FanPost

Cytoberfest II

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Oans, zwoa, g’suffa! One, two, drink up! It's that time of year again for Cytoberfest!

If you like beer. If you like the Iowa State Cyclones. And if you like fall, then celebrate Cytoberfest!

What a gorgeous time of year! Football is in full swing, the cooler weather is setting in, the leaves are turning their vibrant yellow and orange colors, it's sweater weather, and a bonfire caps off the night surrounded by family, friends, and beer. That's right. We have zero complaints in life.

As our Cyclone football season strides onward, so does our tailgating and fall festivals. Whether your tailgating is in lot B6, G7, the student lots, your backyard, or on the comfort of your own couch sunken down watching College Gameday, beer is a staple. Not just a staple, but a fun social aspect of my favorite time of year. Check out area Oktoberfests as well. Iowa has a proud German heritage that one should not be afraid to experience. You drink on St. Patty's day & you aren't an ounce of Irish, right? Exactly.

Last year I posted an article on here about 10 fall beers to try, including my own home brew of Oktoberfest. I've taken the liberty of including a few extra this year to try as you will see below. This is by no means a complete list. PLEASE add to it in the comment section of your favorite fall seasonal beer(s). Give us recommendations of what to try, or not to try! For us beer lovers, this is our way of getting ISU football and a less detailed 'Untappd' rolled into our own fashion.

To all of you Cyclone fans and beer lovers, "May you have a very blessed Cytoberfest! Aaannndd.... Zusammen! Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi! Prost! (now swig that beer!)"

1) Leine's Harvest Patch Shandy

ABV: 4.2%

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Gotta start with a favorite brewery of mine. Leines. And talk about a harvest patch in your mouth! Leine's has really found themselves to dominate the shandy market. Although what I consider a warm weather type of beer, shandy, they've found a way to incorporate the wheat and citrus with fall flavors. With a first sip you taste the pumpkin and nutmeg. It is then finished with clove that seals the deal. I've ran into many folks who like Leine's Shandies but don't like this one. However, I've drank with other folks who I thought wouldn't like this beer and they love it. Give it a shot. Support us pumpkin farmers of the world!

2) Samuel Adams Fat Jack

ABV: 8.5%

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Another pumpkin beer you say? Neh, maybe not quite as much. I was expected a pumpkiny beer here being called "Double Pumpkin" in all. But what I got wasn't a disappoinment, just not quite what I expected. This is an exceptional beer and I stumbled upon it in Prairie du Chein. It has a slight pumpkin aroma to it, but it tastes more malty than anything. The way I will put this: it's an imperial stout with a slight hint of pumpkin and spice. It is higher alcohol content so it is boozy. Drink this out of a Samuel Adams glass to get the best flavor of the spices. Avoid straight out of the bottle as I got a 'glassy' taste. Give Fat Jack a shot and add it to your library of fall seasonals!

3) Olde Main Der Festen

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I'm not 100% sure but I've had this only on draft there at Olde Main. I have never seen it at the grocery stores or my hometown quick stop who carries Olde Main. But give this one a try. It's Olde Main's version of an Oktoberfest brew. Unlike Leine's Oktoberfest, this does not have the caramel flavor to it. It has the distinctive dark and amber color to it and a slight hoppy hit to it. Support the Ames brewery, all!

4) Founder's Breakfast Stout

ABV: 8.3%

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Gooooooood morning! That's what this beer says to me, as does the label. My mom's boyfriend is huge into stout like beers and I gave this a whirl tailgating last year in late October. This may qualify more as a winter seasonal in my opinion due to the warm/full feeling it gives you. It is full bodied, brewed with oats, with a coffee and chocolate finish to it. I recommend drinking this first thing with your eggs and bacon and then move onto lighter beers. But boy, this is good!

5) Lagunita's Little Sumpin' Extra

ABV: 8.5%

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I'm a hoppy beer fan. And here's another hoppy beer I tried in my mix n' match 6 six at the local Hy Vee store. This beer is on the fall seasonal hoppy beer wagon. It has the IPA citrusy and piney aromas and flavors but provides that wheat backbone to make it good as a fall seasonal beer.

6) Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen

ABV: 5.8%

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Seriously, CrowdControl?! Another Oktoberfest?! Yes. But this one is different. Last fall I wanted to get out of the box and I researched 'light' Oktoberfest beers. And I discovered it. I'm sure there are other light Oktoberfest beers out there, but I've only had this one. Ayinger found a way to incorporate the caramel foundation on this beer but to have it come with a lighter taste and a lighter color. I've only been able to find it in 1 pt. 9 oz. bottles.

7) Sierra Nevada Vienna

ABV: 5.3%

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I found this on tap in during Oktoberfest last year. I was with my cousin and he had a stein so I poured it in there. Not sure if steins make it taste different but I'd give this a try. To me, it looks like an Oktoberfest but with a slightly lighter copper color. The head is a cream color. It's more sweet than an Oktoberfest and has a toffee taste to it. This also comes in their fall sampler pack. Give 'er a whirl!

8) Yamma Jamma by Indeed Brewing

ABV: 5.0%

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I went on a work trip last year to Minneapolis and I had never heard of Indeed Brewing. A few guys I was with said we had to stop here. It's your typical brewery where you can taste their beers. I recommend stopping here if in the Cities. I had several beers and enjoyed the Yamma. It's what it sounds like. Yams, and/or sweet potatoes. I'm a sucker for all these pumpkin beers and this beer wasn't much different from the pumpkins for the most part. It had a a sweet flavor that actually did taste somewhat like sweet potatoes. It's got a spice to it with a caramel hint that is a welcoming fall/winter aroma. It' s cozy beer and it can only be found in Minnesota as far as I know. One pint is about enough, but don't pass this one up if you like crafty beers!

9) O'Fallon's Pumpkin Beer

ABV: 5.6%

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I keep adding to the list as I continue to find more and more amazing fall seasonals. Here is one I had just last night. I keep reading online blogs and visiting beer enthusiasts webistes and it appears people love pumpkin beers or hate them. If you like them, then here's another one to add to your list! It doesn't have alot of head and is a lighter amber color. You can smell cinnamon and nutmeg and with the first sip you get that pumpkiny flavor. As compared to Schlafly's pumpkin ale, this isn't as harsh of a taste of spices. More watered down. But with that, you don't get hit in the face with the spices, more of a mellow pumpkin. Best add this to your list, folks!

And as any happy married couple, my wife and I drink beer together. We love wine and spiced rum, but you can always muster up room for a beer. Unless you're extremely hung over. Below are the three beers we were sampling all at once the other night. All three are neck and neck and each has their strength. Have fun with you fall seasonals!

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Enjoy these fall brews as the fall season is upon us! Bring a few of these with you while tailgating. I drank some Harvest Patch Shandy at the ISU/Iowa game and shared a few home brews as I was able. What a wonderful time of year! Nothing beats a cool evening watching football and sipping on these cozy brews. If you wanna hang out in the pumpkin patch with me and drink some brews, hit me up (not in a creepy way)! Comment below and share your thoughts, advice, and beers to try this Cytoberfest season!

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Prost, my brothers and sisters!

FanPosts are written by members of the WRNL community, not the WRNL staff. Any opinions expressed in this FanPost are the author's only.