BISHOP'S ALE now ON SALE
Bishop's Ale is now available in 330ml bottle and mini-cask. We have companion stemmed glasses with our esteemed figure head on and neat little gift sets for Christmas. All available on our web-shop and at the brewery which is open to the public Monday-Friday.
Alex says "I don't get the opportunity to brew barley wine style beers very often, but a while back Nelion fancied trying to recreate the original Ridley's "Bishop's Ale". Fortunately, a few bottles of the original survived at Bishop Nick, and despite being 14 years beyond their best before date, we stood well back and cracked one open to sample it. It was a bit of a taste sensation, sweet toffee, figs and raisins, and owing to it's age and the inevitable effects of oxidation, it had a striking resemblance to Pedro Ximenez sherry. It's still early days for the new "Bishop's Ale", but very early samplings have the same malty sweetness, hints of dark fruit and a balancing bitterness - no doubt a bit of ageing will allow further flavours to develop. It should be a good choice with dessert or after dinner on a cold evening.
Who knows what Christmas will bring this year? We have tried to prepare for all eventualities by brewing three different ales to cater for both home and pub drinking. With the assumption that more beer will be consumed at home, we've decided to be a bit brave this year and have brewed two strong ales - "Bishop's Ale", weighing in at a hefty 7.5%, and "Rejoice" at a slightly more modest 5.6%. However, don't worry if you're looking for a slightly lighter ale, we've also decided to re-brew the popular hoppy golden 3.8% "Crown" this year. Both the "Crown" and "Rejoice" are in cask and we are waiting on bottles whereas the "Bishop's Ale" is out of the tank, some of it is in little pins for the pub trade, and the remainder is now available in 330ml bottles and mini-casks.
Some of our fans who were brought up on Ridleys have sampled the Bishop's Ale and give it the thumbs up. We have created a giftable stemmed glass to go with it and a smart gift set including two bottles and one glass which would make a perfect present for Christmas.