One of beer’s best attributes is seasonality. We drink with the weather, quaffing Belgian witbiers and citrusy IPAs in the spring and summer before reaching for darker brews to match earlier sunsets.

New England brewers should inherently be good at embracing the shifting seasons, and they are. Below are five Massachusetts-made beers to help get you through the long, cold nights. (Note: as beer continues to become more localized, some of these are only available at the breweries, so start there.)

■ Castle Island Brewing Co. Hearthside

Given the ubiquitous nature of Castle Island Brewing’s cans on store shelves across the state, it’s hard to believe the Norwood company has only been open a year. Hearthside is “a wintery spin on our favorite porter recipe,’’ says founder Adam Romanow. Spiced with Ceylon cinnamon, Madagascar vanilla beans, and locally roasted Karma Coffee from Sudbury, the beer (6.5 percent ABV) smells like your favorite Yankee Candle and tastes better as it warms.

■ Slumbrew Yankee Swap

Somerville Brewing Co. is releasing it’s 4th rendition of Yankee Swap. This year’s strong ale has been aged for three months in Turkey Shore Distilleries Tavern Rum Barrels. Slumbrew cofounder Caitlin Jewell says fans of the series will find “a familiar warming rum note but a very different body and viscosity.’’ She recommends pairing the beer, which clocks in at a healthy 12 percent ABV, with holiday sweets.

■ Bog Iron Brewing Four Down

This humongous (11.9 percent ABV) Russian Imperial Stout is the result of blending a Russian Imperial Stout aged in rum barrels with the same beer aged in bourbon barrels. The beer will be ready just after Christmas, if you can wait that long.

■ Medusa Brewing Co. Moffat 120/-

A kicked up version of the brewery’s Scotch Ale, this 9.3 percent ABV version is a malt-forward, amber ale with predominant flavors of caramel, honey, and chocolate. “It differs a bit from a classic Scotch Ale in that we’ve allowed it to ferment relatively dry to improve drinkability, whereas typical versions can be quite sweet, sometimes cloyingly so,’’ says Keith Antul, Medusa’s owner and head brewer.

■ Berkshire Brewing Co. Holidale

Berkshire’s annual holiday release is classified as a barleywine, but this 8.5 percent ABV ale doesn’t really drink within those confines. Locally sourced gooseberries are caramelized, then added to the mash. Slightly sweet with hints of chocolate, Holidale is just the right amount of bitter. You could buy two bottles and stick one in your cellar.

Gary Dzen can be reached at gary.dzen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GaryDzen