Spitfire
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Tasting Notes
Spitfire opens with a lightly floral and biscuity aroma, with hints of marmalade and a faint earthiness from English whole hops. On the palate it delivers toasty malt character alongside a moderate, resinous bitterness that leans more herbal than citrusy. The body is medium-light, well-suited to session drinking, and the finish is dry with a lingering hop sharpness that keeps it from feeling heavy. It's a solid, unpretentious example of Kent hop character.
About the Brewery
Shepherd Neame is based in Faversham, Kent, and is widely recognized as Britain's oldest brewer, with origins tracing back to at least 1698. The brewery sits in the heart of English hop-growing country, which has a direct influence on their house character across the range. Beyond Spitfire, they produce Bishops Finger and a portfolio of traditional British ales, and they hold a significant number of tied pub houses across the southeast of England.
Food Pairings
Spitfire's dry, herbal bitterness and toasty malt backbone make it a natural match for a proper ploughman's lunch, where strong cheddar and pickled onions mirror its tangy, earthy notes. Roast chicken works well because the malt character complements the savory fat without overwhelming lighter flavors. A classic beef and onion pie pairs cleanly, the bitterness cutting through the richness of the gravy. Battered fish and chips is almost a canonical match for this style, since the carbonation and hop dryness scrub through fried richness effectively.
Style Guide
English Pale Ale is a malt-forward, moderately bitter style brewed with traditional British ingredients — pale and crystal malts for biscuity sweetness, and English hop varieties like Fuggles or Goldings for their earthy, floral, and herbal character rather than the bright citrus of American hops. ABV typically runs from around 4% to 5.5%, keeping the body manageable for pint-after-pint drinking. It diverges from its American counterpart by emphasizing malt balance over hop intensity, and from bitters primarily through slightly higher carbonation and a cleaner finish. The style originated in England in the 18th century as pale malt became more widely available.