How do you not like pumpkin beer?! This is my favorite time of year for beer, Oktoberfest beers!
Followed closely by the winter spiced beer.

I don't think you're missing anything at all? As much as I love Oktoberfest beers I've never been on the pumpkin beer bandwagon (although my wife is). I haven't had one in several years and it might be time to try again to see if my opinion has changed.

I never cared for Pumpkin beers. I could go without.

Why pumpkin beer? Two words: Dogfish Head.

Give Southern Tier Pumpking a try if you can find it! Absolutely amazing! Like eating pumpkin pie!

I think everyone should be aware of the difference between a pumpkin beer (which is often brewed with pumpkin pie spices) and a pumpkin spice beer.

The latter are generally far too much like pumpkin pie for my tastes (pumpkin pie does a much better job at being pumpkin pie than any beer every could--for that matter squash pie makes an even better "pumpkin pie," but I digress.)

The very first beer I made as a homebrewer was a pumpkin ale. There's something about it that makes the immediate connection to the earth so much more real with pumpkin beers. I live in Indiana, if I've ever seen a field of barley, I missed it. I've never seen a field of hops. So these things are nice for beer, but I've been to a pumpkin patch. I've grown my own pumpkins.

There's something historical about it. I don't know if colonial Americans made beer with pumpkin bits in it, but I can imagine they might have and that's just as good.

I for one love the creaminess the pumpkin imparts. And of course the aroma of a well made pumpkin ale is always in perfect sync with the season.

But, RK, you're right, many (many many many many) pumpkin ales are better left unmade and if made, then undrunk.

Not a big fan of pumpkin beers, personally.

At least, I wasn't until I had "Pumpking" from Southern Tier (aka: the Ben and Jerry's of brewing). The stuff's amazing.

Most of the others are just blah. Better left unmade, as mentioned above.

I like pumkin beer, not love but like. Simply the fact that I love all tastes and smells having to do with the fall. If I can get it in my beer as well, all the better. I am one of the few who think fall is the best season of all. The sensory delight I get the whole season is euphoric for me.

Pumking is indeed delicious.

A punk'd or pumking on a chilly fall day reminds me of some of the things I've lost in moving to the city--like being able to sit on the roof of my porch and look out at the fields and changing leaves over the Monkton hills.

It's a seasonal beer that makes me reminisce. I don't know why it does, but I like it because of that.

Another vote for Pumking

I'm with Doug. If you haven't tried DogFish Head Punkin Ale, you are MISSING out. The others? Eh, notsomuch. But Punkin Ale sells out quickly -- only comes in a 4 pack, and drinking it just makes me happy.

Beer is good for you. Pumpkin is good for you. So here's to your health! Actually, for me it's another type of seasonal beer that's simply fun to look forward to since they're not available all year, and it creates a strong mental association with the things I love about the fall season.

Clearly, I'm one of the only fans out there of Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale. I *believe* it pre-dates Dogfish's Punkin Ale. It's my seasonal between Sierra Nevada's Anniversary Ale and Anchor's Holiday Ale.

You aren't missing out if you are thinking of picking up budweisers pumpkin or Coors' pumpkin. IF you start grabbing southern tier, schlafly, dogfish head, shipyards, or weyerbacher pumpkin beers, they are all excellent. What better way to ring in the fall season.
I love pumpkin though. that might make all the difference. some taste like pie, some just use pumpkin in the mash, and some just use some of the spices that are generally used for pumpkin pie.