Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger

Bishops Finger

 

Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular
Score
6.32
ABV: 5.2% IBU: - Ticks: 267
First brewed in 1958, Bishops Finger was the first strong ale created by Shepherd Neame after 20 years of malt rationing came to an end.

The beer was named after an ancient Kentish signpost found on the Pilgrim’s Way pointing to Canterbury and the shrine of Thomas à Becket in the city’s world-famous Cathedral.

A rich and fruity ruby ale, it has won numerous awards, including World’s Best Bitter in the 2024 World Beer Awards, and also holds EU Protected Geographical Indication, recognising its unique provenance as a Kentish Strong Ale. Uniquely, it is brewed to a charter which states it can only be brewed by the head brewer on a Friday and must use 100% natural ingredients - Kentish hops and barley - and the brewery's own artesian mineral water.
Flavour profile

Fashioned on a firm, fruity foundation of Crystal malt, this rich, ruby-coloured Kent classic belies its burly appearance with a complexity of flavour. Mouth-filling fruit, prunes, plums and dried apricot spiked with palate-prickling pepper, cinnamon and a soft bitter blood-orange finish.
 

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6.3
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Pint from the cask at the Lamplighter, St Helier, Jersey. Pours amber with a small white head. Aromas & tastes of dark fruits, caramel, toffee & malt. Moderate body. Moderate bitter finish. Enjoyable

Tried from Cask on 23 Jan 2025 at 08:04


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Completely clear light red with slight head. Nice change of scenery for the aroma. Slightly floral, toffee, grassy, slightly earthy, plum slight metal. Smooth and full bodied taste. Well rounded, lingering bitterness, more than I remember. Medium sweetness, plum. Caramel poking through. Overall very good.

Tried on 10 Jan 2025 at 23:05


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle 0,5ltr: Clear dark amber coloured brew with an balanced hoppy start, the fruitiness takes over and there are hints of caramel.

Tried from Bottle on 29 Dec 2024 at 11:40


5.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Pinta inglesa, color ámbar cobrizo, limpio y transparente, espuma color crema claro de media retención que al mermar persiste en forma de aureola cremosa. Aroma a malta, frutas maduras, especialmente frutos oscuros , caramelo, frutos secos... En boca se percibe de cuerpo medio, bien carbonatada, bien balanceada, entrada moderadamente dulce con dominio de las notas de malta, caramelo, pasas, frutos secos...final mayormente amargo, tostado, con cierta presencia herbal y especiada.

Tried from Bottle on 09 Mar 2024 at 23:00


5.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Cask at The Justice Mill, Aberdeen. Surprised I haven't rated this before! It pours clear deep brown with a thick, beige head. The aroma is earthy, woody, toasted nut, brown bread, toffee and fruit cake. The taste is dry, woody, quite nutty, walnut, earthy, dusty, leather, some astringency, spice and dried fruits. Finish has a slight astringent, nutty vibe. Medium body and moderate, fluffy carbonation. Fairly robust and with some decent character to it. I am not a huge fan of the finish though, which doesn't leave a great taste in the mouth.

Tried from Cask on 29 Jan 2024 at 12:44


5.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Lime and a little rust. Pours golden with ok head. Light tangy finish. You get what you came for here. Cask.

Tried from Cask on 19 Aug 2023 at 00:49


7

Tried on 11 Jun 2023 at 18:02


18/11/1989. CLARET FREE HOUSE, 5a Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road, ADDISCOMBE, Greater London, England (FREE HOUSE)

Tried on 31 Jan 2023 at 07:56


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Flasche 0,5l: Dunkles Bernstein, Kupfer, glasklar, mäßig stabiler mittelporiger Schaum; sehr fruchtige + kräftig malzige Nase, kräftige Süße, leichte fruchtige Hopfennoten, dunkle/eingelegte Früchte, Malz, Malzzucker, Honig, kräftig Karamell, fruchtig-malzige Bitterkeit; leicht fruchtiger + würziger Körper, leichte Süße, dunkle Früchte, trockene Hopfenaromen, florale/kräutrige Noten, leichte trockene Säure, kräftig Malz, Getreide, etwas Karamell, cremig, kräftige Kohlensäure; fruchtig-würziger Nachgang

Tried on 25 Nov 2022 at 13:02


Beer tick image

6

Tried from Bottle on 30 Oct 2022 at 09:55