Female, 32. I think beards are awesome, especially goatees and similar small, well-trimmed beards (though I'm not against the longer types). Mustaches as well, again well-trimmed. My best friend has a good goatee-mustache thing going, and he looks *hot*. So... yeah.
For context, I do feel that hair length shows a man's relationship to authority. It's a complex issue for me, but basically, if a guy's got hair long enough to cover his ears, I wouldn't marry him; and what I'm not comfortable marrying, I don't date. But I don't hold beards to quite the same standard (short hair on head and long beard seems okay in my mind).
I do confess that I enjoy long hair on fictional male characters. But then, I also enjoy "bad boy" types in fiction that I'd never even consider dating. So make of that what you will.