Beer Review: Spitfire

It's time for beers. I only have one, it's Spitfire.

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I don't know when it was that I started liking Kentish beer, it feels like I'm selling out in the bitter stakes - proper northern stuff, but it is nice anyway. Claims to be a bitter but I don't get that. The colour is lovely and dark, and the carbonation is at a nice level. There is a crisp smell to it that avoids being musty and yeasty without becoming too malty and heavy. It claims to be fruity but I'm not catching that as much as I've done with others. At 4.5% ABV it's no slouch on the alcohol front and the taste lets you know. Not hugely powerful or blow your head off strong but enough to remind you that it is alcoholic and you shouldn't have too many.

Overall, the taste is like the colour. Elements of nuttiness with a definite spice edge. After taste is not unpheasant but you'd have to be pretty gull-ible to assume it's the nicest bit to the beer. Sorry, bird puns, I'm easily amused and wren I get going I shan't grouse. It was a good buy, not crowing about it, but I'm happy. Sorry, I'll stop with the bird puns now, there's only so many you can do before you call fowl at it being owl-full. Sorry. So, yeah, it's not the strongest I've had but it has brought me a subtle light-headedness and has allowed my mood to lighten to the point where I'm making bird puns. It is a beer. A nice beer, not the best I've ever had and not as good as Thoroughbred Gold (here) but good enough to get bought again.

Drink this wherever you like, with whoever you like and have a brace. It's a beer that you can drink a few of and, if you can ignore the fact that it's from Kent, you'll be able to do so to quite a high level. Not that I'm a bit bitter or anything.  But, seriously, how many beers brewed by Shepherd Neame do I have to enjoy?  It's not natural, I tell you, no one brewery, and not one from Kent, should be able to make so many ales that are good drinking beers.  They have 1698 (here) and Autumn Red (here) in their stable too.  Basically, Spitfire is in that fine tradition of nice ales that one can have a few of and enjoy heartily without getting too bladdered.  And try hard not to think about how many you have, it'll depress you.  No, it's a drinking beer and good at what it does. I'll probably buy it again.