Getting the Bishops Finger for Beer 🍺 Saturday

Getting the Bishops Finger for Beer 🍺 Saturday

The second of January is a public holiday in Scotland. New Year was our only holiday for a long time. For example did you know Christmas Day was not a holiday until 1958 here in Scotland!

1958 was also when today's beer was first brewed!

So a New Year but you are still getting some fluffing fun facts from Yours truly!

Bishops Finger

I had never drunk this until Thursday. I was at the supermarket looking for some interesting British beers. Sometimes we overlook what is on our doorstep in the rush to get something exotic.

But when it comes to ales and beers, I believe we have as good as any country.

Tengo's finger

Life is about having fun and Hive is one of those places for me.

So yes I tried to have my version of the finger!

We shall come to the name in a minute, but the picture gives you a clue....

Bishops Finger CAN ONLY be brewed on a fluffing Friday!

As you can see from the above two pictures from the bottle's neck of the Bishops Finger (interestingly enough I see they don't use an ' !), Bishops Finger holds EU Protected Geographical Indication which recognises its unique provenance.

This means it MUST be brewed to a unique charter.

The unique charter means that Bishops Finger must:
1 - be brewed using 100% natural ingredients which are Kentish hops and barley, and the brewery's own artesian mineral water.
2 - only be brewed by the head brewer on a Friday.

Bishops Finger ~ Kentish Strong Ale

The eagle eyed amongst you can see from that label why it got it's name!

Vegan Approved

I thought all beers were?

Those bubbles!

Okay before we quench our throats, here is the story...

Bishops Finger Kentish Strong Ale is a connoisseur's beer with excellent credentials and pedigree.

It takes its name from the finger-shaped signposts which pointed pilgrims on their way to the tomb of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury and was the first strong ale to be brewed by Shepherd Neame after malt rationing was eased in the late 1950s. It is also one of the UK's oldest bottled beers, brewed since 1958.

There you go that was the blurb from their website I did tell you 1958 was poignant for this article!

It is described as a ruby beer, and I must admit when I was pouring it out into the glass it did remind of my favourite goto beer McEwans Export.

See my verdict at the end of the post, suffice to say I enjoyed it!

It goes well when you watch your favourite team Rangers stun our enemy and league leaders Celtic 3-0 in the Ne'er day game. This fixture is always a sad reminder of the Ibrox disaster, when 66 fans died at a crush at Stairway 13 on this fixture on the 2nd of January 1971.

It also goes really well with your New Year's Day steak pie reheated along with the vegan leftovers!

The Stats 1

Screenshot Source Shepherd Neame brewery

My trusty Gemini AI tool on my chromebook gave me the following insights:

Bishops Finger is a strong ale from Kent, England, brewed by Shepherd Neame.

Name: Named after the finger-shaped signposts that guided pilgrims to Thomas Becket's tomb in Canterbury
Tasting notes: Ruby-colored with flavors of fruit, prunes, plums, dried apricot, pepper, cinnamon, and a soft bitter blood-orange finish
Ingredients: Kentish hops, barley, and the brewery's artesian mineral water
Brewing: Brewed to a charter that states it can only be brewed by the head brewer on a Friday
Awards: A silver medal-winner in the Daily Telegraph Taste of Britain awards
Status: Holds EU Protected Geographical Indication status, guaranteeing the provenance of its ingredients
Strength: 5.2% with the bottles, 5% on draught.
Availability: You can buy Bishops Finger from Tesco, Morrisons, and The Calais Wine Superstore

As a side note, I bought the 500ml bottles at my local branch of Morrison's where they were marked down to £1.75 from £2.00 and are well worth it!

Screenshot Source Shepherd Neame brewery

My Verdict

I loved it, I love the fact that it came in a bottle. Call me old fashioned but I still think metal cans impair the flavour of things and beers are no exception.

I loved the colour and the bubbles. It easily gave a good head, it was light but strong!

Above all it was smooth on the lips and smooth going down your throat.

It wasn't sweet nor was it particularly bitter to my taste, I could taste plenty of berries and even the hint of toffee.

It went down equally well before food, with food and after food!

Well worth a drink if you ever see it!

Posting about a beer on a Saturday on the Beer Community ....

It's a whole bunch of fun, so check out The #BeerSaturday Challenge - Week 392 from the one and only @detlev.

This #BeerSaturday week I would like to invite @lhes to share a beer🍻

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your day!