Bishops Finger
(has 2 batches)
Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.35
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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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5.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Klar bernsteinfarben mit weißer Schaumkrone. Malziger, röstmalziger, etwas nussiger Geruch. Geschmacklich malzig, röstmalzig, etwas nussig, zudem Karamell. Leicht süß mit mittlerer Bitterkeit, leichter bis mittlerer Körper mit sanfter Kohlensäure.
Tried
on 05 May 2019
at 11:25
6.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Smell - weak, maybe some hops. Foam - thin, half soft, some weak bitter and herbal notes. Foam is medium large, creamy orange, brown white color. Appearance - clear red, brown mahogany color, medium dark, some carbonation. Taste - caramel, bittersweet, some herbal notes, aftertaste medium bitterness. Would like it more with some sweetness.
Tried
on 01 May 2019
at 09:46
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
500ml bottle. Spicy caramel aroma, flavour is caramel, maybe a little banana. Not that exciting tbh
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Mar 2019
at 22:57
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Cask at the Caley Picture House. Pours clear red amber with a creamy light beige head. Aromas of sweet stewed fruit and spice. Taste is more of the same. Sweet, light chalky finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 07 Mar 2019
at 10:11
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
A copper beer, a head is medium and beige. Aroma has toffeeish maltyness, wood, some orange marmelade. Taste has toffee, wood, surprisingly dry, because there are also nice bitterness involved. Medium bodied. Basic brittish but good. Enough of bitterness.
Tried
on 12 Jan 2019
at 09:12
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Nice for the style, could use a bit more body. The bitterness tops out just perfectly to still be balanced and still malt forward. D&S
Tried
on 11 Jan 2019
at 19:19
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
04.01.2018 -- on tap from punk craft in moscow, 5.4% abv. pours a clear deep chestnut with a medium head. aroma of bacon, rye bread, wood, plums. flavour of prunes, tobacco, wood. bitter finish. interesting, tangy. is this a dunkel-bitter?
Tried
from Draft
on 04 Jan 2019
at 01:37
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
F: big, tan, good retention. C: coppery, clear. A: malty, caramel, tea leaves, fruity with marmalade touch, bit hoppy. T: malty, dry on the palate, caramel, fruity, grassy bitterness, medium body and low to medium carbonation, not bad, enjoyed, 0,5l bottle from “'t Iengels Wienkeltje” food store in Ostende.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Nov 2018
at 16:24
6/10
Tried
on 30 Aug 2018
at 14:24
6/10
Tried
on 15 Jul 2018
at 15:39