With the fall season well upon us, local craft brews are plentifully stocked in bottle shops and on taps across the region. Sorting through which beers are worth trying, however, is more complicated than it sounds.

To weed through the seasonal selection, we asked 15 brewers throughout the Tri-state area to share which beers are satisfying their taste buds this fall. The only rule? No choosing your own brews, of course.

Broken Goblet Brewing Company Co-Owner Michael LaCouture

The Brew: White Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

The Brewer: Neshaminy Creek

The Taste: "It's a beautifully crafted porter with just-right notes of pumpkin spice and a hint of chocolate at the finish."

Why I Picked It: "It's tough to marry two distinct flavors like this and have them both shine through without mixing into a sweet mess. This one does just that."

Yards Brewing Company Founder Tom Kehoe The Brew: Oktoberfest

The Brewer: Stoudts

The Taste: "Their Oktoberfest has a great malt character and a clean finish. It’s almost a winter warmer, but not quite, which is why it’s perfect for this time of year."

Why I Picked It: "Because this is the kind of beer Stoudt's does best." Cape May Brewing Company Co-Founder Ryan Krill Krill's pick: Iron Hill Brewery's Russian Imperial Stout. (Handout Art / Iron Hill Brewery) The Brew: Russian Imperial Stout

The Brewer: Iron Hill Brewery

The Taste: "Like Heaven."

Why I Picked It: "It's a killer beer from our region. Oh, and it took silver at the Great American Beer Festival this year. No big deal, Mark [Edelson, Iron Hill founder]." Conshohocken Brewing Company Co-Founder John Remington The Brew: Extra Special Ale

The Brewer: Yards Brewing Company

The Taste: "Malty, bready, a little bit of toffee and a little bit of a hoppy bite."

Why I Picked It: "The classics never go out of style." Evil Genius Beer Company Co-Founder Luke Bowen Bowen's pick: Stoudts Pumpkinfest. (Thom Carroll / PhillyVoice) The Brew: Pumpkinfest

The Brewer: Stoudts

The Taste: "A wonderfully clean lager brewed with hints of pumpkin and spices."

Why I Picked It: "In a season full of pumpkin ales, this beer is a nice treat! It's hard to find this year, but it has been one of my favorite beers of the season."

Dock Street Brewery Head Brewer Vince DeRosiers

The Brew: The Russian

The Brewer: 2SP Brewing Company

The Taste: "It tastes full-bodied, like chocolate, a roast and it's sweet."

Why I Picked It: "It's a perfect Russian Imperial Stout from one of the best brewers in the country. It's a great pairing with Stilton [cheese], beef stew and vanilla ice cream. It's my favorite fall/winter beer!"

Wambolt's pick: St. Benjamin Brewing Company's Little Peat. (Handout Art / St. Benjamin's Brewing Company)

The Brew: Little Peat

The Brewer: St. Benjamin Brewing Company

The Taste: "Smoked ham, espresso, Baker's chocolate and earthy bitters."

Why I Picked It: "The roasted and smokey flavors bring a complexity, and the dryness allows for 'session ability.' This beer brings to mind the beautiful cool nights of fall sitting on my porch or around a fire."

2SP Brewing Company Head Brewer Andrew Rubenstein

The Brew: Poor Yorick

The Brewer: Forest & Main

The Taste: "The beer is a dark mild, a little darker in color with nice rounded chocolate and caramel flavors. It tastes especially good to me with the smell of turning leaves all around."

Why I Picked It: "Although it is available year-round, I think it is especially pleasant to drink on the porch of their restaurant in the cooler months of autumn."



Crooked Eye Brewery Manager/Brewer Thomas Bilotta

The Brew: What The Butler Saw

The Brewer: Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Company

The Taste: "A crisp wheat with an almost vinegary, sharp taste to it. There is a grouping of citrus flavors throughout the sip that make the beer stand out from other wheats."

Why I Picked It: "With the wide variety of “Curious Ales,” Forgotten Boardwalk is a brewery that is on my list to get to. We had a bus-load of birthday celebrators start and end at Crooked Eye on Saturday, and when I saw they were hitting Forgotten Boardwalk on their journey I handed them a growler and asked them to grab me the Funnel Cake Ale. Since they don’t sell it by the growler-full, my newfound beer friend grabbed me his second choice, which I enjoyed the next day."

Triumph Brewing Company Head Brewer Brendan Anderson

Anderson's pick: Yards Brawler. (Thom Carroll / PhillyVoice)

The Brew: Brawler

The Brewer: Yards

The Taste: "It has toffee, chocolate and caramel flavors that complement the fall season."

Why I Picked It: "Because it's a damn fine beer from one of Philly's best brewers."



Frecon's Cidery Cider Maker Jamie Bock

The Brew: St. Boisterous

The Brewer: Victory

The Taste: "It's a malty maibock that's bready and has a malt sweetness that finishes light for a 7.5 percent A.B.V., but still warms you up a little in the early spring. It's easy to drink a few."

Why I Picked It: "Smooth, clean and malty -- and my daughter's name is Mai, and her last name is Bock."

Tired Hands Brewing Company Co-Owner/Brewer Jean Broillet

The Brew: Solaire Reserve

The Brewer: Forest & Main

The Taste: "Like crackery, peppery, citrusy sunshine."

Why I Picked It: "It's a bada** beer brewed by sweet guys."

The Other Farm Brewing Company Head Brewer Bryan McDonald

McDonald's pick: Weyerbacher's Merry Monks. (Thom Carroll / PhillyVoice)

The Brew: Merry Monks Tripel

The Brewer: Weyerbacher Brewing Company

The Taste: "It's a great, classic Belgian with a yeast nose and a malty-yet-crisp, boozy mouthfeel. And it goes down smooth."

Why I Picked It: "Excellent representation of a classic Belgian from an equally excellent American brewery."

Vault Brewing Company Co-Founder James Cain

The Brew: DirtWolf

The Brewer: Victory

The Taste: "A serious [Double IPA] that values balance over bitterness. It’s a wonderful blend of malt and hop flavors. Grapefruit, pine, floral, candied stone fruit and citrus with a nice bitterness that isn’t palate-wrecking."

Why I Picked It: "We love whole flower hops, and this is the kind of IPA we want to drink in the fall/winter. Hats off to Victory for making our go-to cold weather beer."

Weyerbacher Brewing Company Head Brewer Scott Bicksler

The Brew: Oktoberfish

The Brewer: Flying Fish Brewing Company

The Taste: "Rich malt and bread flavors, and a nice noble hop aroma with a mildly sweet finish."

Why I Picked It: "I love a solid Marzen/Oktoberfest for sitting around the campfire or working in the yard on a cool day. I don't want to be overwhelmed with bitterness and hops when I'm working in the yard; I want a smooth, refreshing beer that still has a kick, and this beer fits the bill for me."