Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger

This is my kind of colour: chestnut brown with a frothy, reasonably tight beige head.  As you'd expect from the appearance, it smells so fruity and malty with just a hint of the trademark Shepherd Neame sour hops smell that can sometimes be a bit unappealing.  I was definitely not put off by the aroma in this case as the experience so far invited me to dive right in.

This tastes deliciously malty with a fruity tanginess, sour hops and a hint of liquorice toffee, followed by a bitter chocolate aftertaste.  It is quite fizzy but not too harsh and each bubble leaves a fruity burst of flavour in your mouth.

Bishops Finger is one of the better Shepherd Neame ales and you can often pick it up quite cheap.  It's one I have drank many times so I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing it Again.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent
5.4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold

A deep gold fizzy beer with a thin white head giving it the look of a traditional beer.  It smells very strongly of hops, as I've found with all Shepherd Neame ales.  Once my nose got through the strong smell of hops, it is replaced with a fresh pine and tropical fruit aroma.

There is an initial lovey taste of sweet malts but it is quite fizzy which enhances the fruity bitterness that follows.  The aftertaste is creamy rather than bitter which makes it one of the better Shepherd Neame ales.  The head is non-existent after a few minutes which is a shame, but it's very easy to drink and not bad at all for a mass-produced beer.

Definitely one Ale be happy to See Again.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent
4.3% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame Warlock's Broth

A Hoppy Halloween it is with a deliciously hoppy aroma bursting out of the bottle.  This is a beautiful treacle toffee colour with a bubbly beige head that disappears quickly, leaving a very thin layer.

Initial flavour is reasonably pleasant with a hint of malty sweetness and a burnt caramel aftertaste.  I've not been a big fan of Shepherd Neame ales in the past as they often taste a bit like dirty dish water, but this one isn't bad at all.  There is a bit of a harsh bitter taste in my mouth after a few gulps, like the taste you get from a really strong ale (yet this is only 3.5%), but you do get used to it after a while.

A nice gimmick for Halloween but not something I would want to drink regularly.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent
3.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame Spitfire

This is what I call proper British beer and I have the matching glassware!  To emphasise its intense Britishness, it was rather fittingly first brewed in 1990 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

It is a lovely dark amber with just a hint of spice to take the edge off the bitter.  It smells really hoppy on opening but the hops isn't overpowering at all and you get hints of slightly spicy toffee with every mouthful.  Being a Northerner, I would have liked a bit of a longer lasting head but it doesn't really spoil this ace ale.

Intensely British - tally ho pip pip!

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent

4.5% ABV

Find out more about Spitfire and other ales at Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame Late Red

This is a fabulous rich dark red coloured ale with a thick beige frothy head that clings to the side of the glass as you drink.  It has an interesting floral aroma which is a little unexpected but not unpleasant.  It's not what I usually expect from a ruby ale, being a lighter taste and more fruity flavoured, but it wasn't bad at all for a Sunday afternoon tipple.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent

4.5% ABV

Find out more about Late Red at Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame Artesian Dark Ale

Ok I admit, I'm a sucker for a bargain but I really wish I'd kept hold of my pound!

It looks nice with a dark amber hue but that's where my enthusiasm ends.  It has the weirdest smell, almost like stagnant water in the loo!  To be honest, it doesn't taste too bad - it has a bit of a metal aftertaste but tastes like a regular no-frills bitter, proving that sometimes you do get what you pay for.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent (in small writing on the back as they probably don't want to admit to it)

3.8% ABV 

Find out more about Shepherd Neame brewery