Bishops Finger
Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.34
|
|
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.
Sign up to add a tick or review
7/10
Sanftes, ausgewogenes Bitter
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jul 2022
at 17:22
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Amber beer with a cream head. Malt and light citrus aroma. Malt and light caramel flavor with light citrus. Medium bodied. Light caramel and light citrus linger.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jul 2022
at 22:05
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Reminds me of long time ago, mid nineties visits to Kent / Faversham. Color: Dark amber to copper, off-white head. Aroma: Caramel malt. Taste: Quite strong caramel malt, floral hop background. Moderate sweet and bitter with a very dry medium bitter finish. Medium body, below average carbonation. Mouthfeel is a bit flat, which is ok for a traditional English Ale.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jun 2022
at 17:24
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
50 cl bottle @ home, BBE 11/2022. Rated on 5.4.2022 Aroma has menthol, toffee and nuts. Flavour has toffee, minerals, hops, menthol. Nuts in the finish. Nope, English hops still won't work for me.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 May 2022
at 13:59
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
# 2766; 2/2022. Bready and earthy aroma. Brilliant amber body; off-white head with low persistance. Malty, stone fruits, earthy, bready, dry. Very good bitter. 0,5 l, clear glass bottle, supermarket, Canterbury (Kent, UK).
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Feb 2022
at 20:17
7/10
Very nice, very smooth, very English, not "strong" in taste or ABV. Yep, that's my new Alf glass.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jan 2022
at 14:36
8/10
Bottle from my local off-licence ‘Wine Rack’. Pours a clear chestnut colour with a medium sized creamy white head. Aromas of dark fruits, toasty bread, a touch of caramel and spice. Taste has more dark fruits, caramel, burnt brown bread, spice, some added roasty notes and a hint of nuts. A nice earthy hop bitterness on the finish. Medium to full body with a smooth oily mouthfeel. Good beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Aug 2021
at 20:41
6.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sample at 5he Prior John.
Thin white head. Clear Amber pour. Easy drinking
Thin white head. Clear Amber pour. Easy drinking
Tried
from Cask
at
Prior John (JDW)
on 29 Jun 2021
at 14:11
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle from local Aldi. Has a restrained aroma of malts with traces of nuts and marmalade. Pours a bright copper with a small off-white head. Hops are to the fore in the mouth, but there’s also plenty going on underneath. Hints of toffee, orange peel, raisins and malts with a somewhat cloying texture. Bitterness lasts in the finish, but there’s still fruit there as well. Certainly an enjoyable beer, and very drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Feb 2021
at 17:00
6/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Nov 2020
at 20:07