. When done wrong (in my opinion) they can end up as overly-spiced, cloyingly sweet pumpkin soda-tasting garbage. When done right, they’re complex, balanced, and give you a great, warming fall feeling. The beers that landed higher on my list fall into the latter category. Bring on fall. I’m ready now.