Craft breweries and brewpubs are popping up all over New Jersey. From stouts and porters to ales and saisons, these breweries are pouring pints of seasonal craft beer year-round. Although I didn’t make it to any Oktoberfest festivals last month, I was able to sample a number of fall favorites on tap at a few local breweries.

My family has been to the Triumph Brewing Company in Princeton, N.J., in the summer months but never in the fall. I loved their Vanilla Cream Ale that was on tap the last time I visited, so I decided to take a trip this month to sample what they had on tap this season. When I visited, they offered the Oktoberfest but their Pumpkin Ale wasn’t available yet. I felt their Oktoberfest beer was similar to Sam Adams’ Oktoberfest but with a little more of a kick to it. They also had an Oktoberfest-themed menu featuring German specialties like pretzels, brats and sauerkraut. As a huge stout fan, I had to give their Irish stout a try. The waitress said it was like Guinness but with less of a toasted flavor. It tasted like the malt was not roasted enough for it to be a true stout, and it was also a little too light-bodied for my taste. Although I didn’t find much to my liking on this trip, I’ll definitely be back in the summer for the Vanilla Cream Ale.

I also sampled a few pints at Lone Eagle Brewing, a small craft brewery that just opened this year in Flemington, N.J. While they don’t serve any foods — except for pretzels — they do offer 12 different beers on tap. I tried the Dry Irish Stout with Coffee — surprise, surprise — and it was delicious. The coffee flavor was present without overpowering the stout. My favorite at this brewery was the Pumpkin Ale. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin-flavored things, but the pumpkin flavor was so subtle that after a few sips, all you really tasted was the ale. They brew their beer with real pumpkin and less sugar, which I think is why I enjoyed it so much.

Ship Bottom Brewery is also a recently opened craft brewery in Long Beach Island, N.J. Their Pear Saison was delightfully crisp and fruity, but the highlight of their beers on tap was definitely the Barnacle Bottom Stout. I can be incredibly picky when it comes to stouts, but the Barnacle Bottom Stout had coffee and dark chocolate notes that didn’t overpower the beer. It was delightfully dark and hands-down the best stout I’ve had from any craft brewery I’ve been to. It was, however, incredibly rich and had an 8.4% alcohol content, so I could only drink a very small amount.

It was fun to sample what’s been brewing in New Jersey this month, and I hope to continue sampling more of what Jersey brewing has to offer.

— Amanda Ekstrand, intern