BEER REVIEW: 339

BREWER: Shepherd Neame, Kent, England

STYLE: Strong Ale

ABV: 5.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle 

DATE OF POST: 8th April 2024

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I’m 43 now. Not old I know but certainly not young anymore. Mentally I’m still hovering around 25 I reckon but physically I’m defo 43! I mean my once thick and luscious locks are now no longer thick and so far from luscious it’s ridiculous. I’m attempting the 5^th time of growing my hair long to cover the trouble by tying it back but we’ll have to see how that goes… and looks! My once quite sexy wrinkles have 100% gone over the edge too. Think a Jim Henson caricature of Gordon Ramsey waking up after a heavy night and you won’t be far off! One thing that hasn’t deserted me yet is my eyesight. However, our brewer today, Shepherd Neame, really got me questioning that, by producing the smallest ever font to describe the history of the beer on the back label. I mean, I have to take my hat off to the printer that managed this feat but at the end of the day printing something so small you need a microscope to read it is not useful to anyone and seems altogether pointless.

Anyway, to the beer.

Luckily regular sized fonts were used for the front label so I knew we were dealing with a 5.2% Kentish Strong Ale. Now while 5.2 is strong to a point, I’m not sure it warrants the tag of STRONG ALE. And unfortunately, flavour wise this ain’t a strong boy either… let’s start from the beginning.

Bishops Finger has an ‘aley’, fruity and slightly metallic nose, but not unpleasant. All of this transfers into the sip too. It’s ‘aley’. It’s fruity. It’s slightly metallic. And again, though it’s not unpleasant, it’s not very good. There is a tiny wee touch of caramel in the aftertaste which helped out a bit but overall, this really isn’t a brew to write home about.

Considering BF has been brewed since 1958 you would think that they would have locked it down by now.

Disappointing, though I wouldn’t necessarily say no to a glass if offered.

Jymi’s Rating: 50%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Bishops Finger was Kent beer of the year 2023. Not a national award, but still, something to be celebrated. 

I like the classic label – the colour scheme is well thought out with gold and purple complimenting one another.  It might not be groundbreaking packaging but it definitely works. 

Bishops Finger is sold as a strong ale.  At 5.2% this has to be questioned. It’s hardly packing a fighting weight of an abv. 

In the glass we get a nice dark amber liquid that smells like a malty traditional ale. This is a good thing. 

In the drinking BF has lots of maltiness.  Then there’s a sweetness upfront giving way to slight bitter finish.  The flavour profile is dried fruits giving way to slight orange notes. All in all it’s quite subtle but pleasant. 

Not a monster of a brew by any stretch of the imagination, BF is decent enough. It wouldn’t be one that you’d reach for but you wouldn’t be too disappointed to be offered it. 

Sammy’s Rating: 68%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 59%

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Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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M O B 2024