Beer in the Evening

Purchase Location: My Local Supermarket
Serving: 500ml bottle
Session suggestion: Medium (3 bottles)
ABV: 5.4%

Shepherd Neame oldest brewery in Britain, a well established name amongst pubs these days, walk into any Wetherspoons, Green King or a Punch Tavern pub and you’re sure to find a Shepherd Neame brew on tap.

It’s worth noting then, I’m not in a pub, I’ve just done the Christmas shopping, and taking a break from pushing the Jackass stunt wagon round the clinical white supermarket I’ve stopped off at the beer isle to cast an opinion on the mountains of cheap lager that are supposedly destroying the English pub trade. It was a pleasant suprise then to find my attention diverted to a wide range of real ales, Badger beers, Charles Wells, Cotswold Brewery, Youngs, and Shepherd Neame brands lining the shelves like soliders of salvation.

I picked up a few bottles of Bishops Finger, not a very inviting name, but it was very cheap… Did I just say that, “it was cheap?” Well, it was.  I felt like I’d found a bargain, a secret bargain that only I knew about.  It was as though I’d smuggled the ales into the trolley hiding them behind the bread and cat food so that nobody saw me do it, I imagined that later I would return with a bigger trolley and reclaim the rest of my treasure.  I was beer bloody rich.

And so it was, the tale of how I came to drink Bishops Finger, again not a very inviting name, probably a lot to do with why I haven’t tried it in the past. But here it is, pouring a dark amber with reddish tones, a good head of just off-white foam, that sits well, not dispersing, I don’t like to use the word lacing, but it was impressive hugging the glass to half way down, giving the pint a full feeling.  Strange word to use ’full’, it doesn’t totally describe what I’m trying to say, I guess the strong lacing made the pint seem denser and longer lasting than it actually was. An optical illusion I  suppose. Bishops Finger has a more gentle carbonation compared with other bottled beers I’ve tried recently and that too adds to the pint appearing ‘full’ giving the pint a look of warmth.  The first olfaction is malty with tinges of the yeast used in brewing and it’s almost like ginger to me. You’re probably thinking I’m going to kiss the damn thing in a moment “man marries pint” the papers will say, I’ll better that - I’m just going to drink it.

The first taste is bitter and citrussy not unpleasant but quite strong immediately, I felt that the instant bitterness mellowed as the pint went down, leaving more of a lasting citrus fruit after taste on the palette, it basically starts off all coiled and complex, then unravells itself and relaxes to be a good example of what a top British pint should be.

I’m not feeling like drinking much tonight, so I stopped after the first one, but I’d suggest with it’s high ABV of 5.4% it’s not a session ale and you should take it easy after 3, enjoy the winter night and maybe cap it of with a fourth - but thats up to you.

My Rating: 8/10

Hops used: Goldings (I assumed)
ABV: 5.4%
Visit the Shepherd Neame Brewery Website for more information.