I've only been brewing for a short time. I started making simple meads about three years ago, and beers about a year and a half ago. However, I've been trying as many beers as I can find for nearly 30 years now. The ciders of the UK are far superior to anything we have here in the US, and their ales and stouts are fantastic - but they really don't hold a candle to the sheer variety of craft beers available in the US.
My favorite beer to brew is an ale I found in an old book on life in the 18th century, written down in the notes of a Welsh land owner. It is just a simple brown ale but it is very good.