Shepherd Neame Spitfire

The Spitfire Kentish Ale was first brewed in 1990 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Since its inception it has become brewer Shepherd Neame’s biggest selling cask conditioned Ale. The English malt and Kentish Hops give the beer its unique taste.

Origin: Faversham, England

Alcohol/vol: 4.5%

Style: Kentish Ale

Average Rating: 6.75 

Every chance you’ll enjoy.

Craig’s tasting

Lets start with a history lesson. The battle of Britain was the name given to the sustained struggle that saw the German Luftwaffe attempt to obliterate Britain’s Royal Air Force in 1940. As history would have it, the British managed to stave off the attacks and go on to celebrate the victory 50 years on by creating the Spitfire Kentish Ale.

The Spitfire aircraft was an outstanding aircraft for its time. Boasting a liquid cooled 27 litre V12 monster of an engine, that pumped out a whopping 1,470 horsepower. That being said I am now going to compare the specifications of the Spitfire aircraft against the Spitfire Kentish Al;

Engine power = 1,470 hp

Beer power = 4.5% alc/vol

Engine capacity = 27L

Bottle capacity = 0.5L

Crew = 1 pilot

Dinkers per bottle = 1

Quite frankly the only similarity i could find is that both Spitfires were only designed for one person at a time. Perhaps the thing that really separates these two is the fact that, where the plane is packing 4 x 7.70mm 350 round Browning machine guns. The beer is only packing a subtle maltiness with toffee overtones.

My recommendation to readers is that you should try to get your hands on both and experience the difference for yourself.

Danny’s tasting

Proudly advertised as the “Bottle of Britain” this Ale pays homage to the English WW2 fighter plane that is largely responsible for allowing the English to continue to brew flat warm beers instead of German Wheat Beers.

The bottle alone would cause some damage if dropped on an enemy, chunky and at half a litre size.

Spitfire when sampled has a mischievous hint of nitrotetracyclate with a somewhat amusing after taste of phenobeutenol that would accompany either a Herring Fondue or Anchovy Soufflé equally well. In fact having it with anything seems to improve it.

Perhaps an attempt at a German Wheat Beer wouldn’t have been a bad thing after all.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this a G.