Smokin' Bishop
Invercargill Brewery

Smokin' BishopSmokin' Bishop
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From:
Invercargill Brewery
 
New Zealand
Style:
Smoked Beer
ABV:
7%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 18.56%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
40
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 07, 2015
Added:
Dec 21, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 1.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Nov 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.26 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Sep 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by XmnwildX12 from Minnesota

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by leftoverburrito from Oregon

Jun 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by NRo from California

May 29, 2014
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

3.84/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a hazy orange amber with a fine half-finger off-whte head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, smokehouse smoke and a hint of cardboard oxidation. Flavor is sweet bready malt and the same smokehouse (bacony) smoke, finishes a bit bland, but with pleasant residual smoke. Nice moderately creamy medium body. A pleasant, but not too complex smoked bock. The flavor of the malt body is somewhat subdued and finishes mildly, but the smoked malt flavors really pick up the slack; quite flavorful and last throughout the taste. This could well be an older bottle (the bottle manufacturing code seems to indicate 2008), and if so that may explain the attenuation of flavor. The mild oxidation aroma is not reflected in the flavor. A nice low key smoked beer that I would not hesitate to try fresh given the chance.
Jan 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by kaelingirl from Massachusetts

Dec 31, 2013
Photo of Omnium
Reviewed by Omnium from Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Bottle > Pint Glass

A - Semi clear amber color with half a finger of head that dissipates instantly, no lacing.
S - Sweet caramel malt, some maple bacon, hickory and applewood, slight booze, a little dark dried fruit underneath.
T - Extremely sweet toffee caramel malt sweetness, fig and plum notes, bacon-like smokey flavor takes a serious backseat in this.
M - Thin and watery.
O - This one is a rather big disappointment, had bigger hopes than it delivered with in flavor.
Dec 21, 2013
Photo of DrDemento456
Reviewed by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Retired? Damn this must be old. Purchased on discount for 5 bucks at the house of 1,000 beers.

A - Yep just a mild layer of foam to start that pulls back to practically nothing. Beer is a very very dirty amber brown color. Sediment in base could mean this is around a year old.
S - Caramel and toffee are strong kind of like an old ale. Smoke is there but secondary. Strong yet mildly skunky.
T+M - Very smooth smokey taste that steals the show and rises above all caramel and toffee malts. Nice bodied beer medium and kind of chewy with faded yet balanced hop profile.

Overall it was a pretty good old ale taste, mild hops, and decent smokey flavor. Would love to have tried this fresh and since retired can't find it anymore. Not a bad beer at all.
Oct 19, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by kbuzz from North Carolina

Oct 18, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Brewski from Pennsylvania

Oct 14, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Oct 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by tbryan5 from Louisiana

Aug 08, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by RedneckBeerz from Massachusetts

Feb 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Tibi81 from Pennsylvania

Jan 25, 2013
Photo of nickfl
Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

4.21/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a hazy golden brown body's. the head settles quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Comlex smokiness with notes of toffee, leather, pipe tobacco, peat, and grass.

T - Thick, bready malt up front with some toffee. Peppery smoke shows up in the middle with notes of turpentine, new leather, and juniper. Finishes with more spicy complexity including lemongrass, good black pepper, and caramel.

M - Medium thick body, low carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - I liked this quite a lot, the smoke charter is astonishingly complex. It is reminiscent of a Schlenkerla beer, but with much more depth. My only complaint, and I had to look hard to find one, is that it would be better with a bit more carbonation to push back against the flabby sweetness in the finish, still this is an exceptional smoked beer if you are into that sort of thing.
Dec 06, 2012
Photo of kylehay2004
Reviewed by kylehay2004 from Illinois

3.97/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: thin head but nice lacing on a hazy copper body.

S: hickory, mesquite and smokey flavors. these are fairly strong overall.

T: more of the same in the flavor which is slightly bitter with smokey, mesquite and BBQ smoked pork flavors which dont overwhlem.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: fairly standard for what I would consider a good smoked beer. wouldnt say memorable or different from others I have had but it has all the elements you want and expect from the style.
Dec 06, 2012
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This one's a pretty good smoked beer- a style that I really appreciate when done right. Smoked over native New Zealand wood, it definitely hits you with a big smokey flavor, but this mellows a bit as you drink it. What I particularly like about the smoke here is that it's got a very nice campfire element to it, with a certain ashiness, but doesn't veer in the bacon or smoked meat direction . Don't get me wrong- I like the bacony direction of a traditional Rauchbier, but sometimes it's nice to find a smoked beer go in another direction. This wood tastes a little mesquite like, and the base beer is malty and solid enough to support it. Their is an undercurrent of herb, almost minty that couples with an ashen finish to create a unique taste. Like all smoked beers, this complements foods very well, especially mild foods. I enjoyed this with some traditional hoop cheese. Very nice!
Dec 02, 2012
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
The Kiwi's continue to invade the shelves of US beer stores. Here's one from New Zealand's most southern located brewery. On to the beer:

Short headed, but it retains pretty well and leaves more than a few splashes of lace around. The color is flame orange with hues that stray into yellow. As the label makes note, there is smoked wood that is added to the beer, and there's enough smoke to go around. Sweet and smokey in the nose, toffee and bready notes along with the aroma of smoked ham hocks.

A taste similar to the nose would have been good for me, but the reality is it's even better. Smoking wood hits hard upfront and retains much of its intensity throughout. The bock aspect of dough and sweet dark bread adds to the enjoyment. More smokiness hits. Somehow, the beer isn't overly dominant of neither smoke nor bock. It's a medium-full bodied beer with a slight chew, and carbonation standing towards the higher end of intensity. Despite the reputation of the bock being a drink that's a meal in a bottle, this one drink rather easy.

One fun and tasty bock. It's been a while since I've had a bock that was so good, but I think the smoked aspect helps its cause as well. This is definately one for the rauchheads.
Nov 26, 2012
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

4.06/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Smokin Bishop pours a hazy bright brown color, with a small lacing head. There is a very strong smokey beef jerky aroma. There is a strong smokey taste, very similar to smoked bacon, with a salty aftertaste. Pretty easy to drink, good full flavor. Overall a good strong smoked beer, wont dissapoint.
Nov 22, 2012
Smokin' Bishop from Invercargill Brewery
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 40 ratings