Bishops Finger
Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.34
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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.
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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7/10
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
6.6/10
—
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
6/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2022
at 09:55
5/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2022
at 09:50
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
From recently unearthed notes, drank December 2018. Cask at the Spanish Galleon, Blackheath. Reddish amber pour with a beige head. Aromas of red fruit, nuts. Flavours of red fruit, sweet malt, touch of caramel. Long malt laden finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 04 Oct 2022
at 14:22
6/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Sep 2022
at 20:01
7.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Review in August 2022: Bottle. Clear glass, never a good start. Clear amber body with a thin off-white head. Steady carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of biscuit, wood and stewed tea. Flavour of toffee and cranberry. Thin to medium body with a watery texture. Soft fizz. It’s a decent beer, despite the clear bottle. I think this would be nice on cask. 8-7-7-6-7 = 7.0
Review in March 2025: Bottle (brown glass this time, promising). Clear amber body with a thin off-white head. Steady carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of biscuit, red berries and stewed tea. Flavour of toffee, rust and cranberry. Thin to medium body with a watery texture. Soft fizz. This is a very good bitter at a very good price. 8-7-7-7-7.5 = 7.3.
Review in March 2025: Bottle (brown glass this time, promising). Clear amber body with a thin off-white head. Steady carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of biscuit, red berries and stewed tea. Flavour of toffee, rust and cranberry. Thin to medium body with a watery texture. Soft fizz. This is a very good bitter at a very good price. 8-7-7-7-7.5 = 7.3.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Aug 2022
at 21:48
9/10
Tried
on 27 Aug 2022
at 14:18
7/10
Sanftes, ausgewogenes Bitter
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jul 2022
at 17:22