I love going into a British supermarket and looking at all the varieties of British beer there are. There are so many varieties of British beer (some of them centuries old) that it's difficult to choose which one to try out.
I love Spitfire cask conditioned Kentish ale. It was first brewed by Kent brewer Shepherd Neame (founded in 1698) in 1990 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain (the beer is nicknamed "The Bottle of Britain") . The brand is promoted by award-winning World War II-themed advertising such as the one below, featuring comedy duo Armstrong (also known to millions in Britain as the presenter of popular BBC gameshow Pointless) and Miller.
Other Shepherd Neame beers are:
Bishop's Finger: a cask-conditioned ale brewed to a traditional Kentish recipe, it is also exported in bottles to more than 30 countries worldwide;
Master Brew: the brewery's bestselling cask ale in Kent. It is brewed using only Kentish barley and hops, and is a distinctive, mid-brown bitter ale best known in the brewery's Kentish heartland;
Early Bird Spring Hop: brewed with the Early Bird single hop variety. This light-gold beer is full-bodied, distinctive, with a malty undertone. It is seasonally available, from February to May, inclusive;
Goldings Summer Hop Ale: a light flavoured bitter made with Kentish malt and fresh Goldings hops harvested within five miles of the brewery. The beer is almost floral-scented, with a biscuity taste. It is seasonally available, from June to August;
Late Red Autumn Hop Ale: a complex, richly flavoured autumn hop ale. With an autumnal auburn hue, this premium beer achieves a balance between rich, dark malt flavours, and a strong, robust hoppiness. The brew is seasonally available, from September to November;
Original Porter: a dark London-style Porter brewed in the winter and available from November to February;
Whitstable Bay: Organic Ale which has an elegant, light flavour and is backed by the traditionally farmed, English malted barley and organic hops from New Zealand, which fuse to produce a bittersweet flavour with floral overtones and a dry finish. Its label states it is approved by the Soil Association and the Vegetarian Society.
Another good set of English beers are those brewed at the Wychwood Brewery in David Cameron's constituency of Witney in Oxfordshire.
Wychwood Brewery produces around 50,000 barrels (8,200,000 litres) of cask ale each year, and is the United Kingdom's largest brewer of organic ales. Wychwood filtered and bottled beers are exported all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, France, Australia, Russia, Japan, Israel and Singapore.
The brewery is noted for its intricate, fantasy-based label artwork, inspired by the myths and legends surrounding the ancient mediaeval Wych Wood Forest.
The Wychwood beer I like the best is Hobgoblin - "full bodied and well balanced with a chocolate toffee malt flavour, moderate bitterness and a distinctive fruity character with a ruby red glow". It was the first bottled beer in the UK to feature an illustrated label, as opposed to a simple text-based one, and it is currently the 5th best-selling bottled ale in the UK.
Their other beers King Goblin ("only brewed on a full moon"), Scarecrow, Goliath and Wychcraft.