Shepherd Neame Spitfire

I'd never seen any Shepherd Neame beers before, so I grabbed a bottle of Spitfire for my latest mix-a-six.  It claims it's a Kentish ale on the label, but it seems like a reg'lar ol' ESB to me:

Vittles:
Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
4.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 22/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 88/100

Impression:
I love the clarity of the poured beer and the creaminess of the head, which retains decently.  The pale malt aromas are fairly clear and support the earthy and herbal hops characteristics very well.  Caramel, toffee, and bready flavors come through, as do floral, grassy, herbal, earthy, and fruity notes.  The medium body, moderate carbonation, and dry finish complement the flavor profile very well, but what I found the most pleasing was the refreshing crispness this beer offers.  Very satisfying -- I'll have to keep an eye out for this bottle in the future.  It seems like it would go very nicely with grilled chicken.

Cheers!

Redhook ESB

I don't think I've ever had any Redhook beers before, though I have heard of the brewery.  I grabbed their ESB for my latest mix-a-six (it was between that and their Long Hammer IPA, but I already had a couple IPAs).  Besides, it's been quite a while since I last had an ESB:

Vittles:
Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
5.8% abv
28 IBU

Score:
Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 19/25
Taste: 32/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 79/100

Impression:
With a thin, off-white head and poor retention, it's not going to win any beer beauty contests.  However, the aroma is fairly solid for an ESB.  It's grainy, biscuity, earthy, fruity, and a little floral -- decent complexity for the style.  I also picked up on some sort of metallic note that detracted from the aroma.  The aroma and flavor profiles are very similar, right down to that metallic flavor, unfortunately.  Thankfully, the off-flavor dissipated over time, so as the beer warmed, I was able to enjoy more of the malty-sweetness, like caramel, which had been hidden by the off-flavor.  Some spiciness also came out to play over time.  All in all, it's alright, but I won't be rushing out to grab another bottle.

Cheers!