Bishops Finger is the name given to the premium speciality beer brewed by the Shepherd Neame Brewery at Faversham, Kent.
It derives its unusual name from an old Kentish signpost and has been brewed continuously since 1958.
It is a strong and distinctive 5.4% ABV Kentish Ale that is described by eminent beer writer Andrew Jefford in the following way:-
This ember-warm and autumnal coloured Kentish Ale takes the complex and dense, rich fruit notes of gently roasted malt and mixes them with a profusion of locally grown Kentish hops to give a satisfying, clean, dry, lingering Seville-orange finish.
The beer is produced using water drawn from Kentish Greensand. The man-made well was dug prior to 1889 and is 200 feet deep. It penetrates the upper brick earth layer then through the green-sand into the basal chalk stratum. Water is extracted 48ft below the well-head. Although the well is only 100 yards from the sea the pressure from this artesian well keeps salt water at bay. The water is taint-free, chalky and of medium hardness.
The Winter Barley grown locally in East Kent on the Downs near Canterbury is converted to malt in Essex. The wort is infused only in traditional Mash Tuns of Russian teak built in 1914, spiced with choicest East Kent Goldings Hops grown within thirty miles of Faversham and fermented to a full 5.4% Alcohol by Volume. It holds the rare distinction of a Protective Geographic Indicator confirming its distinct identity.
It was decreed at a meeting of the Board of Directors in January 2003 that the beer must always be brewed in this time honoured way to ensure the highest standards of perfection; to be brewed only on Fridays and only by the Head Brewer; always to contain Kentish Malted Barley; to be presented to a member of the Board for personal approval on a weekly basis and to be celebrated at an annual Hop Blessing Church Service in September.
We hope that Bishops Finger will be considered to be the ultimate and finest bottled ale in the world. |
