What's all the hype about pumpkin beer?

I have heard tons of hype about pumpkin beer from at least a dozen people this fall, so I decided to give it a try. To be fair, I grabbed two different brands(one that is raved about and one from a local brewer) to make sure I was getting a full picture.

The contenders:



I was a little nervous because the last flavored beer I tried was Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and let me tell you, that was vomit inducing with just one sip!

Of course, I made Justin taste each one first. His opinion was "tastes like beer". I thought I would try to be the sophisticated one and point out the spices or "autumn tones"...but nope, he was right. Tastes like beer!