The first cool breezes of fall are wafting across the prairies. School bells are ringing again, ushering students into yet another year of pranks, feelings of social inadequacy and occasional learning. And, most importantly, gangs of burly men in helmets are bashing each other silly over who gets to hold onto an ovoid leather ball.

Yes, it's fall, and that means that Oktoberfest beers are showing up in your grocer's beer coolers. For you world traveler types, the mention of Oktoberfest conjures visions of the annual festival in Munich, where nearly 7 million liters of beer are poured for millions of visitors in beer tents that seat as many as 10,000 people.

For most Americans, Oktoberfest may mean a weekend party at a local watering hole sponsored by a large American brewery that wouldn't know a real Oktoberfest beer if it were clouted over its large corporate head with one.

But if you go hunting on your own at your local beer seller -- be that a grocery store, liquor store or specialty retailer -- you can find a nice assortment of Oktoberfest brews that span a fairly wide spectrum of taste and quality.

The difference in flavors among Oktoberfest beers is related to a difference in concept over what one should be. The Germans are passionate about their beer, and regional differences in brewing practices have led to some big variations, from the marzen (or March beer) that was originally finished off in October to a panoply of more modern concoctions.

In this article, we'll look at six of the most popular, nationally available Oktoberfest brews, and add in a regional brewery's claim to the name. Bear in mind that these ratings are purely subjective, based on the five tasters' likes, dislikes and experience with other brews. None of the tasters are brewers or beer experts of any sort.

Each tester was given a maximum of 20 points to award to each beer based on flavor, aroma and overall impression. The word "drinkability" was officially banned from the tasting table under pain of death. All beers were poured into chilled pint glasses.

Sam Adams Octoberfest: The first impression most testers got was the very strong fizziness, almost like a beer-flavored seltzer water. The malt really dominates, both in the first taste and the after-impression, with some very slight sweetness and a bit of nutty aromas. It's not a great beer, and you won't care for it if heavy malt is not to your liking, but at least it has its own character. Final score: 81.

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest: Where the malt reached out and grabbed you with the Samuel Adams, here it just doesn't have much to say. Instead, there's a sweetness that, while not unpleasant, also doesn't develop into anything of distinction. One tester said she kept expecting more flavor to come through, but it never materialized. It's almost as if some evil,beer-hating genius watered down a great Oktoberfest brew. Final score: 68.

Saranac Octoberfest: When the Leinenkugel's offering grows up, this is what it might taste like. The sweetness is nicely balanced by the maltwith a background toastiness that dances nicely on the tongue. It goes down very smoothly, with a mellow fizziness and a not-unwelcome bitter tang. One tester identified an aroma reminiscent of roasted nuts, but due to her low body weight she may have been feeling the alcohol a bit. Final score: 93.

Spaten Munich Oktoberfest: This is one of the oldest of the Oktoberfest beers. In fact, it's the original one according to some sources, but it seems to suffer somewhat in the transit across the Atlantic. There was little to no aroma, and the flavors seemed to go off in several directions at once (roast, citrus, toasted malt, etc.) without ever really reaching a destination. All the testers felt like they should like this one more, but couldn't argue with what their tastebuds had to say. Final score: 71.

Harvest Moon: This is Coors-owned Blue Moon's entry in the Oktoberfest lineup, and it gets credit for being different. However, different doesn't always mean better. If you've ever had a home-brewing friend try to whip up a "harvest" beer with a handful of cloves, allspice, cinnamon and apple peels, you'll be able to relate to this one. It's not vile or undrinkable, it just doesn't quite taste like beer. One taster said it reminded him of wassail into which someone had poured Budweiser. Final score: 58.

Beck's Oktoberfest: This German entry strikes a strong blow for German pride in brewing art. It's got an aroma that has notes ranging from floral to citrus, and a flavor that delivers on the promise. The maltiness is pronounced but with a caramel sweetness that's very pleasant, and the carbonation is light and refreshing. This is as close as any German beer I've ever tasted comes to being my "lawnmower beer," that brew that's got just enough body to keep you interested but is smooth enough to quaff quickly when you're hot from mowing the yard. Final score: 92.

And now, an entry from the frozen north, where October weather starts in mid-July. This one was tested solely by your humble scribe, and is not scored with the others as it's not a nationally available brew. This review is presented to urge you to go and seek out your own local brewers and see what they have to offer for fall … and every other season!

Gritty McDuff's Halloween Ale: Let's get one thing clear up front: This is not a traditional Oktoberfest beer. It's classed as an extra-strong bitter, and the flavor will not lay dormant and wait for you to find it. It will crawl up from your pint glass, take you by the taste buds and teach you sip by sip what a real beer can be. I was actually put off at first whiff, as there is a definite aroma of stout that issues forth from the open bottle.

However, on pouring, that mellows nicely and what results is a blend of smooth malt, chocolate and caramel sweetness that dances very well with a bitterness that will wake up your face. Warning: This beer may completely ruin you for macrobrews for life.

Of the nationally available Oktoberfest brews, it's almost a toss-up between the Saranac and Beck's offerings, with difference enough between them to make your choice one of personal taste.

Oktoberfest beers will usually not be the cheapest on the shelf, but if you fancy yourself a beer drinker, you need to taste at least a couple of brands during this time of year. Who knows, you might find yourself booking passage to Munich.