Review: Bishop's Finger

Name: Bishop's Finger
Brewery: Shepherd Neame, Kent.
ABV: 5.4%
Style: Strong bitter
Season: Autumn firstly but on a very late, balmy summer evening: especially wonderful!

Availability: Most major supermarkets.

From the garden of England and the home of many famous hop varieties comes Bishop's Finger of Shepherd Neame. With a name sounding somewhat like a niche love-act or a Carry-On esque innuenddo than a beer, the punchline comes with an ABV of 5.4%. This makes for a surprisingly heady brew and this pint is a real draw of potency that sneaks up on you. For its colour and strength (pouring out a maple-sultana chestnut brown), the delivery is rather delicately handled: there is a hop bitterness that makes this quite refreshing especially when served cold. As the drop starts to warm, a malty sweetness begins to bloom on the palate but make no mistake, this is a bitter albeit extremely well handled. The front notes are sweet with a slight smoke to the malts but as it finishes, things start to twinge with the air of steeped winter berries and as you draw breath, you would swear brandywine had something to do with the maturation. There is another flavour here that eminates up and around like the air of a late summer evening: call me romantic or even foolish (or maybe under the spell of the Bishop's rather boozy fingering!) but there is the haunting of polished wood or dare I say it, the scent of nostalgia: the dampening of grass as the late August evenings start to wane and the barbecue embers start to fade. This is a beauty of a beer and although not often visited by myself, I always appreciate an evening with the Bishop, when he comes a-calling!